Les Liaisons dangereuses (Dangerous Liaisons) Society and Class Quotes

Valmont would probably have a lot of followers on Twitter. In some ways modern society is not much different than Valmont's world. Social signaling was as important then as it is now. Madame de Volanges goes on to say that even though no one really respects Valmont, they turn a blind eye to his misbehavior because he's a wealthy aristocrat.

Madame de Volanges is admitting to Madame de Tourvel that she agrees to see Valmont despite knowing, like everyone does, that he's a very bad guy. The social rule operating here: hypocrisy. Everyone knows what's going on, but they just go along to get along.

Admittedly, there would be fewer scandals if people minded their own business. Do you think that his inclination to think poorly of others is due more to human nature or more to the social circles in which Valmont and Madame de Tourvel hang out (the idle rich)?

Madame de Merteuil has the sense to know that her reputation is not entirely in her power. She has to pretend to abide by the established social expectations that everyone else does. For one, don't be indecently late to parties. That won't do.

The Marquise is explaining to Valmont here why women can be so powerful in seduction. Men are, by virtue of being born men, granted power over women. Women on the other hand, granted no power by society, acquire their superior seduction skills because they have no power—they have to constantly practice pretending to be coy and submissive. Men use their inborn authority to control; women have to use cunning.

Even thought the Marquise was born wealthy, and "entered" society (like wealthy debutantes are still "presented" today), she knew that she was born into a class of people who were seen as inferior: women. Their opinions weren't sought out or valued, and they had nothing to do. Silence and inaction. Her determined self-creation was a reaction to this powerlessness. Notice that all the female aristocrats are known by their husband's titles.

The Marquise is referring to her chambermaid, whose mother was her own nursemaid as a child. She makes it clear that this doesn't blur the social class connections between them, even if the girl feels it does. It's usually the less privileged to look for that social upward mobility. The aristocratic class is only interested in protecting its status.

Madame de Volanges' concern is whether an arranged marriage to a rich man is really preferable to her daughter's choice to marry another man who's from a good family, but not wealthy. What good is it to be rich and privileged if you can't do what you want? Actually, among the wealthy, very few marriages were love matches; they were arranged mostly for social and financial advantage or to cement alliances between families. That's why so many married people took lovers.

Probably not all Paris. It's safe to say that most people in Paris, unaware of the latest misfortune to befall the affluent, don't count as people in Valmont's reckoning.

To Madame de Volanges, voluntary poverty and a life devoted to prayer sound great, but only for other people's children. Her daughter, born into wealth, deserves a wealthy husband. What will people think happened if she becomes nun?