Maupassant Life, His Works - Research Proposal Example

 Proposal Introduction Love and lust are the two birds caged in the same heart—the former nourishes and the latter destroys its tenderness! The objective of this paper is to understand the personality of a man who possessed such a heart and also to know about his literary accomplishments. Maupassant, who should have been born in the 21st century, arrived on this Planet Earth more than a century earlier! Great scientists, thinkers and men of literature are far ahead of the beliefs and practices of the era to which they belong. For example, let us examine the prediction of Galileo (1564-1642), the Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer and philosopher. He said, “I predict that in our lifetimes astronomy will be talked about in the market-places. Even the sons of fishwives will go to school. For this city people seeking after novelty will be glad that this new astronomy now lets the earth move freely.”(Brecht 4) For his views, Galileo had to spend his life under house arrest. Some masterpieces of literature emerged out of Maupassant pen, which contained revolutionary ideas. He chiseled beautiful characters, but a Black Hole in his personality did much damage to him as an individual. Maupassant died at the young age of 48, as he suffered from serious ailments. Efforts have been made in this paper to discuss his great displeasure about the social conditions prevailing in France in 1870s, the political trends, the influence and dominance of Church on the lives of the people, corruption and predominance and duplicity of the bourgeoisie etc. Maupassant is not a porn writer. When he creates a character, he seems to know each and every molecule of its physical and psychological personality. He criticizes the Fourth Estate, the press—the defenders of freedom— that indulged in too-cozy relationships with politicians. He brought to the open platform, behind-the-curtain scenes pertaining to various social institutions, with sincerity of purpose. His worst enemies can not say a word against his extraordinary literary skills. He creates stories literally out of nothing! "Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them.” (Shakespeare, Act II, and Scene V) Maupassant belongs to the second category. His literary snapshots through short stories are profound and they say everything about the French history of his era. Literature review: Cogman, Peter. "Guy de Maupassant". The Literary Encyclopedia. 17 June 2003. http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=3004 accessed 11, June 2009. Peter Cogman tells us about the beginning of the literary career of Maupassant, his theatrical imagination and his command on dialogues. Brecht, Bertolt. “The Life of Galileo.” Translated by Desmond L. Vesey. A play on the life of Galileo, a scientist, who created great controversies due to his truthful statements related to astronomy. Hugo, Victor (Author) Wilbour, Charles E. (Translator): Les Miserables. A work which is above all is contemporary in spirit. Hesse, Hermann (Author) Rosner, Hilda (Translator): Siddhartha The story about the processes of a saint in the making and his transformation. Schumacher, E.F: Small is Beautiful, 1977 The study of Economics as if people mattered. Ellens, Harold J: Sex in the Bible: A New Consideration (Psychology, Religion, and Spirituality) This book indicates how the psychology of an individual responds to the geographical, social, cultural and religious beliefs of the era to which Maupassant belonged. Guy de Maupassant Maupassant took the subjects for his pessimistic stories and novels chiefly from the behavior of the bourgeoisie, the Franco-Prussian War... www.kirjasto.sci.fi/maupassa.htm Then story of the corrupt morals of a Prussian Officer, and a how a prostitute tries to defend her honor in a train, but none of the passengers came to her rescue. Maupassant, Henri Rene Guy De: Bel Ami This book tells about the early life of Maupassant, when he migrated to Paris, to improve his lot in life. Shakespeare, William: Twelfth Night (Quote Act II, Scene V). ... www.william-shakespeare.info/quotes-quotations-play-twelfth-night.htm - The quote given in the essay has relevance to the life of Maupassant, how an ordinary individual, through continuous efforts, achieved great success in life. The Short Story Reading Challenge: Stories by Guy de Maupassant 29 Aug 2008... theshortstorychallenge.blogspot.com/2008/08/stories-by-guy-de-maupassant.html - How he creates beautiful stories of simple topics that have relevance to the day o day life. Highlights the short stories of Maupassant: Volkman, Arthur G: Thoreau on man and nature, 1960 The futile pursuit of materialistic comforts, which Maupassant realizes in the latter part of his life: Methodology The introduction is about Maupassant life, his works. Chapter I, discussion about how Maupassant creates graphic pictures about small issues and incidents and writes beautiful and touching short stories on them. In Chapter, II an exclusive discussion about the novel, Bel Ami, which brought great fame to Maupassant, is done. The conclusion mentions about the conditions obtaining in Paris in the late 19th century, and the historical and sociological contribution of Maupassant through his literary