From what I remember of Maupassant (I've only read Boule De Suif though), he tends to show the issues in society, perhaps we can classify it somewhat as social satire. I interpreted The Little Cask as representing human nature in a negative way. Both the old woman and Chicot have their own motives and don't really seem to consider the other party very much unless it is in their interest. In that sense, I found the story a bit depressing- in the end he leads her to an early death. Also, the old woman is shown as a contradiction- she seems very physically strong despite her old age but yet she is extremely weak when it comes to her drinking. It seems odd how Chicot would have known that the old woman would succumb to drinking.
So, both characters have their own weaknesses- greed and revenge. I wasn't thrilled with the story, I found the end to be flat and the approach to death non-emotional. This sounds super negative so I'l throw in some good things: I enjoyed the description of Chicot, "a red face and a round stomach", this made me chuckle. I also liked how it tied the earth in thematically, that is, that physical space plays such a large part in a persons life and their identity (as when she says "I was born here, and here I mean to die").
That's all for now.
I agree, I wasn't too thrilled with the story either. In particular, because it was forseeable. As I was reading, I felt to be a step ahead of the lecture, while I should have been kept on my toes (speaking at least for my own personal taste, and especially for what I like to find in the genre of short stories).
ReplyDeletetiana
I also enjoyed the description of Picot, I understand that this "vision" represented his health and wealth but I can definitely see the social satire in his description and other aspects of the story.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think drove the characters to succumb to their weaknesses? And do you think these qualities are innate or that they were reactions in response to societal stimulus?
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the lack of emotion you feel is typical of realism or naturalism in that the narration describes and observes reality without attempting to provide a moral explanation. Simple characters are showED IN everyday situations. The characters speak a variety of French typical of their region and their class. It is almost like social science writing. Did realists not want to break down the distinction between literature and science?
ReplyDeletePertinent question, BelleariEn, about the innate or learned behaviours of the characters which are typical of the determinism exploited in naturalism. I don’t know. Is any behaviour exclusively one or the other?
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