Lettres d'une Péruvienne; Volume 1

<p><i>Lettres d'une Péruvienne</i> by Madame de Grafigny first published in 1747 is a landmark epistolary novel of the Enlightenment. Told through the letters of Zilia an Inca princess abducted from Peru and brought to France the novel offers a sharp critique of European society and values through the eyes of a perceptive outsider.</p> <p>Volume 1 introduces readers to Zilia's initial experiences and observations. Separated from her beloved Aza she grapples with the complexities of French culture expressing her thoughts and emotions in letters to him using a unique symbolic language at first. As Zilia learns French and begins to understand the world around her her letters become increasingly insightful and critical questioning conventional notions of love marriage and social hierarchy. The novel provides a fascinating glimpse into the cultural clashes and intellectual ferment of the 18th century making it a valuable read for students of French literature and history.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p>