In: Economics
Pick one of the prompts below for Les Liaisons Dangereuses and respond to it in a manner that invites plenty of discussion.
1. The book, intentionally or not, contains many more instructions on morals than even a purposely-intentioned treatise. What are some of these instructions?
2. Discuss the presence of any of these topics in the book: fashion, religion, music, power.
3. Is Les Liaisons Dangereuses a cautionary tale? Is the book saying “Do immoral things and you will be punished in this world”?
4. Based on your reading so far, do you think that Laclos believes in love?
5. Discuss the ways in which sex is looked upon by various characters in the novel. Is it an irresistible instinct? A crude pleasure? A means to power? A sin? A thrill that comes about from violating certain social expectations? Something good?
6. Pretend you’re sitting down for an intervention with Valmont. How would you formulate a philosophically sound explanation for why he should change his ways? This should be crafted like a letter, maybe from the perspective of one of the characters or an “invented” character that can fit into the plot of the novel.