Legal Metaphors and Figurative Comparisons as a stylistic way of characterizing the Society of Guermantes in M. Proust's novel

Savina Elena PhD in Philology Associate Professor, the department of Foreign Languages, the faculty of Law, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University 119991, Russia, g. Moscow, GSP-1, Leninskie Gory, 1, stroenie 13 (4-i uchebnyi korpus), aud. 503 A savinaelena2006@yandex.ru Other publications by this author

The vocabulary of a particular language is traditionally divided into special and commonly used; at the same time, "lexical units of the language that perform the function of designating concepts that are associated with a particular professional sphere belong to the special vocabulary" ^{[4, p. 28]}. Nevertheless, since legal activity in general is characterized by a close connection with everyday life, "the lexicon of law... it is largely connected with everyday concepts" [Ibid.]. In this regard, O. A. Bezuglova and A. A. Kuznetsova note the need in our time for graduates of language universities to master "not only common, but also business, as well as legal vocabulary" ^{[1, p. 177]}.

According to E.M. Alba, since the Middle Ages, French fiction often depicts trials and widely presents various considerations about the law, since many writers received legal education at that time ^{[12, p. 48]}. The researcher examines the general vocabulary related to the philosophy of law and the judicial process in the fables of La Fontaine, which plays an important role in the author's work, since he worked as a lawyer [Ibid., pp. 48-49]. J. Schauwecker shows by the example of French medieval fiction that the concepts of feudal law were well known to the French long before their appearance in the Old French language ^[19].

The great interest that the language of law has been arousing for a long time, and, in connection with this fact, the need for more careful study of it within the framework of legal linguistics is indicated by J. Korn ^{[8, p. 1-2]}. The researcher emphasizes the close connection of law with semiology, semiotics, non–linguistic signs, and the language of law with the language of literary works both in terms of form and content (for example, in the work of one of the French scientists, S. Le Mer, it is shown that the moralist appears as a censor and legislator, and morality is usually brief and concise, especially in maxims). According to J.-M. Trijo, it is possible to create both a literary work using legal discourse, and vice versa [Ibid., p. 3]. There are separate works devoted primarily to the functioning of English legal terminology in literary texts, but stylistic figures created on the basis of legal vocabulary in the texts of M. Proust, an author whose prose is characterized by a large number of metaphors and comparisons in general, have not been studied before, as far as we know.

When analyzing the novel "In Search of Lost Time", attention is traditionally paid to the biography of the writer, comparing it with the lifestyle of the narrator, Marcel (see, for example, ^[3],[22]). E. Hug's research is devoted to various aspects of the problem of mindfulness in M. Proust's texts ^[13]. K. Kurata reveals the influence of J. Eliot on M. Proust ^[15]. However, as T. M. Nikolaeva notes, the interest in the work is explained, first of all, precisely by the fact that M. Proust "carefully removed all trivial biographical moments from the book: military service, albeit short, excellent education at the Lyceum Condorcet, the reasons for duels..." ^{[6, p. 10]}, and in connection with with this, it is necessary to study the author's text itself, and not various prototypes, intertext, influences.

Using linguistic and stylistic methods, we investigate figures, in particular comparisons and metaphors, formed on the basis of legal terms that are used when Marcel describes his first visit to the Guermantes in the third volume of the novel, "At the Guermantes" ("Le C?t? de Guermantes"), because M. Proust studied law for three years at the university it could not but have an impact on his artistic world. In particular, we have selected by continuous sampling all the contexts related to the narrator's first visit to the salon of the Guermantes, which contain initial impressions of their servants, the Duke and Duchess of Guermantes and some of their most distinguished guests, such as the Prince of Agrigentum and Madame de Gallardon. We will not dwell on various theoretical problems related to definitions and classifications of figures (see, for example, ^{[10],[14],[16],[21]}), with the peculiarities of their functioning in speech ^[11], and we will analyze the specific language material by referring to the methods of lexicology and semantics.

