Usbek's Troglodyte
For society to be fully functional it requires of system of organization. If you look at every powerful nation of the world, past and present, you notice there was an organized structure within the society. That is one of the points that Montesquieu emphasizes in his novel, Persian Letters. Through the story of the Troglodytes, letters about the harem, and other random letters concerning government he discusses the possible outcomes to societies without any organization.
In Letter 11, Usbek tells the story of the troglodytes as he takes the reader through their history. As he goes through, he makes it a point to discuss how their society is affected by each new event. The story started with them having a king who was unable to control them …show more content…
In the case of the harem, Usbek is just like the king of the Troglodytes, once he is no longer around, things become unorganized. Such as in the Troglodyte story, we don't know the harem before they are without Usbek, we only see the outcome. The wives were at first full of misery and confusion, then as time passed they became chaotic. They turned on each other, just like the Troglodytes. The Chief Black Eunuch wrote to Usbek in Letter 64, "Your wives are at war with one another...Each of your wives considers herself superior to the other." The first Eunuch is an equivalent to the Doctor in the Troglodyte story. He was very helpful in the beginning by helping tame the harem and making sure they stay happy. As the acts of the wives became more disruptive and deceitful, the First Eunuch dies. Such as the doctor, he was no longer available to keep things in order. After he is gone, death occurs. Solim, the man in charge of the harem, hopes to see Usbek's "stupor at all the blood I am about to shed here" (p. 280). The death of all the wives who were not faithful or obedient and the suicide of Roxana is a symbol for the death of the Troglodytes. In both stories, only the innocent and virtuous remain, creating a better society. And to finalize the stories, both have the return of their king. The return of the kings is Montesquieu's way of showing the reader that a leader is necessary for societal
In Letter 11, Usbek tells the story of the troglodytes as he takes the reader through their history. As he goes through, he makes it a point to discuss how their society is affected by each new event. The story started with them having a king who was unable to control them …show more content…
In the case of the harem, Usbek is just like the king of the Troglodytes, once he is no longer around, things become unorganized. Such as in the Troglodyte story, we don't know the harem before they are without Usbek, we only see the outcome. The wives were at first full of misery and confusion, then as time passed they became chaotic. They turned on each other, just like the Troglodytes. The Chief Black Eunuch wrote to Usbek in Letter 64, "Your wives are at war with one another...Each of your wives considers herself superior to the other." The first Eunuch is an equivalent to the Doctor in the Troglodyte story. He was very helpful in the beginning by helping tame the harem and making sure they stay happy. As the acts of the wives became more disruptive and deceitful, the First Eunuch dies. Such as the doctor, he was no longer available to keep things in order. After he is gone, death occurs. Solim, the man in charge of the harem, hopes to see Usbek's "stupor at all the blood I am about to shed here" (p. 280). The death of all the wives who were not faithful or obedient and the suicide of Roxana is a symbol for the death of the Troglodytes. In both stories, only the innocent and virtuous remain, creating a better society. And to finalize the stories, both have the return of their king. The return of the kings is Montesquieu's way of showing the reader that a leader is necessary for societal