AUTUMN VS THE STORY OF O

Autumn Leaves Delves into the World of BDSM as She Takes on “The Story of O” by Pauline Rage

TITLE: The Story of O

AUTHOR: Pauline Réage

GENRE: Erotic Fiction

PAGES: 196 (story without intros)

A bit of background on “The Story of O”: It was first published in 1954 under the pen name Pauline Réage. For 50 years, the true identity of the author was a secret. In 1994, French author Anne Cécile Desclos revealed that she had penned the novel. Desclos passed away in 1998.

“The Story of O” is a classic work of erotic fiction which explores the world of BDSM, with particular emphasis on the relationships between Dominants and submissives. What I would like to do with this review is to analyze the character of O and to compare her with the character of Jacqueline, who is presented as O’s opposite in all the ways that make O who she is.

What do we know about O?

O, no full name provided, is given very little in terms of a physical description. We know she is small and slim, but no other details are given. We do not know her age, though it appears she is young, perhaps in her mid to late twenties. She was first seduced at age 15 by a 30 year old woman named Marion. Through her time with Marion, O learns that she loves to “caress” other women, but will not grant them permission to touch her in return. O spends years pursuing different female lovers in this way, giving them pleasure, but denying them the opportunity to pleasure her in the same way. In this regard, O can be seen as a Dominant, keeping her lovers completely on her terms.

The same cannot be said of her relationship with men, as we see from the onset of the real story. O is with her male lover René when he suddenly whisks her away to a place called Roissy, after instructing her to remove her undergarments. O questions nothing René instructs and does exactly as he says. During her time in Roissy, O stays in a chateau where she receives her training: daily beatings and being available to all men there at all times. She is kept part of the time in an actual dungeon. She is only allowed to wear dresses which leave her breasts, vagina, and buttocks accessible to any man who chooses to inspect or use them. In all of this, it may appear that O is the victim of cruel and extreme torment, save for one fact: O may not have permission to object, but she does have permission to leave, which would mean the end of her relationship with René. O decides to see her experience through to its apparent end, making her the perfect submissive slave to the man that owns her.

O leaves the Chateau at the scheduled end of her stay and  to life in her apartment. However, her time at the Chateau has left her forever changed. She continues to go without undergarments and only wears clothing which leaves her body accessible to René and anyone with whom he feels like sharing her.

Enter Sir Stephen, René’s older stepbrother. René makes a gift of O to Sir Stephen, and Sir Stephen assumes complete ownership of her. They demand that O swear herself to them both if she wishes to continue. O agrees, but is at first fearful and unhappy about the change. However, her eagerness to please them both keeps her bound to her agreement.

O is a fashion photographer and develops a fixation on Jacqueline, one of the models she photographs. She introduces Jacqueline to René and he soon falls in love with Jacqueline, leaving Sir Stephen to have O as his exclusive property.

What do we know about Jacqueline?

Unlike O, we know Jacqueline’s professional and birth name and she is given a rich physical description. Each time Jacqueline appears, we read exactly what she looks like and how she moves, walks, and gestures. She is also small and slim with olive skin, short blonde hair, pink lips and rosy cheeks. Also unlike O, Jacqueline lives in a dirty, dingy boarding house with her Russian family, and is undisturbed by the filth in which she lives. Jacqueline appears to have no interests besides her prized belongings, and who may find her desirable and be willing to offer her physical pleasure. She is happy to let O seduce and caress her, but has no interest in providing pleasure in return. Her relationship with René is similarly depicted, with Jacqueline’s selfishness at the center.

Jacqueline’s career is on the rise and she begins making small appearances in films, further adding to her arrogance and sense of self-importance.

O versus Jacqueline

I have to ponder, what is the point of depicting these two women in this way? I believe it lies in how O feels about Jacqueline. O seems to feel that Jacqueline needs to be taught to obey René and that this must happen at Roissy. O believes that the most noble role of a woman is that of a slave, completely at the mercy of the Dominant man who owns her. Jacqueline, of course, feels differently, as is apparent when she sees the evidence of Sir Stephen’s ownership on O’s body. O’s iron rings and the old and new markings on her flesh, evidence of the floggings bestowed upon her, are O’s primary source of pride. Yet, when Jacquline sees them, they repulse her. Jacqueline simply cannot comprehend how O could find happiness in servitude, but her curiosity demands that she does agree to visit Roissy “ just to see what it’s like”. I suspect she will be surprised by her experiences there.

At the heart of her feelings for O, is Jacqueline’s desire to hurt and betray her. O’s acceptance of her relationship with René only serves to fuel Jacqueline’s disapproval of O. While O craves the love and desire of the man to which she has sworn herself, willing to be shared with other men and women to please him, Jacqueline simply craves attention and pleasure. She does not care for O’s feelings or even René’s. She merely wants the pleasure she can derive from their desire for her, pleasure she enjoys selfishly.

Their relationship culminates in O wanting Jacqueline to be taken to Roissy as a betrayal to Jacqueline for her cruelty and selfishness. Her tender feelings for Jacqueline turn to resentment because of Jacqueline’s deviousness.

In conclusion, why is O depicted as she is? I argue that O is presented as she is, without much of a description, to make her something of an EveryMan (or EveryWoman) character. The reader is meant to relate to her and, ultimately, to understand her and emphasize with her. What does O actually want? I argue that O wants to feel proud, even noble, because of the depth of her convictions and devotion to her Dominant lover. This makes her feel like a whole, complete woman.

Does “The Story of O” have a happy ending? Again, that is not an easy question to answer for two reasons. The first, it depends on how you define “happy”. O is with her lover Sir Stephen and she has pleased him greatly. However, in doing so, she has become his true slave. Secondly, the story isn’t yet over!

If you enjoyed “The Story of O”, check out the sequel “The Story of O Part Two: Return to the Chateau”, also written by Desclos under the Réage pen name) to find out her true fate. Hint: it is also a bit complicated. I plan to review the sequel next week, as it has an interesting back story of its own about a certain ‘missing chapter’. Stay tuned!

Autumn Leaves is a Canadian author and poet. Her poem “Siren’s Song” was published when she was 15. Autumn is in love with the dark and has an affinity for all things horrific and disturbing. Autumn is also an avid horror reader and book reviewer. Her favorite author is Jack Ketchum. She lives with her children and army of fur babies on a small island off the coast of Maine.

PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing, nor do the views or opinions of Crystal Lake necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or its staff. Thank you for understanding.