To French legal terms in a broad sense, following J. Root, we will refer all words of the French language that have one or more meanings in law, that is, not only "exclusively legal terms", but also, in general, all words that are used in law in a special meaning ^{[5, p. 14]}. E. N. Yudina writes about the fact that special terminology is an organic part of the general lexical system of the language, about the blurring of the lines both between the general literary language and a separate special terminology, and between different terminologies, as well as about polysemy, which is one of the most important characteristics of the legal vocabulary ^[7]. In this regard, in our material it is possible to identify terms related to branches of law related to the structure of the state and its management (constitutional, administrative and public international law), to civil law, and we will also separately consider the context related to banking law, since it is part of business law.

The terms of constitutional, administrative and international public law are represented by such lexical units as un/le ministre espagnol "envoy of Spain", les ministres bourgeois de la cour d e Louis XIV "ministers from the bourgeoisie at the court of Louis XIV", un fonctionnaire "official, official", l'Administration fran ?aise"state departments, government institutions of France", d' mocratique "democratic", le pouvoir politique "political power", l'? tat "state", l'arm ?e "army", la souveraine d'un ? tat "sovereign", un pr ? sident de la r? publique "president", l'imp ? trante "a person who has received satisfaction of his request", ? dit "decree", Chambre "chamber of Parliament".

Un/le ministre espagnol, les ministres bourgeois de la cour de Louis XIV

In the Legal Dictionary of J. Cornu, the noun ministre is defined as "membre du gouvernement, en g?n?ral plac? en m?me temps ? la t?te d'un ensemble de services de l'administration (sauf pour les ministres sans portefeuille)" ^{[9, p. 659]}. However, in the following context, this lexeme is apparently used in the meaning of "envoy" ("agent diplomatique de rang imm?diatement inf?rieur ? celui d'ambassadeur et charg? de repr?senter son gouvernement ? l'?tranger" ^{[17, p. 1412]}. M. Proust uses the expression ministre espagnol, probably to indicate dignity and the emphasized deference of the servant of the Guermantes, who is waiting for Marcel to look at all the paintings that interest him, although the start of dinner is delayed because of this:

<...> J’eus peur qu’on m’e?t oubli?, qu’on f?t ? table et j’allai rapidement vers le salon. ? la porte du cabinet des Elstir je trouvai un domestique qui attendait, vieux ou poudr?, je ne sais, l’air d’un ministre espagnol, mais me t?moignant du m?me respect qu’il e?t mis aux pieds d’un roi. Je sentis ? son air qu'il m'et attendu une heure encore, et je pensai avec effroi au retard que j'avais apport? au d?ner, alors surtout que j'avais promis d'?tre ? onze heures chez M. de Charlus ^{[18, p. 409]}.

In the passage under consideration, this comparison allows us to figuratively compare the following of unwritten rules of politeness by a servant, despite their violation by Marcel, with strict observance of diplomatic protocol.

In the next paragraph M. Proust resorts to an anaphora, using the same expression in combination with the definite article le, which nevertheless points precisely to the servant of the Guermantes, and not to the envoy of Spain.:

Le ministre espagnol (non sans que je rencontrasse, en route, le valet de pied pers?cut? par le concierge, et qui, rayonnant de bonheur quand je lui demandai des nouvelles de sa fianc?e, me dit que justement demain ?tait le jour de sortie d’elle et de lui, qu’il pourrait passer toute la journ?e avec elle, et c?l?bra la bont? de Madame la duchesse) me conduisit au salon o? je craignais de trouver M. de Guermantes de mauvaise humeur. Il m’accueillit, au contraire, avec une joie ?videmment en partie factice et dict?e par la politesse, mais par ailleurs sinc?re, inspir?e et par son estomac qu’un tel retard avait affam?, et par la conscience d’une impatience pareille chez tous ses invit?s lesquels remplissaient compl?tement le salon. Je sus, en effet, plus tard, qu'on m'avait attendu pr?s de trois quarts d'heure. <...> ^{[18, pp. 409-410]}.

