In the world of the prim and proper 19th-century aristocracy, you wouldn't expect sex to be a huge part of daily life. But the fact is that sex is pretty much everywhere in The Leopard, from the descriptions of flowers to all the secret rooms hidden inside Fabrizio's houses (and inside his mind). Fabrizio is a guy who loves to cheat on his wife; that's no mystery. What kind of aristocrat would he be if he didn't indulge every little impulse he had? Funnily enough, it's his nephew Tancredi, the bad boy, who shows the most respect for the institution of marriage by not having sex with Angelica until they're married.
Questions About Sex
- Does this book take a conservative or liberal approach to sex? Please support your answer with specific evidence from the text.
- Why does Fabrizio cheat on his wife? How does he justify it to himself?
- How do Tancredi and Angelica express their sexual desire for one another? Do you think it's healthy? Please support your answer with specific evidence from the text.
Chew on This
In The Leopard, sex is just a way for characters to distract themselves from their problems.
In The Leopard, we find that sex is the only beautiful thing left when everything else in life has lost its meaning.