Introduction
Françoise de Graffigny’s Lettres d’une Péruvienne (1747) stands as a seminal work in eighteenth-century French literature, offering a profound exploration of desire through the lens of an exoticized, feminized protagonist, Zilia. Written in the epistolary form, the novel traces Zilia’s journey from her native Peru to France, navigating themes of romantic longing, cultural displacement, and gendered power dynamics. This essay examines how the expression of desire in Lettres d’une Péruvienne functions through the interplay of epistolary silence and monody, alongside a feminized exotic gaze, to merge romantic yearning with social critique. Ultimately, it argues that Graffigny rejects conventional romantic fulfillment in favor of autonomous female self-definition. Through a detailed analysis of textual evidence, this essay will explore these mechanisms, situating them within the broader context of Enlightenment thought on gender and alterity. The discussion will unfold in three key sections: the role of epistolary form in articulating desire, the exotic gaze as a conduit for feminized longing, and the rejection of romantic closure as a form of emancipation.
The Epistolary Form: Silence and Monody in Desire
The epistolary structure of Lettres d’une Péruvienne is central to the expression of desire, particularly through the dynamics of silence and monody. As a series of letters written by Zilia to her absent lover, Aza, the text embodies a one-sided dialogue, with Aza’s voice entirely absent. This silence amplifies Zilia’s longing, as her words are cast into a void, unanswered and unreciprocated. The monodic nature of the letters—essentially a prolonged lament—underscores the intensity of her desire, transforming it into a solitary meditation on loss and yearning. For instance, Zilia’s repeated appeals to Aza, such as her early expressions of devotion, reveal a desire that is both passionate and unfulfilled, confined to the private space of her writing (Graffigny, 1747).
Moreover, the epistolary form allows Graffigny to explore the tension between interiority and exteriority in desire. Zilia’s letters are a space of uninhibited emotional expression, yet they remain unseen by their intended recipient, symbolizing the isolation inherent in her longing. This structural choice reflects broader Enlightenment concerns about the authenticity of human emotion and the constraints placed on women’s voices. As Mallinson (2002) notes, the epistolary novel often served as a vehicle for marginalized perspectives, with silence functioning as both a constraint and a subversive tool. In Zilia’s case, her silent dialogue with Aza becomes a critique of patriarchal systems that render women’s desires unheard or irrelevant. Thus, the form itself becomes a mechanism through which desire is articulated, shaped by absence and introspection rather than dialogue or fulfillment.
The Feminized Exotic Gaze and Cultural Desire
Another critical dimension of desire in Lettres d’une Péruvienne emerges through the feminized exotic gaze, which intertwines romantic longing with cultural commentary. Zilia, as an outsider in French society, embodies the ‘Other’—a figure of fascination and difference in the European imagination. Her perspective, however, inverts the traditional colonial gaze by positioning her as both observer and object. Her descriptions of French customs and behaviors are imbued with a sense of wonder and critique, often framed through her own cultural lens. This gaze becomes a vehicle for expressing desire, not only for Aza but also for an idealized vision of love and purity she associates with her native Peru (Graffigny, 1747).
Significantly, Zilia’s exoticism is feminized, aligning her desire with vulnerability and objectification. European characters, particularly Déterville, project their own romantic and sexual desires onto her, viewing her as an embodiment of uncorrupted innocence. Yet, Zilia resists this reduction, using her outsider status to critique the artifice and immorality she perceives in French society. As Douthwaite (1992) argues, Graffigny employs Zilia’s gaze to expose the contradictions of Enlightenment ideals, particularly regarding gender and cultural superiority. For example, Zilia’s reflections on French courtship rituals reveal a clash between her internalized notions of sincere love and the transactional nature of European relationships (Graffigny, 1747). In this way, desire becomes a lens for social critique, with Zilia’s feminized exoticism serving as both a site of romantic longing and a platform for challenging Western norms.
Rejecting Romantic Fulfillment for Autonomous Self-Definition
Perhaps the most striking aspect of desire in Lettres d’une Péruvienne is Graffigny’s rejection of romantic fulfillment as the ultimate goal for Zilia, prioritizing instead autonomous female self-definition. Unlike many eighteenth-century heroines whose narratives culminate in marriage or romantic union, Zilia ultimately chooses independence over integration into French society or reunion with Aza. Her final letters shift from expressions of longing to assertions of selfhood, as she establishes her own space—both physically, through her retreat to a countryside estate, and emotionally, through her refusal of Déterville’s affections (Graffigny, 1747).
This rejection is deeply subversive for its time, reflecting Graffigny’s engagement with emerging feminist ideas within the Enlightenment. Zilia’s decision to prioritize intellectual and emotional autonomy over romantic desire challenges the notion that a woman’s identity must be tied to a male counterpart. As Miller (1991) suggests, this ending positions Zilia as a proto-feminist figure, whose desire evolves from romantic fixation to a quest for self-determination. Furthermore, her choice critiques the social structures that equate female fulfillment with marriage, exposing the limitations of such a model. Indeed, Zilia’s letters in the latter part of the novel reveal a growing awareness of her own agency, with phrases that emphasize her “liberty” and “solitude” as sources of strength rather than despair (Graffigny, 1747). Therefore, Graffigny reconfigures desire as a journey towards selfhood, rather than a destination defined by romantic closure.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the expression of desire in Françoise de Graffigny’s Lettres d’une Péruvienne operates through a sophisticated interplay of epistolary silence, monody, and a feminized exotic gaze, ultimately serving as a vehicle for both romantic longing and social critique. The epistolary form, characterized by absence and introspection, amplifies Zilia’s solitary yearning while critiquing the silencing of women’s voices. Simultaneously, her exotic gaze merges personal desire with cultural commentary, exposing the contradictions of Enlightenment ideals through a feminized perspective. Most notably, Graffigny rejects traditional romantic fulfillment, presenting Zilia’s quest for autonomy as the ultimate expression of desire. These mechanisms not only illuminate the complexities of desire in the novel but also position it as a significant critique of eighteenth-century gender and colonial discourses. The implications of this analysis extend beyond the text, inviting further exploration into how marginalized voices in literature challenge dominant narratives of love and identity. Arguably, Graffigny’s work remains a compelling case study for understanding the intersection of desire, gender, and power in early modern literature.
References
- Douthwaite, J. V. (1992) Exotic Women: Literary Heroines and Cultural Strategies in Ancien Régime France. University of Pennsylvania Press.
- Graffigny, F. de. (1747) Lettres d’une Péruvienne. Edited by Joan DeJean and Nancy K. Miller, Modern Language Association, 1993.
- Mallinson, J. (2002) The Eighteenth-Century French Novel: Techniques of Illusion. Manchester University Press.
- Miller, N. K. (1991) Subject to Change: Reading Feminist Writing. Columbia University Press.
