Realationship between sexuality and freedom - Essay Example

The Story of the Eye by Georges Bataille is one of the more influential and disturbing works of French literature. Much of it is pornographic, but there is a literary element which is sometimes underestimated. The truth is that the story illustrates the relationship between sexuality and freedom in a manner that has not been seen since the work of De Sade. The frequent combination of transgressive sexual behaviour shows us how restricted traditional sexual mores were back in Bataille's time and how hard he had to work in order to try to break those bonds.
The story details the obscene behaviour of the narrator and a woman named Simone. They seem to care only about their sexual gratification and indulge in a number of orgies that often involve violence. In the world Bataille has created there are no rules. The couple kill people. They are involved in acts of violence. They do whatever they please whenever they please—all the while pleasuring themselves. The law does not seem to apply to them and they often escape it. Parents have no role in their lives. Their unbridled sexuality is representative of their unbridled freedom. Embracing their instincts to the hilt, they do tremendous damage to those around them while fulfilling their every desire. They may be free, but no one else around them is. They desecrate churches and flee before they can see the impact of their actions.
The Story of the Eye has been profoundly influential, not only among surrealists, but also among contemporary writers who have sought to determine its true message about transgression. While a difficult text, it rewards frequent re-reading. Read More