Part one of term paper
'The Devils of Loudun', by Aldous Huxley ‘The Devils of Loudun’ is a historical account of religious fanaticism and sexual hysteria in seventeenth century France, and an investigation into the circumstances that led to the torture and execution of a local parson who, during a farcical ecclesiastical trial, was accused of having & ...

Part two of term paper
... observations; he quotes with equal ease from enlightenment works like the ‘Provincial Letters’ of Pascal to the contemplative writings of the Zen Buddhists. As a psychological study ‘The Devils…’ offers a clear and convincing portrayal of unusual minds caught up in still stranger circumstances. As for the story, it is not at all surprising that Huxley chose to write about this particular episode in French history, as many of the events described exemplify themes ...