Such semantic ambiguity, which appeared as a result of paradigmatic ambiguity (since in this context such expressions as le ministre espagnol and le domestique des Guermantes actually act as synonyms, and it is impossible to understand that the first signifier corresponds to the signified of the second without knowing the previous context) creates a certain comic effect, since the servant behaves just as politely, unperturbed and dignified, as well as a high-ranking member of the diplomatic corps. Such exaggerated arrogance is opposed by Marcel's democracy, since he still lingers on his way to the living room to ask the footman they met in the corridor how his fiancee is doing. The parenthesized digression from the main plot, containing a detailed response from the footman and a reference with explanations to their morning meeting with the boy, seems to "stretch", "slow down" the narrative and allows the reader to physically feel both Marcel's forty-five-minute delay for dinner, and the joy experienced by the hungry guests due to the fact that they are eating finally served.

The dictionary "Tr?sor de la langue fran?aise" also highlights the meaning of the noun ministre "homme d'?tat charg? d'administrer les affaires publiques" and, separately, within it, relating to the history of pre-revolutionary France, "sous l'Ancien R?gime, d?l?gu? de l'autorit? royale, charg? par le roi du gouvernement du pays" ^[20]. In M. Proust's novel, the Duke of Guermantes' emphatic reverence for Marcel, who came from a simple bourgeois family, is described by comparison with the democratic respect shown by representatives of ancient aristocratic families to bourgeois ministers at the court of Louis XIV, obviously realizing nevertheless their advantage over them by birthright:

<...> Les caprices de la conduite, ni?s par de saintes amies, malgr? l’?vidence, semblaient, dans le monde des Guermantes, importer beaucoup moins que les relations qu’on avait su conserver. On feignait d’ignorer que le corps d’une ma?tresse de maison ?tait mani? par qui voulait, pourvu que son «salon» f?t demeur? intact. Comme le duc se g?nait fort peu avec ses invit?s (...), mais beaucoup avec moi dont le genre de sup?riorit? lui ?tant inconu lui causait un peu le m?me genre de respect qu'aux grands seigneurs de la cour de Louis XIV les ministres bourgeois, il consid?rait ?videmment que le fait de ne pas conna?tre ses convives n'avait aucune importance [...] et, tandis que je me pr?occupais [...] de l'effet que je ferais sur eux, il se souciait seulement de celui qu'ils feraient sur moi ^{[18, pp. 410-411]}.

In this context, the Duke of Guermantes is compared with Louis XIV in terms of his absolutism, his reception is with the monarch's desire to control the nobility at court, and Marcel's invitation evokes the monarch's patronage of literature and the arts. The description of noble ladies as leading a frivolous lifestyle, which no one pays attention to if their salon is quite refined, is also associated with literary salons, the heyday of which falls just during the reign of Louis XIV, as well as with his numerous favorites. The "frivolous" behavior of secular ladies is contrasted with the elegance of salons, and due to this comparison, Marcel seems to see himself at the court of the king.

D?mocratique, le pouvoir politique, ?tat, arm?e, souveraine d’un ?tat, pr?sident de la R?publique

In the context discussed below, Marcel expresses, at first glance, the paradoxical idea that the democratization of society leads only to its greater hierarchization, although in this case it is much less obvious:

<...> Enfin une soci?t? ne serait-elle pas secr?tement hi?rarchis?e au fur et ? mesure qu’elle serait en fait plus d?mocratique? C’est fort possible. Le pouvoir politique des papes a beaucoup grandi depuis qu'ils n'ont plus ni ?tats, ni arm?e; les cath?drales exer?aient un prestige bien moins grand sur un d?vot du XVIIe si?cle que sur un ath?e du XXe, et si la princesse de Parme avait ?t? souveraine d'un ?tat, sans doute euss?-je eu l'id?e d'en parler ? peu pr?s autant que d'un pr?sident de la R?publique, c'est-?-dire pas du tout ^{[18, p. 441]}.

In this passage, the past participle hi ? rarchis ? associatively contradicts the idea of a democratic society in its traditional sense. The narrator expresses the idea that such seemingly obligatory attributes as the state or the army are not needed for the actual exercise of political power, and compares political power with religious power from this point of view (pointing out that majestic Gothic cathedrals, at a time when religion was widespread, and in literally, all spheres of life were "saturated" with it, not as impressive to believers as the atheists of the beginning of the XX century, who, after the Revolution and, obviously, after the separation of church and state in France in 1905, were able to detach themselves from the religious component and fully appreciate the artistic significance of Gothic sacred architecture). The author's skeptical attitude towards the democratic system is also expressed by mentioning his admiration for the representatives of the ancient aristocratic families of France, who are internally aware of the power, strength and greatness that belong to them by birthright (although they do not exercise political power), since in the narrator's view even the elected president does not possess them.

