avdotia-romanovna:on-holidays-by-mistake:in which everyone wants to cuddle robespierre but he’

avdotia-romanovna:

on-holidays-by-mistake:

in which everyone wants to cuddle robespierre but he’s like 100% done with everything

There is so much significance Przybyszewska put into Maximilien’s aversion to touch in her plays. It is quite literally an axis around which his character revolves. Who is allowed to touch him, to adress him in a familial manner, and who is not, is an indication of who is a morally good character and who is not.

And this changes, it’s not absolutely simplistic (it is very simple nonetheless). Camille is yearning for it and hates himself for it in the same time, he is allowed to touch Maxime at some point, but restrains himself somewhat because they are not on good terms; Antoine is absolutely allowed to touch him most of the time (not always), but doesn’t overdo it (if I could, I would literally never shut up about the very last scene of TDC and its significance, when Antoine detaches Maxime’s cuff from the windowsill); Eleonore can touch him but not too much (because she’s a woman, I guess? it TLNoV she’s a step away from sexually harassing him, it’s not that bad in the play/movie, but he recoils from her touch as well); Danton cannot touch him, and he can only scarcely keep Maxime’s attention when Maxime thinks they may both save Camille; Lucille I think would be allowed to touch him (this would startle him though), but she knows better than to do it.

In Przybyszewska’s universum, Robespierre believe that touching somehow rakes away the dignity, mystery and grandiosity of love and respect. It explains him a little bit.