Emotion In The Princesse De Cleves example essay topic

Woman is a Rational Animal "But now what am I, when I suppose that there is some supremely powerful and, if I may be permitted to say so, malicious deceiver who deliberately tries to fool me in any way he can" (Decartes, 19). These words by Descartes seem to correlate directly with the theme of deception in the Princesse De Cleves. In a world where appearance is merely a fiction created by necessity and nothing is as it first seems, the ability to reason through a situation for public gain is highly coveted and revered. In this courtly sphere of life, the ability to distinguish between that which is real and that which if deceitful is of utmost importance. This distinction is rationalism in a different form than that of Decartes'.

The Princesse De Cleves advances the Cartesian form of Rationalism and applies it to everyday actions, leaving room for some emotions without allowing them to control one's actions. A central theme in the Princesse De Cleves is how actions are viewed in the public eye. As Monsieur de Nemours states", 'At least, Sire, if I embark on such an extravagant adventure on your Majesty's advice and in you service, I beg you to keep it secret until success justifies my ambition in the public eye. ' " (9) Nemours is worried about what the public will think rather than what the woman the King wants him to marry is like. Nemours does not concern himself with what he feels or what the woman feels, rather, he rationally contemplates the consequences of this action in relation to how the aristocracy will perceive him. This rational reaction is the same approach that Descartes would have.

Although Descartes may not agree with the intent for which this rational thought is directed he would agree with the logic of Nemours' actions because they are not taken because of emotion or rash reaction to the senses. Conversely, Nemours becomes one of the least rational characters in the story. By the end, he allows his emotions to completely overtake him as he professes his love for Mme of Cleves. Descartes writes that the only things that exist are what we make through our senses, but that our senses constantly deceive us. Descartes' rationality is only related to the thinking self because that is all that he truly thinks exists.

Descartes breaks down everything to the mind at the very beginning of his Meditations. The mind, however, cannot be the focus of the Princesse De Cleves because the characters are the central theme. Though the actions of every character in the Princesse De Cleves are completely self-centered, they are seen by everyone else in the story. Cleves is viewed as the most virtuous and honorable character in the novel because she is the only one that uses rational thought the entire time.

Mme of Cleves thinks through things before she acts, and for this she receives the greatest reward: honor. When Mme of Cleves is distressed over the way she reacts towards her husband, she uses thought to relieve her troubled mind. "She asked herself why she had done something so perilous, and she concluded that she had embarked on it almost without thinking. The singular nature of such a confession, for which she could find no parallel, brought home to her all the risks it entailed". (98) The action of asking herself this question shows her as a rational being and is a credit to her honor.

Emphasizing thought over emotions does not, however, seem to give the Princesse any pleasure. The simple fact that Mme of Cleves ends up in a convent in the end is an illustration of this point. Mme of Cleves may be left with her honor, but she is still left alone. The author does not try to give the reader the impression that this ending is unhappy though. She states in the last line of the novel, "Her life, which was quite short, left inimitable examples of virtue". (156).

The thought that Mme of Cleves controls her emotions through rationality is upheld as virtue by the author. This "virtue" is perceived as being much better than the rest of the court. Though the outcome may not have made the Princesse "happy", the impression that she left on the aristocracy was far better according to Madame de Lafayette. What separates the rational thought of Descartes with the rational thought expressed in the Princesse De Cleves is the role played by action. Descartes writes, "I am now concentrating only on knowledge, not on action". (16).

Descartes rationalizes thought, but does not apply it to action. Mme of Cleves applies Descartes ideas to her everyday actions. She acts upon her thoughts, by moving to the convent, in order to uphold the perceptions that everyone has of her. In the Princesse De Cleves, emotions are considered a sign of weakness. They are character flaws that Mme of Cleves does not have. In the closing pages of the novel, Nemours tries to convince the Princesse that she can now love him because her husband is dead.

Yet, she resists her emotions because she thinks that they are not rational, and even forces herself into a cloistered life to quash any hope that Nemours may have. Her choice is perceived as the right one, however: In the end, he was obliged to depart, overwhelmed by grief as only a man could be who had now lost all possible hope of ever seeing again a woman who he loved with the most violent, the most natural, and the most well-founded passion in the world. And yet he still would not give up: he did everything he could think of to make her change her mind. Finally, after years had gone by, time and absence diminished his pain and quenched his passion. (156) Nemours was only longing for Mme of Cleves because she was unattainable. His "passion" would have abated after he received the object of his longing.

Mme of Cleves knows this and does not follow her emotions and what her senses tell her. Rationalization helps her to uphold her honor and virtue even when temptation is at its greatest. The notion of rationalization leads us to believe that Mme of Cleves is very honorable. The Princesse De Cleves places the highest value on honor in a situation where many did not seem to possess it. Everyone eventually gives into their emotions except for the Princesse herself. She doesn't allow her emotions to control her actions even when the chance to be with her true love presents itself.

Her honor stems from her ability to rationalize a situation and act without emotional conflict. This idea of rationalization before action takes Descartes philosophy and applies it to the real world. Yet, there is something to be said about emotion in the Princesse De Cleves. Lafayette views emotion as a human weakness that can and should be overcome.

As is seen in Mme of Cleves, her emotions exist, they just do not affect her. She refuses to allow them to do so. Her love for her husband, even though she truly loves Nemours, is proof of this. Madame de Lafayette takes Descartes rational philosophy one step further and applies it to the social sphere. Madame de Lafayette makes rationality more human than Descartes could in his Meditations. Descartes would have liked the direction that Madame de Lafayette took his idea of "R"rationality and converted it into more feasible "r"ational action.

His idea of thinking things through before action is evidenced by Madame de Cleves honor. Even though this rationality is only used for social standing, it cannot be denied. It led to a lonely, tortured, life for Mme de Cleves, but it served its purpose for her. Her honor is seen in as a model to be followed, and this honor emanates from conscious, rational thought. It could not have been obtained through rash emotion-filled decisions.

This is the direction in which Descartes would have wanted his ideas to flow: Action only after thought... Rational thought controlling irrational emotions.

Bibliography

Descartes, Rene. "Meditatations on First Philosophy". Translated by Cress, Donald A. 3rd Ed. Hackett: Indianapolis. 1993.
Madame de Lafayette. "The Princesse de Cleves". Translated by Cave, Terence. Oxford University Press: Oxford, 1999.