La Bruyère's Criticism of Idle Court Society and Charlatans in Medicine - Analysis of The Characters (1688)
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La Bruyère, idle court society, charlatan medicine, quack medicine, Asclepius, Epidaurus, oracle, Irene, extravagant aristocrat, Molière, satire, 17th century French literature, courtly society, luxury, excess, fine dining, wine, indigestions, ineffective medicine, criticism of society, social commentary, moralist, satirical portrait, Esculapius son of Apollo
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Abstract
La Bruyère's scathing critique of the idle and extravagant court society is vividly portrayed in his character Irene, who embodies the excesses of the aristocracy. In "The Characters" (1688), La Bruyère satirizes the credulity of courtly society, prone to charlatan medicine and ineffective remedies. Irene's journey to consult the oracle, likely Asclepius, is a futile attempt to cure her ailments, which are rooted in her excessive lifestyle. The oracle's blunt advice, culminating in the proposal of death as a solution, highlights the absurdity of Irene's expectations and the societal ills that La Bruyère critiques. Through Irene's character, La Bruyère denounces the idle and wasteful court, criticizing their reliance on quack medicine and their extravagant spending. By using irony and satire, La Bruyère delivers a biting commentary on the societal defects of his time, creating a timeless representation of the pitfalls of excess and credulity.
Extract
[...] We also understand that La Bruyère thus establishes a veiled criticism of a court society that is idle and accustomed to luxury and the various pleasures of life. Indeed, if she has no appetite in the evening it is probably because she has eaten a lot during the day, unlike a people who do not always eat to their fill. And if she does not sleep at night, it is probably because she has not been very active during the day, as when the oracle recommends her to get up sometimes before noon and to serve her legs to walk. [...]
[...] Jean de La Bruyère was a French moralist born in 1645 and died in 1696. He is known for a masterful work: The Characters, published in 1688. This work is characterized by a particular style, lively and incisive, through which he draws a portrait without concessions of his contemporaries. The excerpt given to us to study comes from Book XI of this work entitled 'Of Man'. In this section, the author writes maxims and portraits that are as many representations of social types, incarnations of the most widespread defects in the society of his time. [...]
[...] Irene does not seem to accept the normal process of life, which is to age. The oracle has no solution to propose in return, except for death, which will come sooner or later anyway. La Bruyère thus joins Molière in the criticism, if not of medicine in general, at least of a charlatan medicine. Irene realizes a bit late her credulity and the oracle then ironically points out that she could have saved a little time and energy by sparing herself a journey that she has finally understood to be useless. [...]
[...] The final sentence once again demonstrates the absurdity of such a journey and refers back to the first exchange between the two characters. The oracle indeed implies that this journey was indeed unnecessary, that she only wasted her time by coming to consult him and that she only shortened her passage on earth in this way, as it is as much energy and time lost. La Bruyère thus delivers a satirical, mocking portrait of Irene, a typical idle and extravagant aristocrat. [...]
[...] The second part goes from 'My sight weakens' until the end of the excerpt: La Bruyère criticizes the credulity of a courtly society subjected to charlatan medicine and ineffective. The excerpt given to us for study presents itself as a short fragment. As often, it begins with a first name chosen by the author and does not probably refer to a person who actually existed and bore this name. We understand that it is a typical portrait. Regarding this first name, we can note that it is of Greek origin, it comes from ' [...]
