Venus in Furs

Furs and whips are symbols of cruelty and hierarchy in the novella. Wanda and Severin note that rulers, especially women, have been depicted wearing furs throughout history, marking furs as a symbol of superiority and control. Severin also comments on scientific discoveries relating to static electricity, which can be transferred by furs. He claims that this static electricity makes furs exciting, both literally and figuratively.

The furs hold symbolic value within Severin’s life and fantasies as well, compounding their symbolic value of power and hierarchy by often taking on a specifically feminine, malicious, and sexual connotation. Severin’s aunt’s habit of wearing fur while she tied Severin down and whipped him link her to the symbolism of violence and animalistic dominance in the novella. Frequent references later in the novella to lions and lionesses perpetuate this wild, animalistic symbolism, making furs into the ultimate symbol of sadistic sexual behavior.

Whips, like furs, carry a sense of hierarchy, as Severin later notes that the person using the whip has power. Wanda and Severin’s obsession with “slavery” adds a symbolism of oppression and abuse to the whip, emphasizing the power disparity between Wanda and Severin, and, later, Severin and Alexis.