ABSTRACT
Between the early 1890s and the First World War, the zone acquired the status of a myth, in the sense that it became an increasingly important reference point for how Parisians and visitors to the capital imagined various aspects of contemporary life. The widespread currency of the term itself, the appearance of the neologism zonier, the majestic landscapes which the zone inspired among Salon artists and international interest in the area all point in a broad sense to this mythical dimension. One dominant myth claimed that the zone was being overrun by criminal, libidinous outsiders. This myth was countered by a significant humanitarian discourse which insisted that the vast majority of the zones inhabitants were ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances. It was also challenged by a series of fortuitous events which turned part of the zone into a locus of working-class militancy. The zone remained an equally significant metaphor for articulating ideas about class and gender.
