Sexist violence and femicide in Mirbeau’s work

As a vulnerable or dynamic figure, fragile or cruel, naïve or ingenious, whose identity is often mysterious and unpredictable, woman preoccupies Octave Mirbeau in his novelistic work. By endowing his heroines with an audacious voice, capable of eloquently highlighting all kinds of exploitation committed to their detriment in a society corrupted by abused patriarchal power, the author pays particular attention to gender inequality, sexist violence and femicide. The detailed and vivid description by the women themselves of the violent or even criminal acts reinforces the discourse of the victim, who is illustrated as a human being fighting for her freedom and personal dignity, claiming her right to life and happiness as well as aspiring to restore the social disorder and imbalance caused by patriarchal perversion.