Montesquieu's 1721 epistolary novel following Persian visitors Rica and Usbek who report their observations of French society — through their 'outsider' perspective exposing French religious intolerance, political absolutism, and social customs as just as irrational as anything in Persia.
Introduces the Enlightenment device of the 'outsider observer' — using Persian characters allows Montesquieu to defamiliarize European customs and expose their arbitrary, constructed nature — creating the literary vehicle for cultural critique through relativistic comparison.
Discussing
Ask anything about Persian Letters — their ideas, influences, contradictions, legacy.
Sign in to start a conversation.