Bachelor of Arts (BA), Ohio University, 2019, French

For my thesis, I chose to investigate the history of the satirical press in France, with a special emphasis on caricature and political satire. I was inspired to do so after seeing the massive reaction in France to the 2015 Charlie Hebdo shooting. I was fascinated by the passion that the French people had for such a violently political and often offensive sect of the press. Through my research, I discovered the answer. For almost a century, the French people fought to instate a republican government in their country. As new governments rose and fell, the freedoms of expression, assembly, and the press were most closely linked to the struggle for popular representation. Censorship came and went several times over the course of the 19th century and each time it returned, the satirical press was the first to feel its effects. As a result, this sarcastic and caustic area of journalism became almost a symbol of those freedoms they were fighting for; not because the French always agreed with what they said, but because their right to say what they wanted was at the heart of the issue. The pioneers of satire in the 19th century gave way to a new generation in the 20th, starting with Le Canard enchaine (which is still thriving today) and soon Hara-Kiri, the predecessor to Charlie Hebdo.

Committee: Lois Vines Dr. (Advisor) Subjects: Foreign Language; History; Journalism; Political Science