The Sofa: A Moral Tale
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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| ==Analysis== | ==Analysis== | ||
| - | The tale is part of an oriental setting evocative of the Arabian Nights. The narrator, Amanzei, is transformed into sofa and only regain his human form that "when two people give each other on [him] their first fruits." As for the Sultan Shah Baham, bored, and by the Sultana, he recounts the scenes he witnessed by scrolling seven couples. The latter, formed of two teenagers (and Zeinida Phlebas) whose young hearts innocently enjoy giving themselves pleasure, fulfills the condition for releasing Amanzei. | + | The tale features an oriental setting evocative of the ''[[Arabian Nights]]''. The narrator, [[Amanzei]], is transformed into sofa and only to regain his human form "when two people give each other on [it/him] their first fruits." The story's protagonists are the bored Sultan Shah Baham, and the [[Sultana]]. The sopha recounts the scenes it witnessed by telling of seven couples. The last one, formed of two teenagers (Zeinida and Phlebas) whose young hearts innocently enjoy giving themselves pleasure, fulfills the condition for releasing Amanzei. |
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| - | The various episodes - including the longest (9 chapters) is that of Zuleika - are all opportunities for ridicule the hypocrisy in its various forms (worldly respectability, virtue, devotion). | + | |
| + | The various episodes - (9 chapters) including the longest about Zuleika - are all opportunities to ridicule hypocrisy in its various forms (worldly respectability, virtue, devotion). | ||
| == History == | == History == | ||
| After the publication of this novel, the author was exiled from Paris on [[April 7]], 1742, because of the cynicism of the work and his "[[libertinage]]", but mainly because the protagonist Sultan Shah Baham was easily recognizable as a ridiculed [[Louis XV]]. Crebillon manages to re-enter the capital on July 22, arguing in his defense that the work was commissioned by [[Frederick II of Prussia]] and have been issued only after an indiscretion against his will. | After the publication of this novel, the author was exiled from Paris on [[April 7]], 1742, because of the cynicism of the work and his "[[libertinage]]", but mainly because the protagonist Sultan Shah Baham was easily recognizable as a ridiculed [[Louis XV]]. Crebillon manages to re-enter the capital on July 22, arguing in his defense that the work was commissioned by [[Frederick II of Prussia]] and have been issued only after an indiscretion against his will. | ||
| - | Le conte s'inscrit dans un cadre oriental évocateur des ''[[Mille et une nuits]]''. Le narrateur, [[Amanzéï]], est transformé en [[Sofa|sopha]] et ne retrouvera sa forme humaine que « quand deux personnes se donneraient mutuellement et sur [lui] leurs prémices ». À l’intention du [[sultan]] Schah-Baham, qui s’ennuie, et de la sultane, il raconte les scènes dont il a été le témoin en faisant défiler sept couples. Le dernier, formé de deux adolescents (Zéïnis et Phéléas) dont les jeunes cœurs jouissent innocemment du plaisir qu’ils se donnent, remplit la condition permettant de libérer Amanzéï. | ||
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| - | Les différents épisodes – dont le plus long (9 chapitres) est celui de Zulica – sont autant d’occasions de ridiculiser l’[[hypocrisie]] sous ses différentes formes (respectabilité mondaine, vertu, dévotion). | ||
| == Illustrators == | == Illustrators == | ||
| *[[Louis Icart]] | *[[Louis Icart]] | ||
| {{GFDL}} | {{GFDL}} | ||
Revision as of 22:08, 29 March 2010
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Le Sopha, conte moral is a 1742 libertine novel by Claude Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon.
An early example of fictional forniphilia, the story concerns a young courtier whose soul in a previous life was cursed to travel from sofa to sofa as a sofa in search of true love and not to be reincarnated in a human body until a man and a woman sincerely in love with each other had consummated their passion on "his" sofa.
Many of the characters in the novel are satirical portraits of influential and powerful Parisians of Crébillon’s time. For this reason the book was published anonymously and with a false imprint. Nevertheless, Crébillon was discovered to be the author and, as a consequence, he was exiled to a distance of fifty leagues from Paris.
Le Sopha was translated into English by Eliza Haywood and William Hatchett in 1742.
Analysis
The tale features an oriental setting evocative of the Arabian Nights. The narrator, Amanzei, is transformed into sofa and only to regain his human form "when two people give each other on [it/him] their first fruits." The story's protagonists are the bored Sultan Shah Baham, and the Sultana. The sopha recounts the scenes it witnessed by telling of seven couples. The last one, formed of two teenagers (Zeinida and Phlebas) whose young hearts innocently enjoy giving themselves pleasure, fulfills the condition for releasing Amanzei.
The various episodes - (9 chapters) including the longest about Zuleika - are all opportunities to ridicule hypocrisy in its various forms (worldly respectability, virtue, devotion).
History
After the publication of this novel, the author was exiled from Paris on April 7, 1742, because of the cynicism of the work and his "libertinage", but mainly because the protagonist Sultan Shah Baham was easily recognizable as a ridiculed Louis XV. Crebillon manages to re-enter the capital on July 22, arguing in his defense that the work was commissioned by Frederick II of Prussia and have been issued only after an indiscretion against his will.
Illustrators
