Dangerous Liaisons, Letter 105 summary

What happens

1. Merteuil ridicules Cécile’s shame and her impulse to confess everything to her mother.
2. She presents pleasure with Valmont as compatible with preserving Danceny’s love and satisfying her mother.
3. She reports that Cécile’s mother may offer marriage to Danceny as a trap to expose her feelings.
4. She advises Cécile to appear cheerful, submit outwardly to marriage plans, and repair her relationship with Valmont.
5. She orders Cécile to reseal this letter and give it to Valmont.
6. In a postscript, she advises Cécile to write what pleases her readers rather than what she honestly thinks.

In this letter

What to notice

The advice makes writing a means of controlling another person’s response. It extends her broader demand that Cécile replace honesty with calculated appearances.

Quick check