Contemporary Reference
Justine was written around 30 years after Samuel Richardson's Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded, and the thematic influence is clear. The story is quite related in terms of the endless trials which face each heroine, but with the opposite results. While Pamela's unwavering dedication to virtue does force her to suffer the threat of some vices, and confinement similar to that which befalls Justine, she is eventually successful in reforming Mr. B. and becoming his wife. She then leads a life of prosperity and happiness.
In 1798, the rival writer Rétif de la Bretonne published his Anti-Justine.
In his 2011 film Melancholia, controversial Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier's main character, played by Kirsten Dunst, is named after Sade's Justine. A retelling in contemporary terms, is The Turkish Bath, a 1969 novel published by Olympia Press, allegedly by Justine and Juliette Lemercier in an autobiographical format.
Read more about this topic: Justine (Sade)
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