i was reading the end of Justine last night, for the umpteenth time. i was struck, however, for the first time, by the last paragraph after Justine gets struck by lightning (sorry for the spoiler) that describes how Juliette repents and becomes a nun. is he serious here or joking with his moral claims about virtue versus vice? i have read other work by the marquis and i must say that, although licentious, is certainly does not contain the "broad strokes" for which de sade pardons himself at the end of Justine, saying only that, "broad strokes are necessary to reveal the immorality in the world." or something like that.

right now i am reading a story by de sade about a 15 year old girl being educated by an older couple while on vacation and there is none of the brutality of Justine in the writing (so far, am i in for a surprise?:) but all the sex. it is a sex education, i think, we should all undergo. in some native american cultures this is exactly what happens; kids reach a certain age and a designated elder takes them away for a week and teaches them about sex and how to interact with the opposite sex. i think our teen boys and girls would gain a lot from such a mentor.

but back to the point, i am pleased re-discover this not so popular notion about de sade but is he really recanting Justine? that glorious work? or is he being sarcastic?