Thérèse the Philosopher
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| Therese's [[sexual education]] continues with her relationship with Mme. Bois-Laurier, an experienced prostitute. This is a variation on the [[whore dialogue]]s common in early pornographic novels. | Therese's [[sexual education]] continues with her relationship with Mme. Bois-Laurier, an experienced prostitute. This is a variation on the [[whore dialogue]]s common in early pornographic novels. | ||
| - | Finally, Therese meets the unnamed Count who wants her for his mistress. She refuses him intercourse, out of her fear of death in childbirth (not unreasonable at the time.) He makes a bet with her. If she can last two weeks in a room full of [[erotic book]]s and [[erotic painting|paintings]] without masturbating, he will not demand intercourse with her. Therese loses and becomes the Count's permament mistress. | + | Finally, Therese meets the unnamed Count who wants her for his mistress. She refuses him intercourse, out of her fear of death in childbirth (not unreasonable at the time.) He makes a bet with her. If she can last two weeks in a room full of [[erotic book]]s and [[erotic painting|paintings]] without masturbating, he will not demand intercourse with her. |
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| + | :"Tout fut porté par vos ordres dans ma chambre. Je dévorai des yeux ou, pour mieux dire, je parcourus tour à tour pendant les quatre premiers jours [[l'histoire du Portier des Chartreux]], celle de [[La Tourière des Carmélites]], [[L'Académie des Dames]], [[Les Lauriers ecclésiastiques]], [[Thémidore]], [[Frétillon]], etc., et nombre d’autres de cette espèce, que je ne quittai que pour examiner avec avidité des tableaux où les postures les plus lascives étaient rendues avec un coloris et une expression qui portaient un feu brûlant dans mes veines." | ||
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| + | Therese loses and becomes the Count's permament [[mistress]]. | ||
| == English translations == | == English translations == | ||
Revision as of 14:20, 14 February 2010
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Thérèse Philosophe is a 1748 anonymously published French novel variously ascribed to Jean-Baptiste de Boyer, Marquis d'Argens, Denis Diderot, Xavier d'Arles de Montigny and Théodore-Henri de Tschudi.
Thérèse philosophe was devoted to recounting the relationship between highly-publicized trial involving Cathérine Cadière and Jean-Baptiste Girard. This novel was written and published in France, during the Age of Enlightenment. It has been chiefly regarded as a pornographic novel, which accounts for its massive sales in 18th-century France (as pornographic works were the most popular bestsellers of the time, see Darnton). Aside from that however, this novel represents a public conveyance (and arguably perversion) for some ideas of the Philosophes.
The characters borrowed from real life are thinly disguised by the anagrammatic names in Argens's text: Cadière becomes Eradice, Girard becomes Dirrag,
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Philosophical and social concepts
For all of its printed debauchery, the work has philosophical merit in its underlying concepts. Between the more graphically adult sections of the novel, philosophical issues would be discussed amongst the characters.
The book not only draws attention to the sexual repression of women at the time of the enlightenment, but also to the exploitation of religious authority through salacious acts.
Excerpt
- 'Oh, venerable Father,' exclaimed Eradice, 'I cannot describe the delights that are flowing through me! Oh, yes, yes, I experience Heavenly bliss. I can feel how my spirit is being liberated from all earthly desires. Please, please, dearest Father, exorcise every last impurity remaining upon my tainted soul. I can see . . .the angels of God . . . push stronger . . . ooh . . . shove the holy relic deeper . . .deeper. Please, dearest Father, shove it as hard as you can . . . Ooooh! . . . oooh!!! Dearest holy Saint Francis . . . Ooh, good saint . . . please, don't leave me in the hour of my greatest need . . . I feel your relic . . . it is so good . . . your . . . holy . . . relic . . . I can't hold it any longer . . . I am . . . dying!'
The relic is the Cord of Saint Francis, but in reality no less than the penis of the monk taking the innocent girl.
Summary
The narrative starts with Therese, from solid bourgeois stock, becoming a student of Father Dirrag, a Jesuit who secretly teaches materialism. Therese spies on Dirrag counseling her fellow student, Mlle. Eradice, and preying on her spiritual ambition to seduce her. Through flagellation and penetration, he gives her what she thinks is spiritual ecstasy but is actually sexual. "Father Dirrag" and "Mlle. Cadiere" are named after anagrams of Catherine Cadière and Jean-Baptiste Girard, who were involved in a highly-publicized trial for the illicit relationship between priest and student in 1730.
Therese is placed in a convent, where she becomes sick because her pleasure principle is not allowed to express itself, putting her body into disorder. She is rescued by Mme. C and Abbe T. and she spies on them discussed libertine political and religious philosophy in between sexual encounters.
Therese's sexual education continues with her relationship with Mme. Bois-Laurier, an experienced prostitute. This is a variation on the whore dialogues common in early pornographic novels.
Finally, Therese meets the unnamed Count who wants her for his mistress. She refuses him intercourse, out of her fear of death in childbirth (not unreasonable at the time.) He makes a bet with her. If she can last two weeks in a room full of erotic books and paintings without masturbating, he will not demand intercourse with her.
- "Tout fut porté par vos ordres dans ma chambre. Je dévorai des yeux ou, pour mieux dire, je parcourus tour à tour pendant les quatre premiers jours l'histoire du Portier des Chartreux, celle de La Tourière des Carmélites, L'Académie des Dames, Les Lauriers ecclésiastiques, Thémidore, Frétillon, etc., et nombre d’autres de cette espèce, que je ne quittai que pour examiner avec avidité des tableaux où les postures les plus lascives étaient rendues avec un coloris et une expression qui portaient un feu brûlant dans mes veines."
Therese loses and becomes the Count's permament mistress.
English translations
The first translation of this work was as The Philosophical Theresa was published by George Cannon or J. B. Brookes, [c.1830]. It was later published by William Dugdale as Society of Vice (c.1860) in 2 volumes with 16 lithographs and again by Charles Carrington in 1900.
See also
