good lord, by whom? except maybe Mantel

przybyszewska too, in a way…

I didn't even think of that, but you do have a point! it's just done in a very non-traditional way, and the link to sexuality is not *as* direct as in other instances where you would normally see the word 'oversexualised'... but it's definitely there

(and, alas, 'oversubbified' isn't a word...)

It is absolutely doubtless to me that Przybyszewska had a problem or two when creating and describing/explaining her heroines, problems, which do not seem to occur when men are concerned. I do think, however, that in The Danton Case (not to mention her prose) she managed to build female characters with distinct personalities, which is more than can be said of some other classics.

Going back to the way sexuality is being portrayed in The Danton Case, I honestly think that in order to be able to discuss it with good sense one needs to understand and respect asexuality. I am being somewhat in opposition to what Monika Świerkosz proposes in her article on the subject, I do not think that Przybyszewska's women "deny themselves any pleasure" when they choose ascetisim or politics, because one cannot deny themselves anything if one doesn't believe in the existence of such "pleasures". I feel that in this very personal aspect of a human life, Przybyszewska was drawing from her own experience more than on any other occasion: the pleasures of life was, to her understanding, ascetisim/celibacy and politics, and choosing them in no way indicates negating oneself. "It would appear then Przybyszewska realises that "a full lack of the element of desire" in regards to the world is a more radical violation of the norm than homosexuality or perverse sex; it is something for which there are no words". With this though, I agree in fullness. And so, all of Przybyszewska's heroines seem to share one quality, that is – they resemble ancient virginal goddesses of some sort, not exactly because there is an aura of divinity about them, but because they do not seem to be fully, wholly human. This "virginal" quality has little to do with their sex lives, and more with the desire for autonomy on all levels of being (physical and spiritual, not to mention – mental). I reserve for myself the singular right to my life was Przybyszewska's credo and arguably the strongest, firmest phrase she has ever coined. And this is the energy she breathed into all three women in The Danton Case (excluding, I must add, the few appearing in the very first scene; but most of the time no one reads it anyway); the level of intensity and the direction of this desire varies, but it is always present. I would like to present this in three parts, each relevant to one of the characters of the play.

Eleonore is evidently Przybyszewska's favourite, if only because she's devouted to Robespierre – but I think she is also modeled a lot after Przybyszewska herself, not just in terms of this undying devotion, but hers is the type that is later reproduced in many short stories (which, unlike the plays, are filled with women of different kinds to the brim), which makes it obvious she was armed with qualities the author found appealing. That's why it's so strange that Przybyszewska has essentially created two very different Eleonores: one in the play, and one in The Last Nights of Ventose. The first one is definitely meant to be depictured as elder, she has an ironic sense of humour and is very decisive and firm, despite making allowances for Maxime and his rigid rules. The second one is definitely younger, has a hard time grasping at irony, is timid at times and yields to Maxime rather than moves not to be crushed by his wishes. For a reader – probably any reader – the first one is definitely more appealing, more fun to read – more complex even, and given a will of her own, which makes her stand out among the majority of the play's characters (for example: the other members of Comsal have less distinctive personalities than her).

There is a weakness in her, though, or at least the way I see it: she does not feel natural. I'd give anything to have a strong, believable female character in that play, but Eleonore is... not it. Her sense of humor, her quips, her behaviour when she's constantly being met with disappointement don't read real in my eyes, it reads as something "too cool to be true" – therefore, it probably isn't. She has some occasional moments ("You viper!" comes to mind) when naturality shines through her words, but it isn't 100% of the time.

How does Eleonore express her femininity, does she do it at all? Well, yes and no. She seemingly willingly puts herself in a position, which is stereotypically feminine, that is to say: but an accomplice to the man of her life, putting herself second and him first, occupying herself with stereotypically feminine tasks of housekeeping and taking care of others (it is worth noting that these are all traits that have potentially negative quality about them, they can easily be distorted into degradation). In the same time, she assumes the air of equality when talking with Robespierre, is deeply interested in politics and holds her own when Maxime tries to dismantle her attempts at reaching out to him. She is also decidedly "virginal", if we are to reach out to the terminology from before, taking a firm stand against motherhood, even expressing a certain amount of contempt for the idea; this is, however, where the virginity of hers ends, because she is otherwise a very sexual person. To be honest, the way in which she is being presented to the audience – literally­ sliding down Robespierre's torso and kneeling to him, gripping tightly at his knees and very visibly trying to give him a blowjob first thing she sees him well after weeks of illness – is rather disgusting, not necessarily because sex is (a disclaimer, which could probably be put at the beggining of this post, since it's a bit relevant: OP is asexual and has nothing positive to say about sex), but because this is how she imprints in the audience's minds. No feigned irony of hers, no clever remark will be taken as just that, all will be tainted with the image of this otherwise sensible woman degrading herself for a scrap of attention from someone who says bluntly that she is indifferent to him (and as I always underline, in the universum of this play, Robespierre only ever speaks the truth, at least in the spiritual/mental matters, so we know he means it).

For the reasons listed above, I see her as both womanly and manly, if we could call it that. Monika Świerkosz, a Przybyszewska scholar, said that "[...] in Przbyszewska's prose works womanhood and manhood stand in a binary oppsosition to one another, and neither is an enclave of happiness of identity." – I don't think it's strictly accurate. To my understanding, the phenomenon relies on Przybyszewska not relying on any kind of deeply rooted gender stereotypes in creating her characters. It's not like she's taking a steretypically understood masculinity and simply sprinkles it over her heroines! She is operating in the fields of transsexuality, demisexuality and nonbinarity (not exactly in the convential meanings of these words, but there is something to it). I find it hard to put in words, perhaps the thing I want to say is mostly that her characters as a whole don't fit a clearly defined niche and live their own lives at the outskirts of customarily understood gender instead of being solely mouthpieces for the author.

