{"product_id":"moral-cupidity-and-lettres-de-cachet-in-diderot-s-writing","title":"Moral Cupidity and Lettres de cachet in Diderot’s Writing","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis volume explores the influence of the \u003ci\u003elettre de cachet\u003c\/i\u003e on both Diderot’s personal life and his works, beginning with an examination of Diderot’s experience as recipient of two such arrest warrants, followed by an analysis of his references to these warrants in three of his fictional works, \u003ci\u003eLe Père de famille\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eJacques le fataliste \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eEst-il bon? Est-il méchant?\u003c\/i\u003e. A scrutiny of Diderot’s \u003ci\u003emémoire\/lettre \u003c\/i\u003enovel \u003ci\u003eLa Religieuse \u003c\/i\u003eproposes that, on the basis of moral cupidity, or self-gain, Madame Simonin sends her daughter Suzanne two veiled \u003ci\u003elettres de cachet \u003c\/i\u003ethat demand her confinement to a convent. The exploration of a fascinating real-life case of Henriette-Émilie de Bautru, a young \u003ci\u003ecomtesse \u003c\/i\u003ewhose mother confined her to a convent as a result of a \u003ci\u003elettre de cachet\u003c\/i\u003e also based on motives of greed, leads to an examination of the similarities between Suzanne and the \u003ci\u003eComtesse \u003c\/i\u003ein terms of their illegitimacy, questioning of authority and subsequent rebellion. A consideration of writing and communication in \u003ci\u003eLa Religieuse \u003c\/i\u003eas they relate to this rebellion leads to an investigation of Diderot’s admiration of the mystery of female genius and artistic creativity as discussed in his essay \u003ci\u003eSur les femmes\u003c\/i\u003e. The works of Julia Kristeva, especially her \u003ci\u003ePost-Scriptum\u003c\/i\u003e addressed to Diderot at the end of her work \u003ci\u003eThérèse mon amour: Thérèse d’Avila\u003c\/i\u003e, serve as a theoretical basis for an interpretation of Suzanne’s experience as victim of a \u003ci\u003elettre de cachet \u003c\/i\u003eand her search for a psychological rebirth of her \u003ci\u003eêtre caché\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Taylor \u0026 Francis Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54237771497816,"sku":"9781032094038","price":56.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0278\/1295\/4195\/files\/9781032094038.jpg?v=1777535116","url":"https:\/\/agendabookshop.com\/products\/moral-cupidity-and-lettres-de-cachet-in-diderot-s-writing","provider":"Agenda Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}