In Les Transclasses ou la non-reproduction, published in 2014, the philosopher Chantal Jaquet coined the term "transclass" to refer to those who experience the transition from one social class to another. In this influential work, characters like Julien Sorel (Le Rouge et le Noir), Eugène de Rastignac (La Comédie humaine), author Annie Ernaux, and sociologist Didier Éribon are presented as representatives of this category.

While the figures of the "arriviste" (or "social climber") and the "transfuge" (or "social class defector") seem to merge here, what is their role in literature? What sets them apart? How are they interconnected? How have each of them contributed to the emergence and success of certain literary genres and forms? This seminar seeks to juxtapose the character of the "arriviste," as found in the works of Stendhal, Balzac, and Maupassant, with the figure of the "transfuge," which has risen to prominence since the late 20th century.

While 19th-century novels focused on the themes of ascent and descent, power, and money, the narratives of the following two centuries, often autobiographical, delve increasingly into the experience of cultural displacement or the conflict between two worlds, exploring feelings of shame or an inevitable betrayal. In several of these works, literature takes on the mission of unveiling the mechanisms of social dominance and reproduction. Understanding the difference between these two figures requires an examination of their respective historical, political, and socio-economic contexts. Additionally, we must analyze the ways in which they are represented in literature, including genre, narrative devices, language, scenes, and recurring motifs, as well as their connection to the history of literary forms and their reception.

Finally, the "polyphony" that inhabits these works, often creating tension between different forms of the French language, offers an opportunity to analyze the diverse nature of language and its socio-political implications.