About
Jules Vallès (1832-1885) was a French writer, journalist, and socialist politician. A leading republican opponent of the Second Empire, he was imprisoned for press offenses. Founder of the newspaper Le Cri du Peuple, he took part in the Paris Commune of 1871, which forced him into exile in London and Belgium. Amnestied in 1880, he returned to Paris. His major work is the autobiographical trilogy Jacques Vingtras, depicting social misery and political commitment.
* 1832-06-11 — † 1885-02-14
Major works
- L'Enfant (1879)novel
- Le Bachelier (1881)novel
- L'Insurgé (1886)novel
- Les Réfractaires (1865)essays
- La Rue (1866)chronicles
Key milestones
- 1871Founded the newspaper Le Cri du Peuple and was elected member of the Paris Commune.
- 1880Benefited from the general amnesty and returned from exile to Paris.
- 1885His funeral at Père Lachaise drew tens of thousands of mourners.
Themes
Political commitmentSocial injusticeAutobiographyRevoltPress and freedom of speech
Sources: id.loc.gov · britannica.com · oxfordreference.com