Editing Pierre de Marivaux (section)

==''Marivaudage''==
The so-called ''marivaudage'' is the main point of importance about Marivaux's literary work, though the best of the comedies have great merits, and ''Marianne'' is an extremely important step in the development of the French novel. That, and ''Le Paysan parvenu'', have some connection to the work of [[Samuel Richardson]] and [[Henry Fielding]]. In general, Marivaux's subject matter is the so-called "metaphysic of love-making." As [[Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon|Claude Prosper Jolyot Crébillon]] said, Marivaux's characters not only tell each other and the reader everything they have thought, but everything that they would like to persuade themselves that they have thought.<ref name=EB1911/>

This style derives mainly from Fontenelle and the ''Précieuses'', though there are traces of it even in [[Jean de La Bruyère]]. It abuses metaphor somewhat, and delights to turn a metaphor in an unexpected and bizarre fashion. Sometimes a familiar phrase is used where dignified language would be expected; sometimes the reverse.  Crébillon also described Marivaux's style as an introduction of words to each other which have never made acquaintance and which think that they will not get on together (this phrase is itself rather Marivaux-esque). This kind of writing, of course, recurs at several periods of literature, especially at the end of the 19th century.  This fantastic embroidery of language has a certain charm, and suits the somewhat unreal gallantry and sensibility which it describes and exhibits. Marivaux possessed, moreover, both thought and observation, besides considerable command of pathos.<ref name=EB1911>{{EB1911|wstitle= Marivaux, Pierre Carlet de Chamblain de | volume= 17 |last1= Saintsbury |first1= George |author1-link= George Saintsbury | pages = 726&ndash;727 |short=1}}</ref>