Irony In Guy De Maupassant's The False Gems

Natalie Zemon Davis highlights Bertrande’s role in The Return of Martin Guerre. In doing so, she explores the little regarded world of female peasantry. Bertrande is a woman with two seemingly contradictory desires in life: a desire for independence and a desire to uphold her reputation as a virtuous woman (28). In a medieval society where womanly virtue is based off of obedience to the males in one’s life, these desires appear contradictory; independence in a woman is dangerous because she will be prone to disobedience, and disobedience would stain her appearance of womanly virtue. However, Bertrande manages to execute both of these desires throughout her life. Bertrande shows that a woman will fashion herself as much is possible in the confines

Looks are not all of what women want because that is only skin deep. For women, they look for certain traits that make up the perfect apple to their eyes. There are many qualities that women would want in a man that would make a perfect male romantic partner. There are four qualities that are most desired which are also shown through the perspective of the child in Theodore Roethke’s “My Papa’s Waltz”; through the prospective of the abused wife in Jo Carson’s “I Cannot Remember All the Times”; and through the prospective of the child in Robert Hayden’s “Those Winter Sundays”. The male figure’s traits, which women want in a man, are portrayed though quotes

The trail on the true identity of Martin Guerre has drawn the interests of scholars and historians for centuries, allowing for details of the case to be preserved right up to the present. Popular interest was rekindled in the tale of Martin Guerre through the work of historian Natalie Zemon Davis’ book The Return of Martin Guerre, which interpreted the primary source literature in a new and original light. This interpretation has drawn sharp criticism from fellow historians such as Robert Finlay, who sees Davis’s work as misinterpreting and manipulating the evidence to allow for her original interpretation of the events. It is my opinion that Davis’s account of the case of Martin Guerre is unfounded and fabricated, and that Finlay’s criticism

“The Return of Martin Guerre” is a reform of the renowned case of Martin Guerre’s journey back to Artigat, a small town located in Southern France, after his absence of approximately eight years. Though, the so-called “Martin” is really a fraud by the name of Arnaud du Tilh. His family, friends, and wife accept him for more than three years, and during that time his wife, Bertrande, becomes pregnant twice. However, after “Martin Guerre” has a quarrel over family finances and family land sales, his father in law and uncle accuse him of being an imposter. During one trial in the regional city of Rieux, Witnesses who attend are able to describe Arnaud de Tilh, including his own uncle. Others swear that they are certain the man is Martin Guerra.

In the short stories “Identities” by W.D. Valgardson and “Sentry” by Fredric Brown, situational irony is used to reveal a theme of assumptions. Valgardson’s use of irony in his short story, “Identities” illustrates how people are quick to judge. The protagonist assumes dressing similar to the gang members would ensure his safety, however, ironically, “the police were trained to see an unshaved man in blue jeans as a potential criminal” (Valgardson, 13). The irony reveals the negative effects of prejudgment made by the protagonist and the officer, which leads to the death of the central character. The short story, “Sentry” by Fredric Brown also uses situational irony to acknowledge the fact that assumptions are always made. Most, if not all

The late nineteenth century gave rise to a new literary movement called realism. Realism is the attempt to create an accurate portrayal of life in literature without filter. The movement aims to portray the life of people from all walks of life, but especially of the working class and the poor. Two of the most acclaimed writers from this movement are Leo Tolstoy from Russia, and Guy de Maupassant from France. Their works, “How Much Land Does a Man Need,” and “The Jewels,” respectively, portray the life of two characters from different lifestyles. Despite this, both authors use the characters, theme, and irony in their works to tackle the idea of self-improvement, and how people will continue to have flaws despite their self-improvement.

Human nature causes people to desire more than what one already has. However, after desiring material items, people realize the foolishness in their greed. In “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant, Mathilde Loisel, who lives in France during the 1880s, attempts to transform her ordinary life into one of luxury. She attends a reception with her friend Madame Forestier's diamond necklace, but after losing it, she works to buy a new necklace, only to later discover the necklace she lost is fake. Through this experience, Mathilde learns to be content with what she has, and as a result, she realizes the flaws in her character.

