The Heptameron

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Recommended: Giovanni Boccaccio's The Decameron reflection

Marguerite of Navarre wrote The Heptameron, a series of short stories told to pass the time while stranded in a monastery. One of the stories she wrote was “Novel XXX.” This story is a cautionary tale about what can happen if one doesn’t stay pure.
The story of “Novel XXX” is about a widowed woman. So devastated by the loss of her husband, she vowed to stay celibate for the rest of her life. In order to avoid temptation, she moved her son and herself to a devoted society. One day, a young woman approached the mother, explaining that she was the son’s mistress. The mom, not believing the girl, told her to set up a late night meeting with the son. Come evening, the boy went to the bedroom and climbed into bed with the woman he found in his mistress’ bed. Unbeknownst to him, his mother was waiting for him there. …show more content…

. . Women of status were held to an even higher standard. If a prestigious woman is seen as being promiscuous, it would shame her entire family. . . .
. The Heptameron was heavily influenced by The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio. The book was criticized for being too controversial, but Boccaccio stuck by his claim that each story served a purpose by telling a story about morality. The Heptameron follows the same pattern, obscure stories that end with lessons. http://www.britannica.com/topic/Decadron.
- Against the backdrop of Boccaccian discourse. Marguerite's primary rhetorical task, then, is clearly not to please (delectare) but to teach (docere) her readership (Zallua, Zahi. "Marguerite De Navarre And The Challenge Of Ethical Criticism: History, Literature, And Exemplarity In The Heptaméron." Romance Notes 45.2 (2005): 131-139. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.)
By Marguerite of Navarre including “Novel XXX” in The Heptameron, it shows that women felt similarly to men about purity. Women wanted to make sure that they represented their family in a respectable light. They also wanted to make sure they felt and we're perceived as marriageable

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