120 days is consistently at odds with two or more conflicting narratives all of which are stated to be true. The novel’s disorientating novel set itself as: both completely impenetrable and distinctly open, reveling in De Sade’s life and acting as recompense, a commentary on the will of the wealthy over the poor and a commentary on how much De Sade dislikes the poor, as a call to arms to help the defenseless and an unimaginably dark schadenfreude at their expense. De Sade in his bout of insanity has created such a peculiar false reality that is incredibly interesting to attempt to unpack throughout the novel. Referring to the main characters as heroes De Sade states “ One would commonly see 16 young men aged between 20 and 30 whose enormous proportions allowed our four heroes, taking the part of women, to taste the most sensual of pleasures.” De Sade further proposes that the main characters are outwardly villainous when penning “ They would arrive, the would have to submit to everything, and as our four villains all had a taste for the most depraved and flagrant debauchery, this total acquiescence to their desires was no trivial matter.” The novel subsequently drenched in the filth of word while being a commentary on how word can kill. The depths of this quagmire can not be thoroughly described with the attention you’ve allotted me, but it stands as a testament to the depth of mental turmoil in the author as they struggle to come to terms with their actions, their place in the French revolution, their socio-economic status, and possibly their childhood.