Le figure femminili della saga letteraria “Les semailles et les moissons” di Henri Troyat : prototipi di business women del XX secolo

The plot lines of popular European literature are usually built around male protagonists; a literary response which is to be expected from a prevalently patriarchal society. However, it becomes clear when reading the narrative that the role of women is instrumental in activating and managing the processes of change. This paper will analyse certain female characters (across three generations of the twentieth century) from the French literary saga “Des semailles et des moissons” by Henri Troyat. These women are the initiators and managers of tertiary businesses: a country emporium, a Parisian café, hotel in the upcoming resort of Megève, record shop in the occupied Paris of World War II. As is customary, these businesses are often owned or co-owned by men; men who are often unable to plan and manage them in the long term. The female characters in the literary saga represent, to all intents and purposes, the prototypes of contemporary business women.