Marquise of O- Summary

The Marquise of O- by Heinrich von Kleist is an anthology of three short stories by the German author. These dark stories explore the themes of human depravity as well as the wrath of man's judgment. The stories The Marquise of O- and The Earthquake in Chile both record the hardships two women undergo when they find themselves pregnant out of wedlock. The final story, The Foundling, is a chilling tale that describes how a much loved foster child comes to destroy both himself and his foster parents through his lust and desire for revenge.

The Marquise's story begins with her act of placing an ad in the local newspaper asking the father of her unborn baby to come forward. The Marquise is introduced as a very well-bred widow busy raising two children from her previous marriage. Although she...