Abstract: Why do we resort to anecdotes so spontaneously? Because they are a fundamental manifestation of persuasive narration. Examining writings from the period 1650-1750, when the social and historical anecdote was taking off, this work illuminates the complex rhetorical strategies surrounding this simple form of account.
Keyword: Analyse du discours, rhétorique, histoire des formes, linguistique textuelle, langue et littérature du xviie siècle, histoire littéraire, narratologie