Administration, fonctionnaire

The noun administration is defined in the dictionary "Le Nouveau Petit Robert" as "fonction consistent ? assurer l'application des lois et la marche des services publics conform?ment aux directives gouvernementales; ensemble des services et agents charg?s de cette fonction" ^{[17, p. 30]}, and fonctionnaire as "personne qui remplit une fonction publique; personne qui occupy, en qualit? de titulaire, un employi permanent dans les cadres d'une administration publique" ^{[17, p. 943]}. In M. Proust's novel, the influence of the Duke of Guermantes in society is compared with the power of an official in administrative authorities, with the position of a priest symbolizing the full power of the church, as well as with the power of the elements:

<...> Ce n’est pas que M. de Guermantes ne f?t par certains c?t?s fort ordinaire et n’e?t m?me des ridicules d’homme trop riche, l’orgueil d’un parvenu qu’il n’?tait pas. Mais de m?me qu’un fonctionnaire ou qu’un pr?tre voient leur m?diocre talent multipli? ? l’infini (comme une vague par toute la mer qui se presse derri?re elle) par ces forces auxquelles ils s’appuient, l’Administration fran?aise et l’?glise catholique, de m?me M. de Guermantes ?tait port? par cette autre force, la politesse aristocratique la plus vraie. Cette politesse exclut bien des gens <...> ^{[18, pp. 421-422]}.

In the passage under consideration, the apparent "mediocrity" of the Duke of Guermantes is emphasized through such vocabulary as ordinaire, des ridicules, un parvenu, m?diocre in combination with adverbs indicating the highest degree of one or another attribute fort, trop, ? l'infini. It is contrasted with imperceptible, but nevertheless innate aristocratic politeness and even some snobbery. Marcel describes this situation by comparing it with other situations from the sphere of administrative law, church life and the natural element, when a mediocre official, priest or wave symbolize the full power of the institutions they represent (the negative attitude towards which is obvious thanks to the expression m ? diocre talent multipli ? l'infini and the ironic spelling with a capital letter) and the power of the sea, respectively.

Imp?trant(e)

The noun imp ?trant is defined in J. Cornu's Legal Dictionary as "celui qui a obtenu, sur sa candidature ou sa demande, un dipl?me (autrefois un privilege ou un titre), plus g?n?ralement un avantage" ^{[9, p. 524]}. In M. Proust's novel, noble ladies who came after dinner with friends in another place to a social reception of the Princess of Parma (as opposed to the regulars), who have to wait until she finishes playing solitaire at a table to greet them, are compared with petitioners of privileges from administrative or state authorities, and allow them, in turn, to greet her by kneeling in front of her:

Une fois l’imp?trante relev?e et embrass?e par la princesse, celle-ci se rasseyait, se remettait ? sa patience, non sans avoir, si la nouvelle venue ?tait d’importance, caus? un moment avec elle en la faisant asseoir sur un fauteuil.

Quand le salon devenait trop plein, la dame d’honneur charg?e du service d’ordre donnait de l’espace en guidant des habitu?s dans un immense hall sur lequel donnait le salon et qui ?tait rempli de portraits, de curiosit?s relatives ? la maison de Bourbon. Les convives habituels de la princesse jouaient alors volontiers le r?le de cicerone et disaient des choses inter?ssantes, que n’avaient pas la patience d’?couter les jeunes gens, plus attentifs ? regarder les Altesses vivantes [...] qu'? consid?rer les reliques des souveraines mortes <...> ^{[18, p. 441]}.

This passage develops the ideas outlined in the previous contexts: The Guermantes, having no real political power, nevertheless exert an unobvious but significant influence on others of an ancient aristocratic family, which explains the comparison of a guest who came to a secular reception with a humiliated petitioner. This idea is also expressed by pointing out that the extensive portrait gallery of the Bourbon dynasty (which is associated with the heyday of the absolute monarchy in France) and the curiosities of that era are less interested in young salon visitors than watching the "living" representatives of aristocratic dynasties who did not lose power during the Republic.