Going back to the concept of virginity, which is especially relevant in Eleonore's case (and especially the one from TLNoV), when it comes to the woman who is always in Robespierre's orbit, it is being contrasted with his own attitude and thoughts on the topic. She's the one begging him to reconsider his stance on the subject, she's the one trying to sneak up on him and shutter his defenses (which is, again, explored and explained in a more detailed way in the novel). It is worth mentioning, though, that while she is constructed as a somewhat sensual person, she is still babyfied about it, there are narrator's remarks about her naivete and innocence in this regard, despite some – very limited – sexual experience. For this reason I'm on the fence in deciding how exactly is this trait used in Eleonore's case. Is she meant to be seen as more mature because she's had experience, knows what she wants, and she's willing to do a lot to obtain it? Or is she meant to be seen as more silly and childlike, not understanding her own desires to the fullest? Are we to admire her or pity her?

Willingly or not, Eleonore becomes an embodiment of a very important characteristic which Przybyszewska uses extensively in her short prose works. If she, for whatever reason, cannot achieve the fullfilment of what she's striving towards, she then personifies ascetisim. And ascetisim is the clou of all of Przybyszewska's life. At the heart of matters, she doesn't care for either virginity or motherhood (in this making equal two things treated usually as polar opposites) as long as ascetisim remains in the world. It is for Przybyszewska a synonym of both "autonomy" and "agency", two ideals powering her life (though, might I add, there is a bit of falsity in this, for her own autonomy relied on being dependent on the financial help received from others and she gave up an almost full autonomy – which could be found in providing for herself – in exchange for the absolutely full autonomy in just one aspect of her life: writing).

I have mentioned before that Eleonore doesn't seem to be entirely natural in her behaviour. Przybyszewska was to a very large extent fascinated by futurism (for her the Revolution, as well as any potential revolution, was worth taking notice of because it brough in the new), and a big part of european futurism was its own fascination by machines. While I, personally, disagree with the notion that machines and robots become a synecdoche of a man, perhaps it really were so for the futurists. A machine ceased to be something completely external and foreign to the humans, it begun to be more of an external part of a perosn's body, a complement of sorts. I think this is why "female" robots, or in general any mesh-up of robots and women may seem more natural to us: they usually already have this one additional organ, and through it, they can produce more humans. And this is what ties back to the idea of Przybyszewska's female characters being sort of divinities, but in a cold, rigid (ascetic!) sense of the world.

For none of them is exactly warm. Moving from Eleonore onto Louise,we can see she's even colder, and not without a reason, there is a cause for why she is the way she is – standing as a contrast to the fleshy, "humane" Danton she couldn't be anything else. What I like particularly well about this portrayal is that it's never shown in a negative way (and not even because Danton is... I think Przybyszewska's own sad experience with sexual abuse played a part in that). For the reasons of the sexual abuse she underwent, Louise is also portrayed in a decidedly virignal light: the things that have happened to her do not define her. She is so in a very different way than Eleonore, she weaponizes this part of her life which is seen as stereotypically connected to womanhood, while being detached from sensuality: motherhood. Her pregnancy is the first respite from Danton she has and she clings onto it, not even in a desperate way, it's cold, calm and calculated. Her young age also serves the same purpose, it detaches her from the customarily understood femininity, it makes her less "womanly" and more "girlish". I don' think I speak only for myself when I say the audience would have a hard time imagining Louise actually becoming a mother; for her this is only a weapon, a means to an end and that is because she is not yet fully formed woman, in a sense.

There is a thing about her and her appearance in the novel and how it presents to us that begs a moment of distraction. In his movie, Wajda took care of presenting both Eleonore and Lucille in a visually masculine way, but he did nothing of the sort with Louise (he barely included her at all, but even so, she was over the top feminine in visual aspects). I don't think this was a good move on his part, in all honesty, it creates a division between her and the other two heroines, while there should be no such thing. I think all three serve a much more unanimous role than what he'd have us believe and this text is partially meant as an explanation why.

So Louise, for obvious reasons, is rather disgusted by all matters pertaining to sex (and that is seen not only in her interactions with Danton, but also with Legendre, that's why we can safely assume so at large). She is shown as strong, strong-willed and intelligent, which is another thing pointing us in the direction of her mentality of an "ancient virign" (I use some terms liberally, but I hope I convey the meaning behind them well enough). She was stripped of all of this in the movie, and this time it was sadly yet another rung on the ladder meant to elevate Danton. In order to powder his face to make him presentable, Wajda had to exclude Louise from the movie and make her a prop rather than a person. I dare say he, as a man, saw Louise as a "anti-woman" because of her attitude and his artistic choice was the nearest antidote; but he was wrong. Przybyszewska's heroines aren't fully human, yes, and aren't fully womanly – but they aren't "antiwomen", they are "superwomen" (in the same sense of the word as "superlunary", for example). They are beyond femininity in many aspects and the only reason why we are even discussin them in any terms pertaining to gender and womanhood is becuase a. I have no other language to do it and b. these things exist in the same reality, I need to underline the fact these heroines are "superwomen" only because they, too, have an idea of what "a woman" should be and exist as a some kind of response to it. Louise, for example, has no need for it, because the root of her problems lies in the lense of femininity through which Danton sees her and if it weren't for his demise, he would continue to threaten her in a sexually abusive way, tied closely to her "role as a woman" (one of the last things he says to her is an accusation of sexual nature regarding her).