works. The comparison of the materialism of the 1870s and the materialistic philosophy of the 21st century is highlighted. Table of Contents: Abstract Introduction Chapter I The small stories of Maupassant—like the petals of a lotus! Chapter II The fair-sex deserves fair treatment by the society. Conclusion The Works Cited Bibliography Abstract: This story is never ending through the Ages, About HIM and HER! In most of Maupassant short stories there are two main characters and many ancillary characters. Assume that there are ten characters in a story. A story writer becomes great when one probes the minds of all the characters in the most authentic style and captures the essence of their personalities. What is his style of writing? It is incomparable and one must say that it is Maupassant Style—the one without the second! A story writer becomes great by writing beautifully about the small people and incidents related to day to day life. Most of his characters have the hidden carnal desires. At the same time, they are human and down-to-earth. The incidents related to sex, greed, love, lying, misunderstandings are perfectly normal for his characters. They wish to enjoy the happiness of life, whenever and wherever they get an opportunity. The stories are painfully beautiful! Cruelly kind! How uncommonly great are his stories about the common man! When reading his stories, do not think about the stench and dirt in the pond. Look at, how the lotus flowers rises above them to bloom gloriously. A writer who penned some 300 short stories, six novels, three travel books and one volume of verse can not write inspired by the pleasures of the body alone. His stories are remarkable for their objectivity and do not hide the dominant and irritable overriding influence of women whether the character is poor or rich, hero or zero! He is not apologetic about it; rather he is proud of his ‘shameful’ exploits! How Maupassant, the brilliant literary figure of the era, managed his women relationships for advancement in life and to shape his career? Introduction: Any opinionated critic, who thinks that Maupassant writes and revels only in sex, must read his book, Bel Ami. This is the story of a young and combustible young man, George Duroy, who arrived in Paris to better his career prospects. He had the natural ambition of a migrant youth from the village to the metropolitan, to make quick money and to lead a successful life. But the situation is Paris, was otherwise. Duroy says, “But in Paris it was different; there one could not commit such deeds with impunity. He regretted that he had not remained where he was; but he had hoped to improve his condition—and for that reason he was in Paris!”(Maupassant 3) With his public contacts as a journalist, he makes a new beginning and achieves great success in his career. The society with which he is interacting is corrupt at all levels. When he fails to find the perfect discipline, he has to carry-on with the available discipline. His day to day contacts with the sleazy colleagues, the manipulative mistresses, turn him into an arch seducer and a blackmailer. One must succeed, no matter how one is able to climb the ladder of success. Everywhere, he observes artificial love, with selfish tags. Did the love for ladies eventually kill him? The answer is both yes and no! To write a novel about 100+ years ago, on the topic of a rural man heading to the city to make it big, is incredible! This is the topic of the 21st century, of the internet age! His strong desire to move to the fast track of success, materialized through the good office of his old army buddy Forestier. The plot of the story will stun the first-rate materialist and success maniac of the 21st century. From a lowly reporter, Duroy rapidly rises to become the chief editor. Amorous adventures of all sorts with both the high and the low of Paris follow. When the story concludes, Duroy is in sight of the highest position in French society, every step of the ladder of success, manipulated through clever moves and social maneuvering. Duroy’s personal character takes the worst possible turn in the book. He craves for success socially and his bodily desires increase. He finds it easy to corrupt women of high moral standards. He sleeps with his boss’s wife, succeeds in seducing his boss’s daughter, and physically assaults his mistress. He wants to succeed at all costs; means do not matter for him. The story depicts the total corruption and decadence of French Society during his time. In the later part of his life, Maupassant has the realization about the ultimate result of the carnal pleasures—a highly diseased body! His loses sanity. He understands the reality of death; he is willing to challenge death like a brave warrior. He is not afraid of the punishment of God after death; corrupt thoughts still enchant him; he wishes glory after death! When his friend, Forestier dies, he makes a play of that man’s life, to improve his social position! Duroy seems to have no regrets for his friend, who lent him a helping hand in Paris, when he was in dire straights even for the daily bread! He was the friend who warned and prevented him from accepting a low-pay job. “Don’t do it, for you can earn ten thousand francs. You will ruin your prospects at once. In your office, at least no one knows you; you can leave it if you wish to at any time. But when you are once riding-master all will be over. You might as well be a butler in a house to which all Paris come to dine. When you have given riding lessons to men of the world or to their sons, they will no longer consider you their equal.”