ABSTRACT
First published in Belgium in 1884, Monsieur Venus engendered fierce controversy because of its candid portrayal of sexual disorder and the blatant destruction of traditional gender roles. Rachilde's perverse depiction of masculinity and femininity openly challenged the gender ideology of the time. The notion of placing a woman in control, leaving the man subject to her desires, particularly her sexual desires, was anathema at the time of the publication of Monsieur Venus. The title of Rachilde's Monsieur Venus immediately presents the reader with an unexpected juxtaposition. The novel opens with Raoule de Venerande entering a flower shop and placing an order with the young fleuriste. The artificial flowers that are being arranged by Jacques become the foremost emblem of desire for Rachilde's heroine. Raoule's determination to place Jacques in the submissive role of the female has been victorious and at this moment Jacques, too, realises that he is simply a depraved "woman", at the mercy of "her" master's desires.