Lucille's response seems to be a lot less firm (if not: less aggressive) because her environement didn't condition her to be so fully womanly in the first place. A sfar as husbands go, Camille was a much better one than Danton: just as childish, but treating Lucille not only as a beloved, but also as an equal. This allows her for space to grow as her own peson, and if this person includes affirming her femininity (for example through being a partner to her husband, in being a tender mother, in caring for Camille when he needed her most, in loving him to the point of madness) we can rest assured it is her own choice and part of her agenda. She is not weaker than Eleonore nor Louise, she just has more space to breathe. And like Eleonore, she is deeply interested in politics, and not only that, but has a better graps of it than Camille does, connecting the dots quicker than he would. I can't say if this is a part of characterisation of the women in the play, to show them as autonomous beings capable of political thought, or if it was simply a way of gentle reminder every now and then to the audience that politics permeated the universum of the play so thoroughly everybody in it knows their way about it (it is worth noting that Louise also understands the then political troubles, but unlike the other two, she consciously cuts ties with it, for this is yet another thing which belogns to the realm of Danton, and she doesn't want to be further tainted by him).

I like the fact that Przybyszewska included a scene between Lucille and Louise, especially because it was not strictly necessary for her to do so. It is another facet of her craftiness and intention regarding the way women are being portrayed in the play, because while it exists on the structre lied down by the political plot, the most important things that an audience can draw from the scene are: while Lucille loves Camille greatly and will do anything to save him, it is not necessary for the plots/the overall theme of the play for her to act so (as proven by the indifferent Louise, who is in no way villified in her choice) and Louise is not evil as a character, because she doesn't shrink her responsibilities as a decent human being: she doesn't want to help Danton, specifically, but she provides Lucille wih a logical and pretty good way to attempt what she wants to do. Perhaps this is too little to call it a sisterhood between them, but I find this portrayal contrasting attitudes reassuring.

reblogging this post as well because it includes a great analysis of Louise Danton.

Sure, Louise as a literary character in Przybyszewska's play that is just based on the real woman, but I'd say it is still important, especially if so little is known about her as a historical figure.

And the character breakdown of Lucile and Éleonore is obviously worth reading as well.

it's just as well I will never have a chance to direct the danton case or thermidor on stage. people aren't ready for that either way.

I'm still hoping for a new adaptation by someone who understands and cares about Przybyszewska's work! You never know

Camille Desmoulins and Maximilien Robespierre – doomed by the Revolution?

a second part of the answer to the ask kindly sent by @iron--and--blood - first part can be found here

Okay, so I tried to follow the sources and I ended up missing what is arguably the key question. I think that there is enough evidence that warrants seeing Camille and Maximilien’s relationship as a ‘friendship torn apart but the revolution’, but could it in fact be something more that the chain of events of the mid-1790s ended up destroying?

(aka the good old “were they gay?” question)

It’s probably not surprising to anyone that there is no conclusive evidence that would suggest that either of them was definitely queer or that they were involved in some kind of a relationship. For context, the French Constitutional Assembly did decriminalise homosexuality, since there was simply no mention of private same-sex relationships it in the penal code of 1791.

Of course, there would still be a stigma surrounding queerness, seeing how France was a Catholic country – well, up to that point. On the other hand, it is also important to remember that anyone who received a higher education at that time would be well versed in classical authors (Greek and Roman that is), so they would have a framework for a positively viewed queer attraction/relationship (I'm mostly thinking of a kind of Alcibiades/Socrates vibes here. I think it sort of fits? Well it does in my headcanon anyway...). Camille especially seemed to be really into classics, making references to classical authors, history or mythology in approximately every other sentence.

CAMILLE – VICES HONTEUX AND A POSSIBILE BICON

If we consider Camille, I think it is clear that he was attracted to women. I think that the historical sources show that he genuinely did love his wife - Lucile - although it may also be true he was bit of a cad. There is a whole deal with him and Lucile’s mother with whom he apparently exchanged some flirty letters? I honestly need to look into it more at some point.

That said, attraction to women of course doesn’t exclude attraction to men. The one thing that would suggest Camille might have pursued a same-sex relationships is the reference to “vices honteux“ (shameful vices), which Saint-Just claims were attributed to Camille by Danton. We also learn from Robespierre’s note that this refered to something that was ‘totally unrelated to the revolution’.

So we know it’s something that would be seen as ‘shameful’ behaviour, but nonetheless a private matter. Could it be interest in same-sex relationships? It’s of course hard to say, but the theory is not completely implausible. For a discussion about this, I recommend this article.

MAXIMILIEN – A CONFIRMED BACHELOR?

With Maximilien Robespierre, it gets a little more complicated. He was essentially a confirmed bachelor, living with a family that adored him but that was not his own (and also a dog. He had a dog.) Talk about a found family trope!

Some sources claim that he was engaged to Éléonore Duplay, but Robespierre’s sister for one vehemently denies this. It’s true that he could probably easily have married her – I can’t imagine her family being opposed to it, far from it probably – but the fact is that for one reason or another, he did not.