(Maupassant 5) How a mediocre, untalented nobody, becomes really successful in life through cunning, through good luck... and good connections—ask the skillful Maupassant. When he arrived in Paris, getting two meals was a problem for him and from that position he reached the level filthy richness. Even for presenting himself in the newspaper office his friend Forestier had to give him a loan. Forestier tells his friend, “You have no dress suit? Egad, that is indispensable. In Paris, it is better to have no bed than no clothes.” (Maupassant 5) Chapter I The Small stories of Maupassant—like the petals of a lotus! Some strong influences must have made Guy de Maupassant, write the way he wrote! Love can be expressed through three channels. Silently, vocally and sexually! The period to which one belongs, the class and the family background and the life-experiences are the factors that provide the plot for writing to a creative writer. Throughout his life, he was attracted to one women or the other. Women were enamored with his attractive body. He was a good conversationalist. They fell to his charm, as moths are drawn to the glow of light. He was afflicted with syphilis and the disease caused him intense mental disorder and one can see the reflection of his inner agitations in the stories. A writer always tells something about his own personality and life-experiences in one’s writings. One may not do it consciously, but its reflection in the characters in the story is unavoidable. Many of Maupassant stories are semi-autobiographical. Can an author who has written a story of the class, -“In the Wood”, be termed as the one interested in the subject of women relationships only? The story gives a very important message to humanity. Maupassant depicts in this story, how a human being gets caught up in the whirlpool of materialism, and goes to neglect the things that are truly important, until it is too late to recapture the fleeting moments. Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), a contemporary of Maupassant, expresses similar views about orientation of life. “Not till we are lost, in other words, not till we have lost the world, do we begin to find ourselves, and realize where we and infinite extent of our relations.”(Volkman 15) Through this story Maupassant raised some important questions relating to the materialist philosophy, that confronts the present day economists, thinkers and politicians. Serious imbalances have engulfed the society. As Schumacher points out, “An attitude to life which seeks fulfillment in the single-minded pursuit of wealth—in short, materialism—does not fit into this world, because it contains, within itself no limiting principle, while the environment is trying to tell us that certain stresses are becoming excessive. As one problem is being ‘solved’, ten new problems arise as a result of the first ‘solution’. As Professor Barry Commoner emphasizes, the new problems are not the consequences of incidental failure but of technological success.”(Schumacher 25) Maupassant spent most of his free time in pursuit of women. His masterpiece, 'Boule de Suif' (Ball of Fat) saw the light of the day in 1880. The story is about a prostitute, nicknamed ‘Boule de Suif’, and is set during the Franco-Prussian War. While she is traveling in a train, the Prussian Officer, the Coach- in-charge, would not let the train move, unless he has sex with her. She initially refuses to give in by rebuking, “Kindly tell that scoundrel, that cur, that carrion of a Prussian, that I will never consent--you understand?--never, never, never!" However, the other passengers start to get bored and press her to yield to the officer’s demands. After swallowing her pride, she spends a night with him and in the morning she is treated by the group as if she had been infected with some deadly disease.” (Guy de Maupassant….) Now, judge who is the prostitute? Whether the lady, who is trying her best to defend her honor under desperate situation or the large number of passengers, who instead of reaching out to help her, think about their welfare! Whose moral character is loose? If ‘Boule de Suif’ can be ridiculed by the society as a prostitute, the fellow-passengers in the coach deserve to be called as pimps. Hermann Hesse provides a beautiful example, how a prostitute too can be an enlightened human being, and can have principled approach to her life and profession. He writes about Kamala, the prostitute, “That is exactly how it is with Kamala and with the pleasures of love. Fair and red are Kamala’s lips, but try to kiss them against Kamala’s will, and not one drop of sweetness will you obtain from them—although they know well how to give sweetness.”