'Les Liaisons Dangereuses'

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews, discusses and analyzes Pierre Choderlos de Laclos' famous eighteen century novel, 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses'. According to the paper, 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses' is written in the epistolary form, and has two main protagonists: Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont. The paper also explains how the theme of the novel seems to be perfectly expressed by William Blake in his poem, "The Clod and the Pebble".

From the Paper:

"The love that does not seek to please itself but is genuine and sincere is primarily that of other characters in the novel, like Cecile, at least in the beginning, and Madame de Tourvel. However, this understanding of love is also valid, in a way, in the case of the Marquise and the Vicomte. It is easily noticeable that the two actually force themselves into embracing the other ideal of love which seems to gratify their dominating natures. It is an act of will on their part, and they are their own creations, as Merteuil notices: "I carried this zeal so far as voluntarily to inflict pains upon myself while looking for a pleased expression on my face. I worked on myself with the same care to repress the symptoms of an unexpected joy." (Letter 81)"

Sample of Sources Used:

• Blake, William. Complete Writings. London: Oxford University Press, 1972.
• Laclos, Pierre Choderlos. Les Liaisons Dangereuses. London: Oxford Paperbacks, 1998.

More papers on 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses':

• Book Review # 74483 : "'Les Liaisons Dangereuses'"
• Film Review # 66819 : "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" by Choderlos de Laclos"
• Argumentative Essay # 5166 : "Les Liaisons Dangereuses: Is It an Aristotelian Tragedy?"

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