He also didn’t really seem to capitalise on his massive popularity among the Parisian women. (Though, to be fair, neither did Rousseau and he was… well I guess he was his own version of heterosexual.)

Sure, one can interpret that as Robespierre being a workaholic or putting the revolution above everything else, but I personally think it is very possible that he would be considered to be on the asexual spectrum by today’s standards.

That said, although France was moving away from institutionalised religion at that point, Catholic guilt could certainly play a role, especially in someone who prided himself in his moral conduct and was told to be rigid about the rules. So the possibility of him being closeted as an explanation for his lack of interest in women would also not be completely off the table.

As to Camille and Maximilien being together in some way? I think there is certainly a precedence for this type of relationship in adolescence. Seeing that they have studied together (and shared enthusiasm for classics probably), it is not impossible, though of course, it is highly speculative.

I think it is also fair to say that Robespierre went above and beyond for Camille until the last few months. That is something he probably would have not done for many other people. He actually said as much himself:

Was it because Camille was universally liked by the revolutionaries for all the good he has done? Possibly, but I think one can also read more into it. It certainly suggests that Camille was special in some way, and the fact that Robespierre uses ‚one‘ instead of ‚I‘ does not necessarily mean he is not speaking about himself here.

CAMILLE AND MAXIMILIEN IN THE MEDIA

When it comes to media portrayal, the relationship often comes across as queer-coded - to an extent.

In La Révolution française, this aspect is more prominent between Robespierre and Saint-Just, but with some well-timed smiles and glances, it almost reads as a tragic love triangle between the three. There are some unfortunate implications however, mainly that the hints of Robespierre's queerness in the movie are implicitly associated with his descent to tyrany. Ugh. (And let's face it, a kind of effeminacy linked to villainy as well. Honestly, who thought that kind of portrayal would be a good idea? Kudos for making a historical movie about the French Revolution come across as homophobic I guess.)

Hilary Mantel straight-up makes Camille Desmoulins bisexual (ish?) in A Place of Greater Safety, though there are <a lot of> issues with that portrayal, as discussed here (watch me linking another mutual's great post! Frevblr is truly the best). Not sure how the relationship with Robespierre is presented here since it’s one of the books I’ve been in the middle of for months.

And then there’s Stanisława Przybyszewska of course. She would honestly warrant a separate post, but long story short: in her works, there is no doubt about the fact that she portrays the relationship between them as queer. She invokes the Erastes/eromenos dynamic between them (quite explicitly, referring to Camille as an ephebe at one point) and makes the attraction between the two seem palpable. There is plenty of queer (under)tones to be found in The Danton Case, but in Last Nights of Ventôse , she straight up interprets the fall of the Dantonists as Camille running into Danton’s arms to spite Robespierre for snubbing him and rejecting his devotion (romantic advances?). And it gets quite physical – not in a way that would warrant an E rating, but it would certainly deserve one for the sheer emotional intensity.

Let me just add to the Przybyszewska discourse: it gets more or less explicitly said that Camille loves Robespierre. And Robespierre rejects him (or so Camille interprets his behavior) not because of some "no homo" stuff, he's just. Not very interested in a relationship, more or less? He's Going Through Some Shit™ and Camille is only adding to this. But, well, Stasia did very purposefully present their relationship as homoromantic. I think she mentions that in her letters, too.

@latetotheparty thanks for the addition! And agreed! I thought his rejection of Camille somehow mirrors that of Éléonore's advances at the beginning? (and at the start of The Danton Case too, poor girl, can't catch a break).

One part is definitely the illness and him putting revolution above everything else, but I also felt like its the overly submissive/feminine (some issues there...) aspect of both É and C that he finds somewhat off-putting. Then with Antoine at the end of Ventôse, it felt more like a relationship between equals.

And I've heard it mentioned before, would be curious to see the letter if you have a link?

My thoughts on “The Last Nights of Ventôse”

Keep on reading for info about probably the first Saintmoulinspierre fanfic ever.

It’s windy and cold outside. No wonder, it is the last night of Ventôse after all. Tomorrow night, Germinal an CCXXIII starts and I hope it’ll bring better weather. Anyway, I’m not gonna be original - it seems like the perfect time to rant a bit about Stanisława Przybyszewska’s “The Last Nights of Ventôse”.

My edition is probably the only available in Poland, based on Przybyszewska’s manuscript, released many years after her death. Pages: 165 including the preface, chapters: IV, heartbreaks caused: countless, dammit. 

There it is, the ultimate Maxime/Camille fanfic. And probably not what one would expect. It is slashier than some frev tumblr drabbles. We are not interested here in historical accuracy. Just Przybyszewska’s story. An 80-year-old fanfic. And believe me, even if something seems very OOC in Maxime’s or Camille’s behaviour, the story itself is extraordinary and can produce a friggin’ Seine of tears.

Begins with Maxime’s illness - feverish nightmares, anxiety attacks and doubts concerning the inevitabe - Camille’s arrest and execution. There’s also a short conversation between Maxime and Eleanore (Leo). She generally talks about her feelings for him and how he has changed. He, on the other hand, rejects her and regrets that he gave in and used her affection once. A short exchange that always makes me smile: “- Let us sit. - No, Leo. Or if… Then, three paces away from each other.”

Later, Maxime has even worse nightmares and premonitions, so he sends for Camille. Our dear journalist is playing cards with Danton at his own house and he is clearly not in a good mood. “- Camille, you didn’t even notice that you lost. What are you thinking about, boy?! - About you, my love!”

