A Place of Greater Safety
71 pages • 2-hour read
Hilary MantelA Place of Greater Safety
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Symbols & Motifs
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of anti-gay bias, sexual content, and death.
Enlightenment Literature
Throughout the work, there are periodic references to and quotes of works of Enlightenment literature, primarily Jean-Jacques Rousseau, forming a key motif in the text. These references are historically apt. They illustrate how the revolutionaries were inspired by the Enlightenment ideals of thinkers like Rousseau and Montesquieu who argued that people had the right to the free exchange of ideas, the pursuit of science, and to contribute to their own governance. On the basis of these ideas, bourgeois revolutionary leaders like Camille and Robespierre argued that the monarchy of the Ancien Regime should be replaced with a republic.
Although Lucile, Mme Roland, and other characters make passing reference to these works of literature, it is Robespierre who has the closest tie to them, as he was known for carrying a copy of Rousseau’s The Social Contract with him at all times. It is in the arc of Robespierre that the function of these works becomes clear. Robespierre believes himself to be creating the ideal Republic of Virtue described in Rousseau’s text. However, as the challenges of creating a utopia mount as his ideals come into contact with reality, Robespierre begins to twist and pervert these virtuous ideals. This is first signaled when Robespierre leaves his copy of Rousseau behind after Camille questions whether they are conducting the revolution “under Providence,” or with God’s will. He has “been overset” by realities and is forced to leave his ideals behind. This is symbolic of how the revolutionaries writ large end up leaving their republican, Enlightenment ideals behind in the pursuit of political power.
Sexual Politics and Love Affairs
Within A Place of Greater Safety, the many affairs of Danton, Camille, and other characters are a symbolic reflection of their liberty. Camille and Danton are libertines: Their pursuit of liberty is not limited to their political goals, but also extends to their personal and relationship goals. In the case of Camille, his sexual libertinism is expressed in his willingness to have affairs with both men and women. This is alluded to multiple times in the text, such as when Danton remarks that “[Camille] likes men who are very large, very ugly, and devoted to women” (796) and mentions Camille’s affair with Maître Perrin. Camille is nonchalant about these affairs, and eventually he and his wife, Lucile, come to an understanding about their non-traditional marriage. They are both free to pursue their sexual desires while being deeply in love with one another. Danton’s pursuit of women outside of his marriage is of a slightly different order. It is an expression of his “self-aggrandizement” and reflective of his desire to self-soothe by losing himself in a sexual escapade.
As the Revolution becomes more draconian and authoritarian and liberties begin to erode, so too does the characters’ ability to have love affairs without consequence. For instance, Mme. Roland finds herself blackmailed into revealing her love affair with Buzon because of her republican politics. This dynamic is crystallized when Danton informs Robespierre that Hébert is attempted to undermine him politically by insinuating that Robespierre and Camille have “no ordinary friendship” (796), i.e., that they are lovers. This in turn causes the prurient Robespierre to more strongly scrutinize the private lives of his friends, whereas previously he had overlooked their foibles. This sexual blackmail illustrates how the principles of the Revolution, particularly liberty, fall away in the ruthless pursuit of maintaining power.
Newspapers and Pamphlets
A key motif in the work is the creation and propagation of newspapers and pamphlets by Camille, Brissot, and other revolutionary figures. The novel depicts the historical reality of how these media outlets contributed to the direction and control of public opinion, becoming a cornerstone of Rhetoric and Persuasion as Instruments of Power.
As depicted in the novel, the press at this time was not concerned with contemporary values like journalistic integrity or objectivity. Instead, they were baldly political organs used to generate public outrage or support. At the opening of the novel, these newspapers and pamphlets are officially censored by the Ancien Regime in order to suppress dissent. As the revolution goes on, the pamphlets and newspapers of different factions, such as the Brissotins, are themselves in turn outlawed.
Camille begins to make his mark on the world through his writing and publishing a pamphlet that calls for “the return of liberty among the French” (159) and the overthrow of the Ancien Regime. When it finally is published, he is thrilled that it is “burned by the public executioner” (249). The backlash and controversy ensure it sells well. The power these words hold is quickly recognized by the Conte Mirabeau who, although he does not entirely agree with Camille’s ideas, agrees to fund Camille’s weekly newspaper to further propagate these ideas.
When Camille recognizes that his life may soon be coming to an end due to mounting revolutionary violence, he makes a last stand not on the battlefield, but in a series of pamphlets critical of the Terror. While his attempt is not ultimately successful, it nevertheless illustrates the central role that these written documents had in the political debates and power struggles during the French Revolution.
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