Angela Jong

APE Period 7
March 26,2009

Sample Essay #2 : Madame de Sevigne’s Letter

In a time of orthodoxy and strict social order, a woman known as the "Brinvilliers
woman" stirred the conscience and tongues of all of Paris with her infamous murder of
her family members. Employing a fairly objective tone and diction, Madame de Sevigne
organizes this private letter to two parts: the facts of the Brinvilliers Affair and the social
ripples it created in order to fully depict to the reader the parodoxical feelings that a
radical criminal can invoke.

Beginning with a brief description of the Brinvillier's Affair with the Marquis's
confession serves to set up the background information for the reader of the letter. After
the basic facts have been establish, Sevigne progresses in chronological order with brief
commentaries concerning her personal opinons with the opinions of others as well. In
turn creating a balanced and thorough explanations of the whole affair through the
representation of both opinions on the scandal. Although she hopes "that we shall not
inhale her (marquis) murderous insticts ", she countered such an opinion with her
description of the marquis as stepping off "the scaffold with a firm step and died as she
had lived, resolutely, & without fear or emotion", clearly demonstrating the author's sense
of admiration for such a radical criminal.

Throughout the piece, while giving away her personal disapproval through the
commentaries of the event, Sevigne possesses a calm, matter of fact tone that is not afraid
to include the opinions of others. For example, she includes the idea that some view the
Marquise as a "saint" and the fact that some people saw her public display before
execution as a "great cruelty". The author's ability to bring incorporate both stances into
this description effectively brings to light the dichotomy of emotions that the public
experiences from this radical, yet serious scandal.

Although Sevigne occasionally reveals her disgust for the criminal, she does not let her
personal opinions cloud the facts of the murder nor the sentiments of the others of whom
viewed her as a saint with the author herself almost comes to revealing her admiration for
the criminal's resolute bravery to face death. Overall, Sevigne achieves her purpose of
creating an accurate recollection of not only her views but the opinions of others in
concern to the Marquise's scandal in this private letter.