• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.173-180
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• 2024

We This study aimed to quantitatively analyze the theme of 'libertinage' and the associated issues of reason and emotion in 『Dangerous Liaisons』, a novel considered a masterpiece of libertine literature and an epistolary novel of the 18th century, using digital analysis tools. First, based on the frequency analysis of word usage using Voyant and LIWC 22, we confirmed that libertinage is manifested with keywords such as 'love' and 'time'. With Voyant's 'Contexts' feature, it was found that the letters sent by Valmont to Madame de Tourvel and those sent by Madame de Merteuil both have 'love' as the central theme. However, emotional vocabulary was higher in the former, whereas strategic vocabulary was more prevalent in the latter. Additionally, it was observed that the most frequently used word in the letters sent by Madame de Merteuil is 'time', with a higher frequency than 'love'. Thirdly, using LIWC 22, we measured the analytical thinking and emotional tone of the letters exchanged by the main characters, and analyzed how these values changed according to the chapters. Through these analyses, we confirmed that this novel, alongside Rousseau's "New Eloise," anticipates romanticism by embracing the theme of 'emotion,' which was rejected by 18th-century Enlightenment ideals.