(Hesse 45). Forcing the will of a woman on any issue will not bring the best out of her. What would be the outcome where women are psychologically suppressed by the rules governing the society? “Maupassant varied juvenile work includes erotic work (poems deflating sentimental idealizing of sexuality, a one-act pornographic farce), as well as more serious works. A one-scene play Histoire du vieux temps [A Tale of Time Past] was well received in 1879 and Maupassant continued to write intermittently, either on his own or in collaboration for the stage: his stories often show a theatrical imagination, with their effective use of dialogue, of tension, and of confined spaces.”(Cogman 2003) Maupassant was deeply hurt by the duplicity and about the so-called moral standards adopted by the society. His selections of the topics for his stories are bizarre and extraordinary. “His stories capture greed (a woman wanting to look elegant for a party, no matter the cost; a man in need of money selling his wife; a parent in need of money selling his child; etc.), self-interest (a young man escaping from his pregnant girlfriend; society shunning prostitutes while yet accepting them; a family having the funeral before the loved one died for convenience), desire for power (a man lusting after a woman; a man trying to politically overtake a city), and so forth.” (The Short Story….) Some of his famous stories are: The Necklace: A middle-class woman wishes to look pretty at a social gathering, and she loses the borrowed diamond necklace from her friend. The Piece of String: Small issues can make big difference in life. So it happened with a stingy individual who finds piece of string in the middle of the town square and stops to pick it up. The False Gems: Must a man eventually sell the cherished gems of his wife when she dies? The gems are false anyway but are his feelings for her also not genuine? The Horla: Some thoughts are so inconvenient for a man, and the feelings are so intense…and in this case, it is an invisible creature that follows a man. He becomes crazy. Was it a dream?-When his beloved wife dies, he mourns over her grave. He is “haunted.” The Father: Fall in love and duck in marriage. When she becomes pregnant, the man responsible for that creative act abandons her. Later he realizes the meaning of his action. The Devil: Strange but true! The son does not have time to sit by the side of his bed-ridden mother, who is going to die. The pressure of his secular responsibilities is too much. He has to plant his crop and that he has to do well in time. He appoints a peasant woman to substitute for his job. A Sale: Liberating one through the mortal bindings by dumping one in water! The individual is none other than the wife of the protagonist. The judge wants to know the reasons for such a stupid and cruel action. Simon’s Papa: The boys in the school make fun of him, as his Papa does not visit the school. Where is he? Simon is determined to find papa. Chapter II The fair-sex deserves fair treatment by the society. Another source for his pessimistic stories could be the behavior of the bourgeois of the era to which he belonged, the Franco-Prussian war experiences and the fashionable life in Paris. Maupassant writes, “Now listen carefully: Marriage, to me, is not a chain but an association. I must be free, entirely unfettered, in all my actions -my coming and my going; I can tolerate neither control, jealousy nor criticism as to my conduct! I pledge my word, however, never to compromise the name of the man I marry, nor to render him ridiculous in the eyes of the world. But that man must promise to look upon me as an equal, an ally, and not as an inferior, or as an obedient, submissive wife. My ideas, I know, are not like those of other people, but I shall never change them." (Guy de….) Anyone, making his character speak thus, can not be dubbed as an author who revels in pleasures of the body! Compare the views of Maupassant (as revealed through the above character) with the oriental view about the sacred institution of marriage. The word equivalent to ‘marriage’ in Sanskrit is ‘Vivaha.’ ‘Vaha’ means ‘to flow’ ‘Vi’ means ‘harmoniously together.’ Therefore, marriage is, ‘to flow together harmoniously’. The comparison between the two statements reveals the level of spirituality of Maupassant. That his inner light was however, covered by dark clouds of negativities for the major part of his life, is altogether a different issue. Maupassant shows compassion for the life of the prostitutes and nowhere has he condemned them. They too have positive qualities like other human beings. He takes pot shots at the society that is responsible for creating the profession of prostitution. How noble views are expressed in Bible about the nature of sex relations! “Sexual experience and expression, like spiritual experience and expression, are moved and driven by a deep inner vital force in our personalities that prompts us to reach out for the kind of connection with the other that we intuitively believe will make us whole and complete, while making the other, at the same time, rapturous and fulfilled. When that inner life-force reaches out from our psyches towards another human being in whom we delight, it arouses our physical being and channels its psycho-spiritual energies through our bodies toward communion and union with that other person. We call that sexuality. When that inner life-force reaches out from our psyches toward infinite transcendent reality, on our longing for God and eternity, we call it spirituality.” (Ellens, Preface