?dit

The noun ? dit is defined in the dictionary "Petit Robert" as "sous l'Ancien R?gime, disposition l?gislative statuant sur une mati?re sp?ciale (alors que l'ordonnance avait un caract?re g?n?ral)" ^{[17, p. 718]}. In M. Proust's novel, the narrator's attempts to understand on the basis of which the Duchess of Guermantes makes her value judgments about various people and events of social life are figuratively presented as an analysis of descriptions of political life and chronicles of parliamentary hearings in newspapers:

<...> Mais ce plaisir de la duchesse, ce fut moins ? l’aide de la critique litt?raire que d’apr?s la vie politique et la chronique parlementaire, que j’essayai de comprendre quel il pouvait ?tre. Les ?dits successifs et contradictoires par lesquels Mme de Guermantes renversait sans cesse l'ordre des valeurs chez les personnes de son milieu ne suffisant plus ? la distraire, elle cherchait aussi, dans la mani?re dont elle dirigeait sa propre conduite sociale, dont elle rendait compte de ses moindres d?cisions mondaines, ? go?ter ces ?motions artificielles, ? ob?ir ? ces devoirs factices qui stimulent la sensibilit? des assembl?es et s'imposent ? l'esprit des politiciens <...> ^{[18, p. 458]}.

In the context under consideration, due to the use of the noun ? dit, the fact is actualized, first of all, that we are talking about the decree of the king (although the events described in the novel relate to the period of the Third Republic), which regulates a separate issue and, therefore, affects either a certain group of persons or a specific province. The value judgments of the Duchess of Guermantes are compared with successive contradictory royal decrees. The adjectives factice and artificiel indicate that she constantly adjusted her behavior in society to her own contradictory judgments for the sake of entertainment. Due to the use of these tokens, her desire to have fun in this way is compared with a certain populism of speakers in parliament and politicians. The ironic tone of this passage is set due to the contrast between the behavior of the absolute monarch in the republican environment.

Chambre

Further, such an arbitrary definition of the trends of social life by the Duchess of Guermantes is compared with the description in the press of the simulation of violent political activity during the minister's speech in parliament:

<...> On sait que quand un ministre explique ? la chambre qu'il a cru bien faire en suivant une ligne de conduite qui semble en effet toute simple ? l'homme de bon sens qui le lendemain dans son journal lit le compte rendu de la s?ance, ce lecteur de bon sens se sent pourtant remu? tout d'un coup, et comment ? douter d'avoir eu raison d'approuver le ministre, en voyant que le discours de celui-ci a ?t? ?cout? au milieu d'une vive agitation et ponctu? par des expressions de bl?me telles que: "C'est tr?s grave", prononc?es par un d?put? dont le nom et les titres sont si longs et suivis de mouvements si accentu?s que, dans l'interruption tout enti?re, les mots "C'est tr?s grave!" tiennent moins de place qu'un h?mistiche dans un alexandrin <...> ^{[18, p. 458]}.

In this context, the influence on the minds of the Duchess of Guermantes is compared with the influence of the press on readers when presenting a political agenda. The reader's initial approval of the Minister's reasonable position is represented by such vocabulary related to the semantic field of rationality as "il a cru bien faire", "semble en effet toute simple", "l'homme de bon sens", "ce lecteur de bon sens". The subsequent instantaneous change of his opinion under the influence of the report in the press is represented, on the contrary, by the vocabulary indicating feelings: "se sent remu?", "comment ? douter d'avoir eu raison d'approuver le ministre", "une vive agitation", "des expressions de bl?me", as well as by repeating nothing the meaningless expression "c'est tr?s grave" in this context. Comparing the length of this utterance with the half-verse of the Alexandrian verse, which is associated primarily with the medieval epic and with the literature of the classical era, brings an ironic note to this description, since the reasonable opinion of a sane reader changes, including due to the three-syllable expression. All these techniques point to the arbitrariness of the Duchess's assessment.

