Symbioses et contrastes : la prostitution en France au XIXe siècle
Symbiosis and Contrasts: Prostitution in France in the Nineteenth Century

Summary/Abstract: In the nineteenth century, prostitution in France is a widespread phenomenon in all areas. Although taboo, it represented a ‘‘necessary evil’’ that maintained the balance. In this context we analyze two classes: the bourgeoisie and the prostitution. There is a symbiosis between them; they coexist and tolerate each other. On the other hand, we reveal prostitution as an object of hate and love, repulsion and attraction, disgust and pleasure. Understanding prostitution means revealing a contrast that defines good and bad and the relationship between classes. At the same time, there is an interference between middle-class women and prostitutes when we relate to women. They are in symbiosis and in contrast at the same time. The symbiosis is evident when the two women experience similar characteristics, become protagonists of literary and artistic works and represent a center of interest. However, they have distinctive features because they do not have the same status or the same role: the bourgeois is preferable for procreation while the prostitute is worshiped for entertainment. There is also a close symbiosis between the areas that considered prostitution, its importance, its relation to the honest world, and the consequences this report generated. The contrasts between these domains reflect the way each one reveals the dominance of the woman belonging to a different social class.

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