The story of an hour by Kate Chopin introduces us to Mrs. Mallard as she reacts to her husband’s death. In this short story, Chopin portrays the complexity of Mrs. Mallard’s emotions as she is saddened yet joyful of her loss. Kate Chopin’s story argues that an individual discovers their self-identity only after being freed from confinement. The story also argues that freedom is a very powerful force that affects the mental or emotional state of a person. Chopin argues that only through death can one be finally freed. The author makes strong, yet subtle statements towards humanity and women’s rights. Through subtle symbolism, Kate Chopin demonstrates how marriage is more like a confining role of servitude rather than a

In comparison to the rigid patriarchal society portrayed in “My Last Duchess”, Keats’ “La Belle Dame sans Merci” illustrates how the freedom of individual expression in the romantic period affects people’s perspective on love. While the narrative persona in “My Last Duchess” demands his wife to devote her love to him, the protagonist of “La Belle Dame sans Merci” devotes to the woman he loves even though the love is unrequited. This is evident through the repetition of the line “On the cold hill side.” throughout the poem. The noun phrase “cold hill” suggests that the knight is lonely and depressed when he waits for the woman solely, however unlike the narrative persona of “My Last Duchess”, he would not demand the woman to love him instead he would wait patiently until the day his affection towards her is accepted. Subsequently, through the knight’s patience in waiting for the woman he favours, Keats highlights the strong affection she has for the woman.

“The Jewelry” is a short story written by Guy De Maupassant where M. Lantin marries a woman that loves jewelry and bought a new piece of jewelry everyday. He loved her dearly but could not stand the obsession she had for her fake jewelry collection. M. Lantins wife became really sick and died of pneumonia. He was then left by himself and became very poor. He had nothing left and needed to make money somehow. M. Lantin turned to his late wife’s jewelry collection; he knew that it was fake jewelry but he was desperate and was in need of money. He took the jewelry to a jewelry store expecting to receive only a few francs but then he was told he was receiving thousands of francs. M. Lantin was in shock and could not believe that the entire time it was real jewelry and not fake; he became a very wealthy man and resigned from his job, eventually marrying another woman who made his wife miserable. M. Lantin’s first wife had a big impact on his life; however, his selfish actions lead to what he deserved ending up with a wife that made him miserable.

To what extent can Maupassant be seen to be misogynistic in his portrayal of women in the necklace?

“The False Gems”by the great writer Guy de Maupassant is a miracle that draws a delicate and precise image of France in the late 19th century. Written in an objective view, woven with sarcasm, this little piece of art reflects the truth of the society and humanity in its era without any obvious rhetoric, like a real old gem that shimmers constantly and gorgeously, leaving an ample space of ambiguity for readers to ponder over and over again.

The autobiography, The Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, provides a vivid insight into the complicated, yet exhilarating, life of Rousseau. The beginning of his life was filled with misfortunes, such as the death of his mother which was quickly followed by a distraught and self-sabotaging attitude which his father adopted. This led to his father’s involvement in illegal behaviors and the subsequent abandonment of Rousseau. His mother’s death was the catalyst for his journey to meet multiple women who would later affect his life greatly. The Influence of Miss Lamberciers, Madame Basile, Countess de Vercellis, and Madam de Warens on the impressionable adolescent mind of Rousseau led to the positive cultivation of self-discovery and the creation of new experiences, as well as the development of inappropriate sexual desires and attachments towards women.

Originating in France, ‘The Necklace’ is a short story written by French writer Guy de Maupassant in the late nineteenth century, the period where literary movements realism and naturalism dominated French fiction. Maupassant played an important role in both the realist movement and the naturalist movement through his depiction of the setting as well as the character’s decision. The short story reflects upon the rigid patriarchal society during the late nineteenth century, demonstrating how the wealth of a person can lead to their generosity and greed; thus affecting their lifestyles. Through ‘The Necklace’, Maupassant aims to depict the conflicts between the upper-class and the lower class, how their inner desires vary. This essay will analyze ‘The Necklace’ and how Maupassant uses the social context, characters and literary devices in the short story to illustrate his misogynistic viewpoints towards women.

Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893), is a French author of the naturalistic school who is regarded as the greatest short story writer. Though he didn 't originate the short story genre, he promoted it. Maupassant was a prolific writer, between 1880 and 1890 he wrote around three hundred short stories. He was a master of his works and many of his famous works were associated with caustic endings.