Books Quote by Jeffrey Eugenides
““Almost overnight it became laughable to read writers like Cheever or Updike, who wrote about the suburbia Madeleine and most of her friends had grown up in, in favor of reading the Marquis de Sade, who wrote about anally deflowering virgins in eighteenth-century France. The reason de Sade was preferable was that his shocking sex scenes weren't about sex but politics. They were therefore anti-imperialist, anti-bourgeois, anti-patriarchal, and anti-everything a smart young feminist should be against.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: The New Yorker, “The Rise of the Anti‑Imperial Feminist” by Jeffrey Eugenides, 2015
The quote argues that reading de Sade is favored by some feminists because his erotic violence serves political critique, not mere titillation, positioning it against oppressive structures.
In simple terms: De Sade’s shocking scenes are seen as political, not sexual.
Key Takeaway
Recognize how political context reshapes literary value.
Themes
feminism
politics
literature
sexuality
anti‑imperialism
Mood
critical
provocative
Type
analytical
controversial
When to use this quote
- academic discussion
- book clubs
- activist reading groups
- college curricula
Key Concepts
marxist critique
gender theory
subcultural taste
Questions to Reflect On
- Can political intent justify morally problematic content?
- How do we balance artistic merit with ethical concerns?
A Different Perspective
The claim overlooks de Sade’s own misogyny and the potential for erotic content to reinforce harmful stereotypes.
