Violence, Death and Heterogeneous Ambiguities: Georges Bataille’s Conception of Eroticism Through Marie, the Heroine of Le Mort

Abstract

This article proposes an approach to Georges Bataille's conception of eroticism through Marie, the protagonist of Le Mort (1967), one of the author's least known stories. It is interested in the omnipresence in the work of violence and death, two themes inherent to the notion of eroticism according to Georges Bataille. The ambiguity that defines Marie's eroticism is analyzed in order to highlight its specificity. The heterology that Georges Bataille has invented and theorized is treated through both the maculated and saintly character presented by the protagonist. The aim of this article is to show that Marie embodies the idea that Georges Bataille defends of eroticism, making Le Mort one of the most emblematic stories of Bataille's vision of eroticism.