Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau Lust Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Book.Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #4

She had been seized with too quick and lively a passion to be excusable, but her heart was involved as well as her senses. (6.2.10)

It looks like Rousseau is making some assumptions. He's a smart guy, but he doesn't tell us exactly why he thinks Mme de Larnage is in love with him.

Quote #5

If what I felt for her was not precisely love, it was at least so tender a return for the love she showed me, there was so hot a sensuality in our pleasures and so sweet an intimacy in our talk, that it had all the charm of passion. (6.2.13)

Will you look at that? Rousseau's starting to distinguish between love and lust. Remember, this is the guy who couldn't articulate what love was only a chapter earlier.

Quote #6

Ah, my good Therese, I am only too delighted to possess you good and healthy, and not to find something I was not looking for. (7.1.44)

Rousseau doesn't mind that Therese is a virgin, but she seems to think he might. In a culture with strict gender roles, Rousseau's a pretty liberal guy.