xx, xxi) The prostitute-characters of Maupassant become dignified, and full of self-respect. Amongst them, there are fewer hypocrites than the people around, who solicit them. Most ludicrous practices were there to deal with issues related to women during Maupassant Era and one can see his deep anguish in his writings. The Church leaders did not follow the injections prescribed in the scriptures in letter and spirit. The true religion and the religion as it was practiced were entirely contradictory. They had cross dangling on the neck, but not Christ in the heart. Even in this modern age, when governments of majority of the Nations and activists of the Organizations swear by equal rights and justice for the female sex, what are the ground realities? Enactments have been passed but nothing tangible is done about their implementation in letter and spirit. Viewed from this perspective, the rules that actually govern the female sex still belong to the Middle Age. Society claims that it is modern, but people do not practice modernity and Maupassant is right in bitterly criticizing such social negativities. His deep anguish is about the duplicity of the male section of the society in handling the issues related women. Women faced continuous exploitation right through the Middle Age, on account of religious injunctions, rules framed by the government, and unwritten laws of the society, that have been transmitted from generation to generation. Even in this modern age of the 21st century, you have, perhaps, never heard about a symposium or discussion on the topic, ‘Men-their role in the society.’ The discussion is always about women. Men have, perhaps, no role! The never-ending talks of giving equal rights to women go on unabated. All the Acts of all the Parliaments in all countries of the world will not bring equality for women. The change has to be achieved within-both by men and women. How can one give equal rights to women? God has created her, given her the status of more –equal. Nobody can take that right away. It is the mother, who gives protection for initial nine months to the divine creative force of the future- male or female! What is practiced in religious scriptures and what is actually practiced by the society are contradictory. A female child is victimized at every step of life, from the moment of birth, notwithstanding the fact that it is she who sacrifices at those steps. Those who are unable to face the societal torture, face poverty and humiliation, turn prostitutes. Women should be the legal and spiritual equals of men. Maupassant, though had intimate associations with many women, emphasized the need for equal rights for them. Conclusion: In his literary works, one gets the vivid description of Paris in the late 19th century and this is a great historical and sociological contribution of Maupassant. His writings and observations about the social conditions of his time, remind what Victor Hugo wrote. “He saw each of these two group of events (the revolution and the empire) and men arrange themselves into the sovereignty of the civic right restored to the masses, the empire into the sovereignty into the French idea imposed upon Europe; he saw spring out of the revolution the grand figure of the people, and out of the empire the grand figure of France.”(Hugo 206).The rat race of the 1870s in Paris, for social position and materialism, is comparable to the present competition and to the happenings amongst the top industrialists and politicians to gain positions and money power and stick to that level by all means. How the Powerful Chairs (the politicians and wealthy people) exploit and rule the Chair less Powers (the common man) is shown in an admirable style. No doubt, he is a master manipulator and controller of women psyche and he has employed dubious means to achieve success. But why blame Maupassant for scandals, political intrigue and women relationships? Don’t they exist in abundance, practically in every country even today? It is very easy to hate a bad character. But one should also blame the social conditions which become fertile grounds for sprouting and growth of such characters. Works Cited: Brecht, Bertolt. The Life of Galileo. Calcutta: Oxford University Press, 1967. Trans. Vesey, Desmond I. Cogman, Peter. "Guy de Maupassant". The Literary Encyclopedia. 17 June 2003. accessed 11, June 2009. Ellens, Harold J: Sex in the Bible: A New Consideration (Psychology, Religion, and Spirituality). Praeger Publishers, 2006 Guy de Maupassant Maupassant took the subjects for his pessimistic stories and novels chiefly from the behavior of the bourgeoisie, the Franco-Prussian War... Retrieved on June 12, 2009 Hesse, Herman. Siddhartha. Madras: Macmillan India, 1974. Trans. Rosner, Hilda Hugo, Victor. Les Miserables. New York: Washington Square Press, 1974. Trans. Wilbour, Charles E. Maupassant, Henri Rene Guy De. Bel Ami. Kessinger Publishing, LLC 2004 Schumacher, E. F. Small is Beautiful. Delhi-2: Radha Krishna, 1977 Shakespeare, William: Twelfth Night (Quote Act II, Scene V). ... - Retrieved on June 11, 2009 The Short Story Reading Challenge: Stories by Guy de Maupassant 29 Aug 2008 - Cached – Retrieved on June 11, 2009. Volkman, Arthur G. Thoreau on Man and Nature. New York: Peter Pauper Press, 1960 Read More