Orphaned and destitute, the devout Justine attempts to navigate a corrupt society while her unwavering adherence to virtue repeatedly invites exploitation and violence. Driven by a desire to maintain her moral integrity in a world governed by predatory libertines, Justine encounters a series of antagonists who view her goodness as a weakness to be systematically dismantled. The narrative follows a picaresque structure, documenting her repeated attempts to find safety and her subsequent entrapment by those who reject conventional morality. The world is presented as a cold, mechanistic environment where physical power and material gain dictate the survival of the individual, leaving little room for altruism or divine intervention.

Discussion often centers on the provocative nature of the text and its role as a foundational work of transgressive literature. Readers frequently highlight the stark contrast between the protagonist's persistent idealism and the brutal, cynical reality imposed by the author's philosophical framework. Critics often analyze the work as a deliberate subversion of the 18th-century moral novel, noting how the author uses extreme scenarios to challenge the efficacy of traditional virtue. The pacing is noted for its relentless accumulation of suffering, which serves to emphasize the author's bleak worldview rather than traditional character growth. Scholars continue to debate the extent to which the narrative functions as a serious philosophical treatise versus a deliberate provocation against the social norms of the Enlightenment era.