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  • © 2018

Cultural and Literary Representations of the Automobile in French Indochina

A Colonial Roadshow

Palgrave Macmillan
  • Contains an array of archival material
  • Synthesizes literary, cultural, mobility studies, and postcolonial research
  • Challenges Eurocentric views of the history of the automobile and mythologies of colonialism

Part of the book series: Studies in Mobilities, Literature, and Culture (SMLC)

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Table of contents (7 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xvii
  2. Paving the Way: Road and Empire Builders

    • Stéphanie Ponsavady
    Pages 25-62
  3. Unfolding the Road: Automobile Pioneers

    • Stéphanie Ponsavady
    Pages 63-98
  4. Sharing the Road: Road Users

    • Stéphanie Ponsavady
    Pages 99-137
  5. Overtaking the Road: Careless Pedestrians

    • Stéphanie Ponsavady
    Pages 183-210
  6. Conclusion: Driving Metaphors and Myths

    • Stéphanie Ponsavady
    Pages 211-225
  7. Back Matter

    Pages 227-230

About this book

How are the pleasures and thrills of the automobile linked to France’s history of conquest, colonialism, and exploitation in Southeast Asia? Cultural and Literary Representations of the Automobile in French Indochina addresses the contradictions of the “progress” of French colonialism and their consequences through the lens of the automobile. Stéphanie Ponsavady examines the development of transportation systems in French Indochina at the turn of the twentieth century, analyzing archival material and French and Vietnamese literature to critically assess French colonialism. 


Reviews

“Ponsavady’s text is beautifully written, wide ranging, thoughtful, carefully researched and theorised, and eclectic in its inspirations. Original, assured, and sophisticated, this book will generate great interest and will provide an inspiration for further historical research into Indochina, as well as provide a model for the analysis of the history of other former colonies in these terms.” (Georgine Clarsen, Associate Professor and Discipline Leader of History, University of Wollongong, Australia)

Authors and Affiliations

  • Wesleyan University, Middletown, USA

    Stéphanie Ponsavady

About the author

Stéphanie Ponsavady is Assistant Professor of French Studies in the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures at Wesleyan University, USA.

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access