Strait Is the Gate

work by Gide

Also known as: “La Porte étroite”

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Article History

Strait Is the Gate, tale by André Gide, published in 1909 as La Porte étroite. It is one of the first of his works to treat the problems of human relationships. The work contrasts the yearning toward asceticism and self-sacrifice with the need for sensual exploration as a young woman struggles with conflicting feelings about the man who wants to marry her. Gide designated Strait Is the Gate as a récit, which he defined as a consciously stark but basically ironic tale narrated by, and told from the viewpoint of, a single character.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.