By: Charlie Buckreis
Context is important for understanding anything. A comment in a discussion can destroy a person’s reputation when taken out of context; a historical event might seem impossible or crazy to us, but when looked at with the context of the time, it makes more sense; a story might seem insane to us now, but if examined with the context of the author’s life and the time period, it makes sense. Such is the case with 120 Days. The events of Sade’s work are despicable and deplorable, and the main characters, the four men initiating and directing those activities, are even more so. However, when you look deeper, at Sade’s life and the events going on leading up to and while he was writing the manuscript, and look into Sade’s writing style, the meaning behind parts of the book becomes a bit clearer.
So, his life. As an infant he was spoiled and had a temper, and was sent away to live with his uncle, a libertine abbot. During this time, his father lost favor with the king, ruining his career, which caused his wife to leave him. Sade was then sent to a boarding school, and then to military academy. He served during the Seven Years War, and was highly decorated, but a series of scandals and affairs led to him being incarcerated for much of the rest of his life. During one of these stays in prison, the Bastille specifically, during the Reign of Terror, he wrote 120 Days.
The behavior he showed during those scandals and affairs, and the behavior in his books, suggest he was heavily abused, probably sexually, as a child. Historians aren’t 100% sure if this happened at all, but they believe that if it did, it was likely during his stay with his uncle. Sade may have experienced some abuse at boarding school, but as he was not sent there until his teens, it would not have affected him as strongly. Formative years for children are between birth and age eight, and the stay with his uncle would have taken up most of those. Additionally, as previously stated, his uncle was a libertine, so Sade may have picked up some habits/behaviors/tastes from his uncle that carried over later in life and into his books.
Quick end note. While looking at Sade’s works in context can help us understand why they are the way they are, in no way does this make them, or his actions, any less abhorrent and detestable.