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Persian Letters

Persian Letters is a satirical story of two Persian brothers, Usbek and Rica, traveling through France by Charles de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu. It is told in epistolary form and consists of 161 letters dated over a span of nine years from 1711 to 1720. Published anonymously in Amsterdam in 1721, it pointed out the "barbaric" absurdities of contemporary French life from an outsider's perspective, and was a symptom of a widening movement towards Enlightenment thought, where questioning the authority of the church and the state was blossoming. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikisource – The Free Library – is a Wikimedia project to build a free, wiki library of primary source texts, along with translations of source-texts into any language and other supporting materials. ... Satire is a literary technique of writing or art which exposes the follies of its subject (for example, individuals, organizations, or states) to ridicule, often as an intended means of provoking or preventing change. ... Charles de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... An epistolary novel is a book written using a literary technique in which a novel is composed as a series of letters, although diary entries, newspaper clippings and other documents are sometimes used. ... // Events February 24 - The London premiere of Rinaldo by George Friderich Handel, the first Italian opera written for the London stage. ... // Events January 6 - The Committee of Inquiry on the South Sea Bubble publishes its findings February 11 - Sweden and Prussia sign the (2nd Treaty of Stockholm) declaring peace. ... Amsterdam Location Flag Country Netherlands Province North Holland Population 742,951(1 January 2005) Coordinates 52°22′N 4°54′E Website www. ... // Events Pope Innocent XIII becomes pope Johann Sebastian Bach composes the Brandenburg Concertos April 4 - Robert Walpole becomes the first prime minister of Britain September 10 - Treaty of Nystad is signed, bringing an end to the Great Northern War November 2 - Peter I is proclaimed Emperor of All the Russias... The Age of Enlightenment refers to the 18th century in European philosophy, and is often thought of as part of a larger period which includes the Age of Reason. ... A church building (or simply church) is a building used in Christian worship. ... A state is an organized political community occupying a definite territory, having an organized government, and possessing internal and external sovereignty. ...

The novel applies the principle of alterity by putting contemporary French readers (Montesquieu's audience) in the place of outsiders examining French society. The same technique was used extensively by Voltaire in his short stories and satirical works. This page is a candidate to be copied to Wiktionary. ... The last of Voltaires statues by Jean-Antoine Houdon (1781). ... This article is in need of attention. ... Satire is a literary technique of writing or art which exposes the follies of its subject (for example, individuals, organizations, or states) to ridicule, often as an intended means of provoking or preventing change. ...

Many of the letters, especially those by Rica, are descriptive portrayals of French life. Often, they take everyday aspects of French society and make them appear ridiculous; for instance, in XXIV Rica describes the Pope as a "magician" who can "make the king believe that three are only one, or else that the bread one eats is not bread, or that the wine one drinks is not wine, and a thousand other things of the same kind," mocking certain aspects of Christian dogma.

Other letters, particularly those by Usbek, are reflective. Usbek comments on topics such as the nature of virtue and liberty, the value of religion, etc. One such commentary is the famous Parable of the Troglodytes in XI-XIV.

Aside from the brothers' experience of their journey, a major aspect of the book is the plot involving Usbek and his rebellious harem at home in Persia. In traditional Arab culture, the harîm حريم (cf. ...

Key Themes

• National Identity / Nationalism
• Humanism
• Exile
• Reason
• Race
• Sexual Politics

// Nationalism is an ideology which holds that the nation, ethnicity or national identity is a fundamental unit of human social life, and makes certain cultural and political claims based upon that belief; in particular, the claim that the nation is the only legitimate basis for the state, and that each... Humanism is a broad category of active ethical philosophies that affirm the dignity and worth of all people, based on our ability to determine what is right using the qualities innate to humanity, particularly rationality. ... EXILE is a 6-member Japanese pop music band. ... Reason is a term used in philosophy and other human sciences to refer to the higher cognitive faculties of the human mind. ... It has been suggested that Validity of human races be merged into this article or section. ...

Recommended Bibliography

• Durand-Sendrail Béatrice. “Mirage des lumières: politique du regard dans les Lettres persanes.” L’Esprit créateur. Vol. 28, No. 4. (Winter 1988), 69-81.
• Frautschi, R. L. "The Would-Be Invisible Chain in Les Lettres persanes." The French Review, Vol. 40, No. 5. (Apr., 1967), pp. 604-612.
• Kant, Immanuel. An Answer to the question : What is Enlightenment?
• Kettler, David. "Montesquieu on Love: Notes on the Persian Letters.” The American Political Science Review. Vol. 58, No. 3. (Sep., 1964), pp. 658-661.
• Singerman, Alan J. “Réflexions sur une métaphore: le sérail dans les Lettres persanes.” Vol. 185. (1980), 181-98.
• Todorov, Tzvetan. Réflexions sur Les lettres persanes.

Immanuel Kant Immanuel Kant (April 22, 1724 – February 12, 1804) was a Prussian philosopher, generally regarded as one of Europes most influential thinkers and the last major philosopher of the Enlightenment. ... Answering the Question: What is Enlightenment? is the title of a 1784 essay by the philosopher Immanuel Kant. ... Montesquieu can refer to: Charles de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu Several communes of France: Montesquieu, in the Hérault département Montesquieu, in the Lot-et-Garonne département Montesquieu, in the Tarn-et-Garonne département This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the...

External links

• Analysis, Plot overview (in French)