Similarities Between A Tragic Tale And Florville

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Recommended: Women in literature

This essay will deal with women's suffering in Sade's Eugénie de Fanvral, A Tragic Tale and Florville and Courval or Fatality. It will argue that both stories consider gender equality as a basic human right and that any constraint on this right through patriarchal or religion systems affects the sensibility of women. Firstly, an analysis of the status of women in patriarchal and public systems will be provided. Then, it will be shown that women are constrained by the idealisation of femininity based on virtue. Finally, it will be demonstrated that virtue reinforces male dominance over women, impeding their empowerment.

Eugénie de Franval and Florville and Courval portray a society characterized by male domination and female subordination. …show more content…

For example, both stories open with a male character who are looking for a woman to marry. Monsieur de Courval needs a wife to bear his children and to pass his inheritance unto a son, 'leave his property to the children he hoped to have by the new wife'. Monsieur de Franval calls his marriage with Mademoiselle de Farneille 'the result of custom and social convention' (Sade, 2005:246), and looses quickly interest to her new wife, 'with greatest indifference' (Sade, 2005:246). Men see women as trophies to be won. For example, when referring to women's bodies, they use possessive terms, 'take', 'having', 'mine' or words such as 'triumph', 'victory' while women 'give', 'sacrifice' and 'beg'. Monsieur de Franval appears as a powerful 'tyrant'. Women are described as emotionally weaker than men. For example, Forville calls men 'cruel', 'ignoble', 'villain', 'indifferent', while Franval abuses his authority and influence being hypocrite, manipulative, he is portrayed as abominable and insensible 'unmoved'. Women as victims or weaker 'plead', 'cry' and 'beg'. They are easily deceived by men, Forville recognises that she was 'naive' and 'duped'. Women are characterized by their unconditional love. All characteristic that is demeaning to man. Madame de Franval's as much as Eugénie's aim is to please Monsieur de Franval. Compared to men, women are delicate, rather than robust, they are sentimental rather than sensible, they are foolish, rather than prudent which men utilized to their advantage. Madame de Verquin is the exceptions, she is wise enough to see the powerless position of women, 'weaker sex' (Sade, 1992:106) , even though she is only looking for love with a man, rather than respect. This affects Florville who calls into question the inequalities between women and men (Sade, 1992:107), like how women should behave to earn respect, while men can dismiss with any punishment or shame. For example, she sees how foolish

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