Sexism
Colette was met with sexism and misogyny as a writer, especially because she wrote about female sexuality, which was considered "improper" for a woman to be writing about. However, she was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1944, due to her contributions to literature.
Romantic love
Although The Pure and the Impure is a rather cynical account of love and sexual relationships, the novel was actually written at a time when she had found a partner she truly loved and admired.
Privacy of Colette
Although Colette is often very forthcoming and personal in her writing, allegedly in her personal life she was much more private, with one friend saying she had a "mysterious nature."