Camille is a little meanie; he can’t really tell why he is angry with Georges but oh he is, and he is almost furious (later it’ll become clear that it’s because of a very serious fault of Danton’s - not being Robespierre). He speaks those words with a mocking, mean tone, yet sweet at the same time, pretending a young damsel. 

In this glorious piece of 80 years old fanfiction, Camille is the cutest, most adorable, sometimes really, really mean and childish trashy-tempered baby ever AND he is wonderful that way. Maxime later calls him all kinds of pet names, such as: child, Cami, little flower, boy, lovely child, genious boy, poor thing, little Camille, little one - but he is cool and composed while Camille loses his temper all the time, but I’ll get to that.

Camille doesn’t want to see Maxime but when he hears of his illness, he goes to him immediately. When he sees him… That fragment is very hard to forget and heart-wrenching. “Camille’s love bursted with thousands of flames from tips of his nerves, hissing with pain. - Desmoulins, first of all, you must forget for a while that our acquaintance is a private one. In other words, you have to look at me as if you were looking at a colleague or at a neighbor, not an object of your… Feelings, you know which. Will you manage? - No - replied the guest, his voice hoarse with excessive strictness.” *the sound of my poor shipper heart exploding into million aching pieces*

Later, there’s a very harsh dispute between them about Camille’s situation and his trust in Danton. I intend to translate the whole story in summer when I’m done with my thesis, so, in short: Maxime is cold and composed while Cami (what a cute nickname!) is in despair. Camille is furious with Maxime as he’d rather stay unaware of his very probable death drawing near, he practically panicks and yells a lot. Maxime in his thoughts admits (cruelly!): 

“It is, after all, a soul fragile and frail as threads of glass; oh, I should have left him in peace, he would suffer only for three days, later, death - well, it’s too late now. Oh, Camille, Camille, poor thing - what a favor I’ve done to you!”. And later: “Their mutual feelings were stronger than frienship - it was simply love on both sides, Camille’s with a strong dose of admiration. Nevertheless, the older’s feelings were probably even stronger, though they didn’t bind his existence totally.” (then, a long description of Maxime’s feelings for Cami - very caring, almost maternal, “filled with nervous anxiety and insatiable tenderness […], hidden carefully”). “For the last six months, Camille inflicted a blow after blow, deliberately, skillfully, aiming perfectly at his weakest point. […] Love of this kind is so bereft of dignity - the more the beloved child teases, the more precious he becomes.”

Then Maxime asks about why he is so stuck on Danton and Cami answers that he is only at Georges’ side because Maxime used to be so cold and composed around him, barely noticed when Camille was not at his side, “forgot about [Camille’s] existence”. The more cold and indifferent Maxime was, the more Camille was drawn to him, but eventually he had enough. Danton was the perfect negative of Maxime and actually appreciated Camille, praised him a lot. Cami missed Maxime anyway.

Maxime asks a lot of questions about them (jealous much, M?). Then: “- Do you even know this man? Are you sure of his sincerity? […] - Well, no - except for when he is drunk. Then, it seems, he likes me with no reservations or calculations. These times, he practically cavorts over me. Draws me close, embraces, kisses, boasts… As if I were a woman. Robespierre suppressed a groan. He wriggled. - Do you like it? […] - Why do you ask? How’s this relevant? - Very relevant, but I’ve already guessed.” Fanfiction much?

Maxime talks to Camille about how Danton is using him and Camille realizes he is right. He is in such shock that he jumps to his feet. “Don’t touch me”, but Maxime does anyway, he holds him by his arms and doesn’t let him go. His touch eventually comforts Camille, but: “- What do you want from me? Let me go at last! - I won’t. Break away if you want to. […] - You are stealing away my life. […] You grasp another’s soul with your claws. How dare you? - By the right of the stonger one - whispered Robespierre”.

Fanfiction MUCH? Just wait until… Right, then Camille is lost in his thoughts for a few pages - his anger with Danton and adoration for Maxime clearly visible. Eventually he drops at Maxime’s feet, emotionally exhausted. He’s so lost in his adoration that he actually kisses Maxime’s foot (fanfiction very f*****g much? Yeah it gets slashier!). 

Maxime of course wriggles out and acts coldly again (but anyway he describes Cami in his thoughts as “a handsome boy, cute, […] absolute beauty” - they should just get a bed and there is an available one, come on!).

Camille is heartbroken. Rejected again. He has to know why Maxime cannot stand his touch. He even says that had Maxime acted differently, it might’ve saved Camille, for he would abandon Danton at once and do everything possible to convince everyone that he changed sides. He would save his life if Maxime had any use for him. Well, he wouldn’t even turn to Danton in the first place, were things different. This part of their conversation is really interesting. I have no time now (unfortunately) to translate Maxime’s rant about male/male love, but I’ll try to do that tomorrow, it’s really interesting. 

Camille’s reaction to it? He is wounded, a blow right in his adoration. He thought before that Maxime doesn’t understand that kind of feelings, but after hearing him out… For Cami that sounds as if Maxime knew these feelings all too well, but Camille was not the one Maxime had those feeling for. Even tough he felt a pang of hope at times listening to it all, but he was quickly disillusioned. 

Maxime is almost certainly speaking about Camille (or is he? *ekhm* Antoinevisitshimlater *ekhm*). Cami is so furious, poor thing. “Why did you tell me all of this? […] Haven’t you done me enough wrong already?”.