The same idea is illustrated below with the help of a concrete example, when the numerous noble titles of the Duke of Guermantes, indicating his belonging to an ancient aristocratic family, are ironically contrasted with three meaningless short words uttered by him at a meeting of the National Assembly:

<...> Par exemple autrefois, quand M. de Guermantes, prince des Laumes, si?geait ? la Chambre, on lisait quelquefois dans les journaux de Paris, bien que ce f?t surtout destin? ? la circonscription de M?s?glise et afin de montrer aux lecteurs qu’ils n’avaient pas port? leurs votes sur un mandat inactif ou muet:

«Monsieur de Guermantes-Bouillon, prince des Laumes: «Ceci est grave!» (Tr?s bien! Tr?s bien! au centre et sur quelques bancs ? droite, vives exclusions ? l'extr?me gauche.)" ^{[18, p. 458]}.

An ironic effect is also created here by pointing out the fact that the description of this minor event is, in fact, intended for the voters of a particular provincial district, but is published in the capital's newspapers, which should give it special importance in their eyes. The described violent reaction of deputies to the speech of the Duke of Guermantes is also disproportionate to its significance.

Finally, the last thing, as a result of which the prudent reader questions the previously reasonable measure, is an even less meaningful phrase of the Duke of Guermantes, which contains such "empty" expressions as ce n'est pas trop dire, je suppose, but which nevertheless contains lexical units indicating strong emotions (l'? tonnement, la stupeur), as well as expressions conveying an even more "excessive" reaction to them (tonnerre d'applaudissements, s'empresser, le signe affirmatif de la t?te de M. le sous-secr?taire d’?tat aux Postes et T?l?graphes):

"L'?tonnement, la stupeur, ce n'est pas trop dire (vive sensation dans la partie droite de l'h?micycle), que m'ont caus?s les paroles de celui qui est encore, je suppose, membre du gouvernement..." (Tonnerre d'applaudissements; quelques d?put?s s'empressent vers le banc des ministres; M. le sous-secr?taire d'?tat aux Postes et T?l?graphes fait de sa place avec la t?te un signe affirmatif.)" ^{[18, pp. 458-459]}.

Thus, due to this detailed metaphor, M. Proust shows that the arbitrary judgments of the Duchess of Guermantes about certain people were based, firstly, on the authority of her aristocratic titles, and, secondly, on the fact that, by making them, she influenced primarily the emotions of the interlocutor, but in reality they were as empty, meaningless and meaningless as the speeches of her husband, devoid of any specifics, at meetings in parliament.

The vocabulary related to civil law is represented by the term ? tat civil "civil status".

?tat civil

The expression ? tat civil is defined in the dictionary Tr?sor de la langue fran?aise as "ensemble des ?l?ments constant officiellement l'?tat d'une personne par rapport ? la soci?t?" ^[20]. In M. Proust's novel, the more distinguished guests contemptuously treat those present at the reception at the Guermantes of two unknown foreign women as people whose information is not included in any state acts of civil status:

<...> Du moins il vous le dit; et s’il vous le dit, soyez s?r que c’est qu’il y trouve son int?r?t», avait r?pondu Mme de Gallardon. Bien plus, comme on disait de deux ?trang?res tr?s ?l?gantes que les Guermantes recevaient, qu’on avait fait passer d’abord celle-ci puisqu’elle ?tait l’a?n?e: «Mais est-elle m?me l’a?n?e?» avait demand? Mme de Gallardon, non pas positivement comme si ce genre de personnes n’avaient pas d’?ge, mais comme si vraisemblablement d?nu?es d’?tat civil et religieux, de traditions certaines, elles fussent plus ou moins jeunes comme les petites chattes d’une m?me corbeille entre lesquelles un v?t?rinaire seul pourrait se reconna?tre. Les Courvoisier [...] maintenaient [...] l'int?grit? de la noblesse [...] gr?ce ? l'?troitesse de leur esprit et ? la m?chancet? de leur c?ur <...> ^{[18, p. 428]}.

