Written less than a decade before the French Revolution, Choderlos de Laclos's Les Liaisons Dangereuses focuses entirely on aristocratic or otherwise wealthy individuals. This isn't A Tale of Two Cities. The chief worries in life for a couple of the characters are boredom and embarrassment at social functions. High social class confers lots of advantages. A man like the Vicomte de Valmont can receive accolades for sexually abusing women in his power—even for rape. Poverty may not be an issue for the people we hear from and hear about, but sexism and misogyny certainty are. If this novel is an accurate picture of the aristocratic class of the time, it's easy to see why revolution was brewing among the peasants and working classes.
Check out our handy guide to aristocratic titles at the end of this Learning Guide.
Questions About Society and Class
- How does Valmont's class and social rank enable him to work his plots?
- In the society of the novel, what characteristics made for a good marriage?
- What are three qualities that the society described in the novel values?
- What place in society does the Marquise de Merteuil want to have?
Chew on This
The aristocrats in the novel show contempt for the lower classes.
The author shows contempt for the aristocracy.