I have first been introduced to Guy de Maupassant when I was 18 years old by my French tuition teacher. French was one of the main subjects I undertook for my Higher School Certificate and to be honest, I enjoyed it. Boule de Suif et les autres contes de la guerre by Guy de Maupassant was one of my favourites back then and still is. I believe that he was a Master of the short story form and he knew perfectly well how to emphasize on the themes such as war, the shallow values of the society and human villainy amongst many others in his works.
Whilst rummaging through my Husband's stuffs, I found the book of Le Papa de Simon et autres nouvelles by none other than Guy de Maupassant. I sat down to read it and between each stories, I had to take a small break to digest their contents. The vivid narration and description of the emotions is so intense that it requires you a while before you can continue reading. It took me back to my school days when I had to sit down and analyse the underlying themes of each tales read. And as you might have noticed, the theme that strike me the most is that of the human villainy.In his stories, he often portrays characters who are driven by their own selfish desires, willing to do anything that will help them achieve their goals, regardless of the consequences for others. He explores the darker side of human nature, showing how easily people can be corrupted by power, greed or jealousy.
There is no perfect being in his stories; his characters are complex and often flawed, with their actions and motivations being driven by mix of both good and bad intentions. Maupassant challenges us, as a reader, to examine our own moral compass, forcing us to consider what we would have done in that situation.
For me, his stories are a powerful reminder of the potential for darkness that exists within us all and are a cautionary tale, urging us to be mindful of our actions and the impact they can have on those around us.
Until my next post,
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