summary question

Love and Marriage is directly linked with preservation of reputation: it is an essential part of survival. As a member of the aristocracy and as a woman, Madame de Clèves's reputation is her value. The system may be twisted, but the princess belongs to it. Consequently she chooses to marry the Prince de Cleves because she needs the boost to her reputation and the security which a husband will offer, but her other suitors have long since left her. The Princess' reputation has cost her, yet continues to dictate her actions, even after her husband's death when she refuses to pursue her lover, the Duke of Nemours.