Reading 1001 discussion

10. What is the role of opera in society and, thematically, in this work itself? For instance, how is the staging of an opera like life? What might de Laclos be saying about artifice or sincerity in the social interactions of his characters?

This was written a bit like an opera, wasn't it? I hadn't thought of that until reading this question. The opera was the place to be seen, to make arrangements for liaisons, and to see others so the gossip could be fresh. The drama of an opera was played out in these letters, since much of real life was exaggerated. These letters were also suggestive, but those seductions wouldn't lead to much, at least physically.

opera is taking bits of life and dramatizing it. In this story, the author really is bringing to the conscious the behaviors of the the aristocracy.

The opera was the place to be seen, the hub of the aristocracy. Overall, I think Laclos was shedding light on the bad behavior of the rich.

I agree with Tracy