An Introduction to Sade's Justine

Plot Synopsis and Themes in Sade's 3rd Novel

Mar 8, 2009 Sabrina Louise Webb

Sade, pornographer extraordinaire, is most well known for his erotic novel Justine; a story of how vice must triumph over virtue, a key theme within Sade's work.

The story begins with the young Justine and her sister, Juliette, following the death of their parents. Juliette vows to live a life of vice and Justine, who is shocked at this proposal, turns away from her sister determined to pursue a life dedicated to virtuous acts.

Perversion

Throughout the novel, Justine is constantly thrown into the path of various perverts that abuse her in the most appalling ways. She is abused even by those to whom she shows kindness; none of the characters she meets understand the concepts of virtue, kindness, or even religion.

The most vile acts in the novel occur when Justine escapes from the insane and perverted surgeon Rodin and finds a monastery hidden a forest. She enters believing that she is entering a convent, only to find herself thrown into the path of more misery and abuse.

The novel ends, when Justine is facing death by guillotine and is inadvertently reunited with her sister. Juliette has Justine freed, as by following a life of vice she has become rich and prosperous; the two return to Juliette’s home. However, Justine’s freedom is brief; one stormy evening, while closing windows, she is struck by a bolt of lightning, which kills her.

Reception

There are many that have condemned Sade’s work because of its extreme and explicit content. Angela Carter famously championed Sade’s work with her book ‘The Sadeian Woman’. She declared in this book, that Sade was actually a friend to women, because he sought to remove women from their traditional roles.

Preface

In his preface to Justine Sade explains that it is his desire to invert the traditional tale; he has no wish to see virtue triumph over vice in any circumstances. He goes on to explain his reasoning for this: ‘only by contrasting Good to Evil can we fully appreciate either. In a room full of leopards, who notices a spot? And in a heaven full of saints, who notices a virtuous act?’ (Gillette, 2007, p.50)

The point being, that when Justine's honour remains intact, it will be all the more precious for having been tested. Those that recognise evil within the book do so, Sade says, because they are evil themselves. Those who argue that Sade’s work is pornographic and violent for the sake of being pornographic and violent are missing the point of his works entirely.

References:

Gillette, P.J., ‘The Complete Marquis De Sade,’ California: Holloway House Publishing Co., 2007

The copyright of the article An Introduction to Sade's Justine in World Literatures is owned by Sabrina Louise Webb. Permission to republish An Introduction to Sade's Justine in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

The Marquis De Sade