The last meeting

The last encounter is a story by the German writer Gertrud von Le Fort , who deals with the last conversation between the two great mistresses of Louis XIV .

content

Louise de La Vallière , who fled to the monastery as a lover at the king's court after 13 years and found refuge there, is visited by her former opponent, the Marquise de Montespan , for a final conversation. The two women meet again after many years - and immediately the former rivalry flares up again. The marquise confronts the Carmelite woman until she collapses in tears, triggering her own surrender. Historical events, such as the attempts of the marquise to win the favor of the king through black magic , are uncovered and presented to the reader; the author also describes depth psychological processes.

classification

The work is not to be classified purely in Catholic-religious literature, but rather in an expanded context that deals with both the history and the mental processes of the two women.

expenditure

• Gertrud von LeFort: The last meeting. Novella . Insel-Verlag, Wiesbaden 1959.

literature

• Ursula Raupp: The narrative art of Getrud von LeFort in her novellas, stories and legends . Dissertation, University of Hamburg 1967.