Abstract
Gnomic formulae are one of the instances in which doxa is expressed. They have a number of specific implications – such as the belief in the existence of authority, in the possibility of gaining and phrasing universal truths – which make them particularly interesting for an analysis of texts which came to being in the context of an artistic creed that questions such presuppositions. This article takes a closer look at the presence and functioning of such formulae in three texts from around 1900 by liberal Flemish writers that have been associated with naturalism: Madeleine by Virginie Loveling, ‘Het populierken op den heuvel’ by Herman Teirlinck and ‘Op het kleine gehucht’ by Cyriel Buysse. The analysis of the gnomic formulae in these three cases uncovers different interpretations of notions such as fate, authority and insight and allows for a more nuanced view on the literature of this period. This approach thus seems to be a promising one for a far broader research.
