Stories of lost shadows culminate in Romantic Europe with Chamisso’s Peter Schlemihl linking them to the Faustian tradition and triggering a renewed interest in the already popular theme. Imitations and sophistications of Peter’s strange adventure are to be found in numerous shadow authors, including Andersen, Poe, Gilson, and more recently, Henri Bosco. 

Catel’s study is anchored in the context of the renewal of signs through shadow reflections. Redirecting traditional Jungian shadow interpretations, Catel departs from a feminist perspective in order to connect shadow tales to the traditional patriarchal myths and more particularly the androgyne archetype.