Maxime states that as a revolutionary he cannot waste time on personal matters (“I do not have a private life”) and does not like the fact that Camille is willing to offer himself to someone to the point of sacrificing his own freedom. And Maxime is very uneasy about the physical manifestations of Camille’s feelings, they embarass him. 

Camille: “I have to have the right to embrace my friend whenever I want to without feeling his muscles turn into a hostile armour under my touch. I have to have the right to kiss him, for such kiss is what makes two beings one.” Right in the feels, Cami, right in the feels. But you can do better. “All it took was giving up just for a while that what your inhuman pride requires. To bear calmly one innocent kiss, even the pope allows that. To bear the fact that for a one short while you are only a beloved human living in a human body […] I’ll remeber your pudeur virginale even in the another world, if not after falling rightously asleep in Sanson’s two baskets.” I want to hug him and I need a large box of tissues.

Camille tries to leave (not for the first time) but Maxime stops him and even embraces him as tightly as he can. Maxime scolds him for being childish and reckless. He admits he loves him and acted that way because he is ill and everything irks him. He reminds Cami how much he’s done for him even after all Camille did to harm him. He speaks of Camille’s unstability, how he’d run to Danton’s side and that even now Maxime risked so much to save his dear friend.

Sweet, rash Cami of course thinks Maxime is mocking him. “-How does it change anything, that you actually care for my life, since you won’t even let me near you?! - So you have wasted your life, your talent, and now you’re practically pushing yourself on the gallows and all this scrupulous destruction for an embrace rejected? To die of longing for a kiss, what a beautiful death!” Sorry, but were I there, I would stuff Maxime’s mouth with jam tarts so he’d just shut up. “- But there, if it’s the only cause, kiss me all you want, I won’t interrupt you. Kiss me until you get bored, that is, if you won’t get burned.” Oh and there goes all my wrath and all my shipper feels and I practically squeal because of that passage. Then I actually have this sudden urge to hit my head hard with something heavy. Maxime, you... You.

“-How… D-dare you!!! - he whispered, his voice trembling. - So no, then? You won’t take the opportunity to have something to remember in the other world? That’s a pity, I’d actually like to try, you’ve made me curious. Maybe it can actually give pleasure, and I’m curious because until now the sight of two men exchanging caresses seemed amusing to me.” Maxime, please, please take your curiosity elsewhere or stop with all this indifference; boys, cease the angst and heartbreak and make use of the bed. Please. There is one available and the room is cold. Ekhm.

Then Maxime actually scolds him again and starts to talk about politics (not exactly the right moment, huh, M?). In his opinion, Camille is selfish since he concentrates his thoughts on his personal misfortune when the future of the Republic is shaping. He is so concerned for his own unstable future that he eventually asks Camille: “- If it’s me who dies, not you, can you swear to me that you will contact Saint-Just? Camille rose. - Saint-Just… Why him? - He is the only leader except me, he is the only one that understands my thought and wants what I want; he is the only one who can succeed me. - And me… I’d be to serve him? - […] Not him, idiot, but the oppressed people!”.

Poor Cami, you sound like a jealous schoolboy. But whatever. The fragment about contacting Saint-Just is tricky because of a Polish word used here that can mean both “contact” and “reach an agreement” - it is not clear from the context. Oh, they would certainly not reach any, Maxime, come on. You know them.

Maxime again begs Camille to save his own life while he still can. Camille is desperate to do anything to make Maxime feel better since his fever is getting worse, so Camille agrees. He feels helpless and he’s so cutely concerned for his friend… In the end they simply say their goodbyes to each other because they are both gravely tired and Maxime feels worse and worse with every minute.

Maxime spends his next day waiting for any news or rumours about Camille’s decision. We all know what happened next. Camille condemning Maxime again. Maxime’s so shocked that he even contemplates suicide thinking it could save Camille’s life. Eventually he realizes that there’s nothing more that he can do and he accepts the necessity of arresting Camille. 

Then voilà, Saint-Just appears at last. He visits Maxime when it’s already dark and they can’t see each other. But they hold hands. “Their hands found each other without hesitation, as if they were driven by a mutual attraction. They both fell silent in this voiceless yet ardent meeting. The hand of the guest, still cold after a long walk in this humid night, a bit larger, much stronger at the moment, clasped the hot hand of the tribune in a lenghty squeeze. This contact had a soothing effect on the other. It made him feel at peace, reborn.” Ekhm, Maxime? Ekhm? Wasn’t that you who teased Camille with cold indifference not so long ago? Ekhm? But okay, keep holding Antoine’s hand. We shippers are definitely not complaining. Just so you know, Camille reacted to YOUR touch exactly this way.

Maxime reveals to him his ultimate decision about the Dantonists and Camille. Antoine offers to deal with the matter on his own because it’s too personal for Maxime, and also he is concerned for Maxime’s health. In the end, Maxime insists that he is perfectly able of handling it by himself and decides to get up… Only to get dizzy and fall straight into Antoine’s strong arms. Yes. Right. That’s exactly what happens. Antoine even calls him “my dear” as he helps him to come around. 

