Cover of Eloisa

Eloisa

by Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Translated by W. Kenrick

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Eloisa: or, A series of original letters is the first English translation of Julie, ou La Nouvelle Heloise by the Swiss philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Written in letters, Eloisa concerns the forbidden love between a middle-rank tutor named St. Preux and his aristocratic student, the titular Eloisa. As different characters comment on the interclass romance, the novel examines prescient topics such as social rank, premarital sex, women's autonomy, and the definition of virtue. Prefatory materials include a meta-fictional dialogue wherein Rousseau debates the moral merit of his novel as well as a translator's note and a contemporary review by a Parisian journal. The novel is then structured as four volumes. The first and second volumes valorize the passionate young lovers, who are ultimately compelled to part. The third and fourth volumes revisit the characters years later. Eloisa has become a devoted wife and mother, while St. Preux has taken to the sea. They reunite at Eloisa's country manor and, through the case study of Eloisa's household, propose a unique vision of domestic bliss. The novel's surprising and controversial ending prompts readers to grapple with its central themes and questions.

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