27 pages 54 minutes read

Claire de Duras

Ourika

Fiction | Novella | Adult | Published in 1823

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Essay Topics

1.

The French Revolution established the principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity. What role do these concepts play in Ourika? How do they affect Ourika’s life? 

2.

The French aristocracy was widely persecuted during the Reign of Terror. How does the Terror affect the lives of Ourika’s friends? Compare and contrast their experiences with Ourika’s during this period.

3.

Internalized racism reproduces a society’s racist views within an individual. How does Ourika exhibit internalized racism toward black people in France? How are these views formed by her circumstances and the people around her?