Then we have a very isteresting description of Saint-Just when he lights the candles and the “impenetrable darkness” is no more. How does Maxime see him? “A while of silence. All the candles were burning. Behind them, lit from underneath, a face of an archangel, his features of  an inhumanly beauty, delicate as a woman’s but of the nobleness typical for men. Big violet eyes, a marble-white face framed by black hair reaching his jawline. His back straight, slender in his tighly fastened suit, Saint-Just awaited in silence.” I do not exactly imagine him that way (violet eyes? Pretty, though) but the description is interesting anyway. Maxime, are you crushing? Are you? Even despite all that happened, Maxime actually has a half-smile on his face when he looks at him. Okaaay. And Saint-Just actually calls him in his thoughts “beautiful in this deathly paleness, so gaunt, his eyes burning”. 

And then: “He [Saint-Just] said even, breaking the feverish silence: - No one in France has a will like yours. No one’s thought is as vital as yours is. You are - the only One.”

After a while Maxime goddamn faints again, and guess where he ends up again? In Antoine’s arms. Yes, right. He even ends up laughing loudly and it is described as a sincere laughter but to me, it’s still hysterical. As if he tried to get rid of all his anger and gloom that way. “[…] Saint-Just turned towards him and embraced him with his other arm […] they closed each other in a tight, silent, loving embrace.” In the end, they just leave for the Committee meeting.

Yeah. Gosh. Fanfiction much.

But isn’t it entertaining? Most probably the first Saintmoulinspierre fanfiction ever. For me, that’s certainly heart-breaking. Camille is absolutely adorable in his rashness, moving the reader to tears. As for Maxime, I wanted to pinch his side while reading this very, very often, but at the same time it was impossible not to feel sorry for him and relate to each and every of his words. He’s a very mysterious figure here, I tell ya. Antoine has this dangerous yet charming vibe, come on, even Maxime fawns over him. 

I have to add that while Przybyszewska in one of her letters wrote that it’s actually possible that there was something between Maxime and Camille, she does not believe that there could ever be something between Maxime and Antoine, they were more like brothers in arms or soulmates (I don’t really remember well, I need my own copy of her letters and I need it badly). That doesn’t mean she doesn’t ship them, though, as it’s pretty visible in “Last Nights” and her plays. 

Przybyszewska practically admitted (probably in the same letter) that she has a certain kind of a soft spot for homosexuals. Citoyens, that’s the 1930’s term for “hello, I’m a slash/yaoi fangirl”. Oh girl, you made it visible.

I was born and grew up in a city in which she spent some longer period of time, in a place I often visited, so there’s probably a Saintmoulinspierre germ in the air there, even after all of these years. And oh did I get infected.

Thanks for reading my thoughts on a 1930s fanfic by a Polish girl who, as Mantel said, “died on Robespierre”. There are many perks of being Polish and being able to buy a copy of this and reading this is certainly one of them.

It’s almost 2 a.m. here. Ventôse is ending, Germinal soon begins but even after the cold winds cease, there’ll be other things to remind me of certain days from years long gone by. I’ll be still thinking about what that story did to me. I can’t get it out of my head since I’ve read it and finally got to share some of it. Even though it was impossible to contain in this note all that is there. Only a full translation will. 

Thank you again and stay on the Saintmoulinspierre ship for it won’t ever sink. Have a good day/good night and don’t mind the cold winds.

If you have time and haven't done so already, I highly recommend you read this summary of Przybyszewska's The Last Nights of Ventôse.

It puts it better than I ever could, plus it's written by a native Polish speaker.

I'll just quickly add that to me, there's hardly a better proof of the fact that people have always been into the same things, and quite often, the trends we think magically appeared twenty years ago have been with us for centuries.

(all I need now is for archaeologists to discover stone tablets with someone's Gilgamesh/Enkidu fanfic)

A reminder to all Polish frev fans that 'The Danton Case' will air on May 7 at 8:00 p.m. on the Channel TVP Kultura

Honestly quite disappointed after watching the first thirty minutes (Yes I'm watching it only now because when I saw the first few minutes for first time I turned it off).

Scenes that made me sigh:

1. Danton shaving his legs (why?) (comic element?)

2. Danton having sex with Louise on stage (WHY?!)

3. The scene where Louise asks Danton to leave her alone is acted out like: "Leave me... alone... *sexy wink and lipbite*"

4. Sexualizing Louise and making her only some sexy girl instead of an actual character

5. Camille is the only person that sits with crossed legs/in a feminine manner and generally acts stereotypically "feminine" talking in a high voice.

6. Saint-Just's actor being in his 60's. Saint-Just was such an important figure BECAUSE he was young and it's mentioned many times in the play

7. Trying to make the play comedic (?). It's a tragedy through and through and yet there are scenes which were (i think) supposed to be intentionally 'funny' (example: Fouché threatening Robespierre with an electric shaver, Marianne - personification of France arrives to announce that Héron was arrested and when asked who wished for his arrest she just makes: "daan- dooon- diiin-" sounds for like one minute while the committee repeats after her).

Disclaimer: I don't like this adaptation (I've watched only around 30-ish minutes) but it doesn't mean that other people can't enjoy it. The blog on which I post is supposed to be a space where I can simply complain and have a good time sharing my interests.

Oh no that sounds bad, especially the bit with Louise :( (Also Saint-Just in his 60s is... a choice, for sure).

All I want for Christmas is a good The Danton Case adaptation that doesn't walk all over Przybyszewska's original vision 😔

May I present Saint-Just

And of course Mr Desmoulins

Merci beaucoup citoyen!!

Okay the Saint-Just choice is so bizarre I can't even begin to describe it (here I was thinking that having an actress in her late 40s play Simone Évrard in M/S was an odd choice...) but I'm kind of here for whatever Camille's actor has going on

(is there a rule that Camille's hair have to be bizarre in every adaptation? Looking at you LRF)

Oh God. That infamous LRF mullet haunts me until this day.

