Resumen de Eloísa

Para quién es

This book is for readers who love letters, confessions and the clashing voices of different people, and for anyone curious how an eighteenth century thinker pictured a good home beside lakes and mountains.

De qué trata este libro

What would you do if the person you admire most were the one person you must never love? That is the question behind Eloisa, a novel told entirely in letters. A young tutor is hired to teach the daughter of a noble Swiss family, and he can no longer bear his silence. He writes her a letter that tries to say goodbye and ends by saying everything.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau published the book in 1761. He presents himself as the editor and leaves the authenticity of the letters unresolved. He wants to give quiet country readers a picture of love, duty and home life that the novels of the city never offer. You meet the tutor, Eloisa, her cousin Clara, a proud father, a generous English lord and a calm husband who sees more than he says.

Questions about Eloísa

What is Eloisa by Rousseau about?

It tells of a young tutor and his noble pupil who fall in love against the wishes of her family. Through their letters, and those of Clara and Lord B, it follows duty, honor, marriage and the search for a good home.

Who is St. Preux in Eloisa?

St. Preux is the name the later letters give the tutor. He is a young man of modest birth who loves Eloisa, travels the world, and later joins the household at Clarens as a friend and teacher.

Is Eloisa a true story?

No, it is a novel, published in 1761. Rousseau calls himself its editor but admits a part in writing it, leaving the letters' authenticity playfully unresolved.

Why is Eloisa written as letters?

Letters let each person speak in their own voice, so you hear a lover's rush, a friend's wit and a husband's calm. Rousseau also says real feeling is plain and repeats itself, which suits this form.

What is the main message of Eloisa?

It argues that virtue is built on duty, honesty and simple pleasures, not on display. A happy home, kind treatment of others and faithful friendship are shown as the best answer to a worldly society.