In the context under consideration, the distrust and caution of the aristocratic Courvoisier family is described by depicting their perception of the two girls as having "officially" neither civil, nor religious, nor age, nor cultural identity. Madame de Gallardon's unwillingness to get to know them better is also compared to the non-specialist's unwillingness to distinguish kittens from one litter from each other, which emphasizes the limitations of her worldview, arrogance and snobbery. Nevertheless, the author draws attention to the fact that it was this approach of Courvoisier that made it possible to protect aristocratic dynasties from external influence, in contrast to the manners of much more "democratic" Guermantes.

The vocabulary of international commercial and banking law is represented by such terms as banquier "banker" and mine "mine, mines, mine".

Banquier, mine

The noun banquier is defined in the Legal Dictionary of J. Cornu as "personne qui exerce l'activit? bancaire" ^{[9, p. 122]}, and mine as "g?te de substances min?rales ou fossiles, renferm?es dans le sein de la terre ou existant ? la surface lorsque ces substances sont de celles ?num?r?es ? l'article 2 du Code minier" ^{[9, p. 658]}. In M. Proust 's novel , these terms are used in the following context:

<...> De sorte qu’il se trouvait ? la fois le seul homme au monde qui f?t prince d’Agrigente et peut-?tre l’homme au monde qui l’?tait le moins. D’ailleurs fort heureux de l’?tre, mais comme un banquier est heureux d’avoir de nombreuses actions d’une mine, sans se soucier si cette mine r?pond aux jolis noms de mine Ivanho? et de mine Primerose, ou si elle s’appelle simplement la mine Premier. Cependant, tandis que s'achevaient les pr?sentations si longues ? raconter [...] et que Mme de Guermantes [...] me disait: " Je suis s?re que Basin vous fatigue ? vous mener ainsi de l'une ? l'autre, [...] nous voulons surtout ne pas vous fatiguer pour que vous reveniez souvent ", le duc, d'un mouvement assez gauche et timor?, donna [...] le signe qu'on pouvait servir ^{[18, pp. 419-420]}.

In the passage under consideration, Marcel figuratively describes his charm at a reception at the Guermantes in the name of the Prince of Agrigentum, whose poetic sound does not correspond to the appearance of a real person. Prince Agrigentsky, according to the young man, although proud of his surname, does not fully realize its beauty, and this situation is compared to the position of a banker who, having shares in mining companies, worries only about profits, not noticing that some have poetic names, Ivanhoe and Primrose, referring to the historical novel by W. Scott and to the play ^{[18, p. 715]}. Thus, the secular authority of the owner of an ancient surname is compared with making a profit from natural resources.

So, the peculiarities of Marcel's perception of aristocratic society at the secular receptions of the Dukes of Guermantes, which are depicted by means of terms of public and individual branches of private law, allow us to identify three main trends. Representatives of ancient aristocratic families are associated with the young man, first of all, with kings during the period of absolute monarchy (for example, the Princess of Parma evokes in his mind the Bourbon dynasty, the reception at the Duke and Duchess of Guermantes – the court of Louis XIV, his numerous favorites, as well as literary salons of that era; their servant is compared with the bourgeois minister at his the court, and the secular judgments of the Duchess of Guermantes are denoted by the term ? dit).

The use of legal terms also introduces another topic so important for M. Proust, as the opposition of what really is to what it seems: for example, the significant influence in the light of the Princess of Parma and the Duke of Guermantes only intensified after representatives of ancient aristocratic families were deprived of political power due to the French Revolution. Prince Agrigentsky continues to charm people from the bourgeoisie, to which Marcel belongs, with the majestic sound of his surname, despite the fact that there is nothing aristocratic in his appearance. This contrast is also transmitted by contrasting financial terms with literary works.

The ironic use of legal terms related to the post-revolutionary period (? tat civil, pr ? sident de la r? publique, assembl? es, la Chambre du Parlement) in the context of secular techniques of the period of the Third Republic indicates the artificiality and falsity of the aristocracy of that period: the arbitrariness of the judgments of Madame Guermantes is compared with the fierce emotional criticism of the minister in Parliament, despite the reasonableness of the proposed political line. The doubt of the Courvoisier ladies that one noble guest unknown to them is older than the other expresses their distrust of the state civil registry services, which implies the denial of her pedigree.