Also I forgot to add a picture of Louise from the adaptation (Who thought it was a good idea?)

IT DOES. (it probably smells like an soft serve machine too)

Jeez noo what did they do to poor Louise.

Like in Przybyszewska's original script, she's characterised as a child-bride stuck in a relationship she sees as abusive. And someone actually went: you know what she needs? A see-through corset!

The only thing more cursed than this is the intended Lolita musical --

A reminder to all Polish frev fans that 'The Danton Case' will air on May 7 at 8:00 p.m. on the Channel TVP Kultura

Honestly quite disappointed after watching the first thirty minutes (Yes I'm watching it only now because when I saw the first few minutes for first time I turned it off).

Scenes that made me sigh:

1. Danton shaving his legs (why?) (comic element?)

2. Danton having sex with Louise on stage (WHY?!)

3. The scene where Louise asks Danton to leave her alone is acted out like: "Leave me... alone... *sexy wink and lipbite*"

4. Sexualizing Louise and making her only some sexy girl instead of an actual character

5. Camille is the only person that sits with crossed legs/in a feminine manner and generally acts stereotypically "feminine" talking in a high voice.

6. Saint-Just's actor being in his 60's. Saint-Just was such an important figure BECAUSE he was young and it's mentioned many times in the play

7. Trying to make the play comedic (?). It's a tragedy through and through and yet there are scenes which were (i think) supposed to be intentionally 'funny' (example: Fouché threatening Robespierre with an electric shaver, Marianne - personification of France arrives to announce that Héron was arrested and when asked who wished for his arrest she just makes: "daan- dooon- diiin-" sounds for like one minute while the committee repeats after her).

Disclaimer: I don't like this adaptation (I've watched only around 30-ish minutes) but it doesn't mean that other people can't enjoy it. The blog on which I post is supposed to be a space where I can simply complain and have a good time sharing my interests.

Oh no that sounds bad, especially the bit with Louise :( (Also Saint-Just in his 60s is... a choice, for sure).

All I want for Christmas is a good The Danton Case adaptation that doesn't walk all over Przybyszewska's original vision 😔

May I present Saint-Just

And of course Mr Desmoulins

Merci beaucoup citoyen!!

Okay the Saint-Just choice is so bizarre I can't even begin to describe it (here I was thinking that having an actress in her late 40s play Simone Évrard in M/S was an odd choice...) but I'm kind of here for whatever Camille's actor has going on

(is there a rule that Camille's hair have to be bizarre in every adaptation? Looking at you LRF)

A reminder to all Polish frev fans that 'The Danton Case' will air on May 7 at 8:00 p.m. on the Channel TVP Kultura

Honestly quite disappointed after watching the first thirty minutes (Yes I'm watching it only now because when I saw the first few minutes for first time I turned it off).

Scenes that made me sigh:

1. Danton shaving his legs (why?) (comic element?)

2. Danton having sex with Louise on stage (WHY?!)

3. The scene where Louise asks Danton to leave her alone is acted out like: "Leave me... alone... *sexy wink and lipbite*"

4. Sexualizing Louise and making her only some sexy girl instead of an actual character

5. Camille is the only person that sits with crossed legs/in a feminine manner and generally acts stereotypically "feminine" talking in a high voice.

6. Saint-Just's actor being in his 60's. Saint-Just was such an important figure BECAUSE he was young and it's mentioned many times in the play

7. Trying to make the play comedic (?). It's a tragedy through and through and yet there are scenes which were (i think) supposed to be intentionally 'funny' (example: Fouché threatening Robespierre with an electric shaver, Marianne - personification of France arrives to announce that Héron was arrested and when asked who wished for his arrest she just makes: "daan- dooon- diiin-" sounds for like one minute while the committee repeats after her).

Disclaimer: I don't like this adaptation (I've watched only around 30-ish minutes) but it doesn't mean that other people can't enjoy it. The blog on which I post is supposed to be a space where I can simply complain and have a good time sharing my interests.

Oh no that sounds bad, especially the bit with Louise :( (Also Saint-Just in his 60s is... a choice, for sure).

All I want for Christmas is a good The Danton Case adaptation that doesn't walk all over Przybyszewska's original vision 😔

Oh, the left one looks just like her portrait! Loving it, thanks!

I know 'life imitates art' is a cliché, but it often does. And sometimes in the worst possible ways.

There's something incredibly — symbolic? ironic? — about the fact that Przybyszewska portrays Danton as someone who assaults women in The Danton Case* (case in point; there's an even more direct reference shortly after this exchange which I don't even want to share here):

— that in the 1983 Danton film by Wajda which is (very loosely) based on Przybyszewska's original play, this side of Danton's character gets completely whitewashed and he is instead portrayed as the true hero of the revolution —

— and the fact that Danton is played by Gérard Depardieu in the movie — in other words, by an actor who is currently facing multiple SA accusations himself.

(aaaand he apparently fled to Prague because we just can't get enough of giving shelter to all the creeps from around the world apparently. Love it.) * don't want to be making any claims about historical accuracy. But, in the context of the play, he is without a doubt portrayed as someone who commits SA. The fact that Louise is so young is constantly emphasised by Przybyszewska - and seeing how that is a historical fact, I certainly appreciate Stasia for bringing attention to it.