Story of O

Published in 1954, Story of O is an erotic novel about love, dominance and submission. It follows a glamorous female photographer, O, in Paris, as she as she willingly objectifies herself and becomes a sexual slave. Story of O complicates our understanding and negotiation of control, consent, and power in intimate relationships, and offers insight into the nuanced boundaries of gender, desire, and the gaze. The primary theme of the novel is agency – O decides to become a sexual slave, the decision is not made for her. In response, the text has been adapted, making deliberate erasures that directly challenge this theme by « removing » agency from the novel.