Justine, or The Misfortunes of Virtue
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Author Description
'i Have Become Whore Through Goodwill And Libertine Through Virtue.' Orphaned And Penniless At The Age Of Twelve, The Beautiful And Devout Justine Embarks Upon Her Remarkable Odyssey. Her Steadfast Faith And Naive Trust In Trust In Everyone She Meets Destine Her From The Outset For Sexual Exploitation And Martyrdom. The Unending Catalogue Of Disasters That Befall Her, During Which She Is Subject To Any Number Of Perverse Practices, Illustrate Sade's Belief In The Primacy Of Nature Over Civilization. Virtue Is No Match For Vice, And As Criminality And Violence Triumph, Justine Is Doomed To Suffer. Sade's Writings Have Become A Byword For Transgression And Obscenity, And The Logical Amorality Of His Philosophy Still Has The Power To Shock. By Overturning Social, Religious, And Political Norms He Puts Under Scrutiny Conventional Ideas Of Justice, Power, Life, And Death. Justine Is A Ferocious Physical And Intellectual Assault On Absolute Notions Of Good And Evil, And As Such, One Of The Earliest Literary Manifestos For Atheism. About The Series: For Over 100 Years Oxford World's Classics Has Made Available The Widest Range Of Literature From Around The Globe. Each Affordable Volume Reflects Oxford's Commitment To Scholarship, Providing The Most Accurate Text Plus A Wealth Of Other Valuable Features, Including Expert Introductions By Leading Authorities, Helpful Notes To Clarify The Text, Up-to-date Bibliographies For Further Study, And Much More.
Menrva's Summary
THE PULSE
The narrative follows the relentless victimization of a virtuous young woman whose unwavering adherence to morality leads to her repeated exploitation. After being orphaned at twelve, Justine attempts to navigate a corrupt society while maintaining her religious and ethical integrity. She encounters a series of predatory figures who utilize her naivety to subject her to physical and psychological abuse. The story serves as a vehicle for the author to present a series of philosophical arguments regarding the triumph of vice over virtue in a world governed by nature rather than divine justice.
INSIDE THE PAGES
- Episodic structure detailing successive encounters with various antagonists
- Philosophical monologues delivered by libertine characters
- First-person narrative perspective
- Explicit depictions of physical and sexual violence
- Satirical critique of religious and social institutions
- Exploration of the conflict between natural impulses and societal morality
- Use of the picaresque framework to expose systemic corruption
- Explicit rejection of traditional moral frameworks
THE COLLECTIVE ECHO
Discussion often centers on the provocative nature of the text and its role in the history of transgressive literature. Readers frequently highlight the stark contrast between the protagonist's unwavering virtue and the extreme cruelty she faces, which serves to emphasize the author's nihilistic worldview. Critics often analyze the work as a foundational, albeit controversial, manifesto for atheism and a radical critique of Enlightenment ideals. The pacing is noted for its repetitive, escalating intensity, which forces the reader to engage with the author's logical defense of amorality. Many scholars emphasize that the text remains a significant, if polarizing, artifact of eighteenth-century intellectual history.
Page Count:
320
Publication Date:
2012-01-01
Publisher:
Oup Oxford
ISBN-10:
0191635758
ISBN-13:
9780191635755
Satire
Philosophical
Erotic
Gothic
Classic Literature
