365. AEC 201: The Piece of String (3)
1. The Writer:
Guy de Maupassant (1850 - 1893) was a French naturalist writer of short stories and novels who is by general agreement the greatest French short-story writer.
Maupassant’s mother, Laure sent her son to make Flaubert’s acquaintance at Croisset in 1867, and when he returned to Paris after the war, she asked Flaubert to keep an eye on him. This was the beginning of the apprenticeship that was the making of Maupassant the writer. With Boule de suif published, Maupassant found himself in demand from the world of Publications.
2. The Piece of String
"A Piece of String" is a short story written by Guy de Maupassant, and it was originally published in 1883. In this story, the protagonist, a man maned Maitre Hauchecome, is accused of a crime he didn't commit. It reveals how misunderstanding and trivial detail can ruin a person's reputation
There are several themes from Guy de Maupassant's short story "A Piece of String," and some of these themes relate to injustice, a person's reputation, and over explanations. In this short story, Maitre Hauchecome is accused of stealing someone's wallet, and because of Maitre Malandain, a peasant's accusation, Hauchecome's reputation is ruined. M. Malandain, accuses him of stealing a pocketbook, leading to Hauchecome's ostracization despite his innocence. No one believes him. Even after the wallet is returned, the townspeople still don't believe Hauchecome. He is brought before the mayor, and, despite protests of innocence, everyone in the village believes that he is guilty, a belief that continues even after the wallet is found. It does not seem to matter if he did it or not; all that counts is his vulnerability to attack, something that everyone exploits to the best of their ability. Hauchecome becomes an outcast and a laughingstock. As a result of the taunting, Hauchecome becomes ill and dies.
The story explores themes of pettiness, hypocrisy, and the mutability of truth. There is the theme of irony which lies in Hauchecome's innocence and the triviality of the string, which ultimately ruins his life, highlighting human cruelty and the power of slander.
3. Style
The Piece of String includes imagery, alliteration, simile and anaphora. Employing a third-person omniscient narrative voice, Maupassant establishes a sense of intimacy with the characters, delving into their inner thoughts and emotions. Rich and evocative imagery further enhances the story’s vivid portrayal of the Normandy countryside and its inhabitants. Noteworthy is the skillful use of symbolism, with the piece of string serving as a powerful metaphor for the fragility of one’s reputation, susceptible to ruin through the dissemination of rumours. Through repetition, anaphora and suspenseful narrative elements, the author effectively sustains readers’ engagement. This scholarly pursuit constitutes a commendable addition to the realm of literary criticism, enriching the comprehension of Maupassant’s literary finesse, while simultaneously accentuating the import of stylistic exploration in deciphering the strata of meaning enshrined within timeless literary creations.
By examining the linguistic elements employed throughout the narrative, such as syntax, vocabulary, figurative language, and narrative point of view, this analysis aims to unravel the author’s skillful use of language to evoke emotions, create vivid imagery, and shape the thematic structure of the story. Maupassant’s masterful manipulation of stylistic devices offers profound insights into the characters’ motivations, the unfolding events, and the overall impact of the narrative, making the story an exemplary subject for a comprehensive scholarly investigation into the art of literary expression.
Alliteration
Alliteration, a prominent literary technique, involves the repetition of initial consonant sounds in close proximity within a phrase or line of poetry. In this literary work, Maupassant masterfully employs alliteration to accentuate specific elements of the narrative and add a touch of drama to the unfolding events.“Wives were” (p.1) “Towards the town”. (p .1)“Long legs” (p. 1)“Steadiness’sake to spread” (p.1)“Mingled multitude of men” (p. 1)“Bony bodies” (p.1)Gravy Gushing (p. 2)Stopped strangers(p. 3)The alliterative phrases “bony bodies” and “balloons about to soar” evoke vivid imagery, where the consonant “b” resonates throughout the words, underscoring
Imagery
De Maupassant makes an abundant use of imagery in the narrative in order to give a telling and effective description of the scenery, themes and characters. Imagery gives voice and eyes to voiceless and eyeless things. For examples the imagery of the peasants’ blouses being compared to balloons creates a vivid picture of their appearance. The description of the blouses being “shining as though varnished” (p. 1) and “blown up big”(p. 1) adds to the visual imagery. Maupassant (2021) also used olfactory imagery by describing the different scents in the market-place, such as the smell of the stable, milk, hay, and perspiration, such as the phrase “half-human, half-animal odor”(p. 1) evokes a powerful sensory experience, contributing to the overall atmosphere of the scene. The narrative delves into the realm of olfactory sensations, as the market’s ambiance is imbued with a medley of scents: “the stable, of milk, of hay, and of perspiration”(p. 1). The writer astutely describes this distinctive aroma as possessing a “half-human, half-animal odor,”(p. 1) a peculiar essence specific to the men of the fields. By skillfully incorporating such vivid imagery,the author brings the market-place to life, inviting readers to fully immerse themselves in the sensory experience of the surroundings. The intentional use of descriptive terms such as “shining,”“ornamented,”“big,”“odor,” and “peculiar” serves to reinforce the evocative power of the imagery, enhancing the overall impact of the portrayal and demonstrating the author’s adeptness at capturing the essence of the scene.The vivid description of the “huge fireplace, full of clear flame,” (p. 2) evokes a sense of warmth and vitality, illuminating the scene and casting a lively glow on the individuals seated nearby. The presence of “three spits turning” (p. 2) with succulent meats like chickens, pigeons, and mutton adds to the sensory experience, intensifying theimagery with the mouth-watering aroma of roast meat and gushing gravy over crisp brown skin. This imagery not only appeals to the reader’s senses but also conveys a convivial atmosphere, where the shared pleasure of good food fosters merriment among the guests. “They heard once more at a distance the dull beatings on the drum and the faint voice of the crier.” (p. 2) .The distant sounds described in the second line, “the dull beatings on the drum and the faint voice of the crier,” (p. 2) create an auditoryimagery that contributes to the overall scene’s depth and authenticity. The word “dull” used to characterize the drumbeat conveys a muted, rhythmic sound that captures the attention of the crowd, while the “faint voice of the crier”(p. 2)indicates a distant yet discernible announcement.
Anaphora involves the deliberate repetition of a word or phrase. De Maupassant (2021), to amplify the impact of certain key moments and to emphasize the protagonist's thoughts and emotions.“Sometimes sound, and sometimes a long bellow” (p. 1)"Half-human, Half-animal” (p. 1)“Hid his find beneath his blouse” ( p. 1)“Here I am, here I am.”p.3“Whois that who saw me?”(p. 3)“He saw me, did he, the rascal? He saw me picking up this string here” (p. 3)“If they can say—if they can say . . . . such lies as that to slander an honest man! If they can say!—” (p. 3)“He passed on, button-holed by everyone, himself button-holing his acquaintances”(p.3)“Over again his tale and his protestations, showing his pockets turned inside out to prove That he had nothing”(p. 3)“Get out, get out you, old scamp”(p. 4)“‘Butsince they found it again,the pocket-book!’But the other continued”:(p. 4)“He prepared in his hours of solitude, his mind”(p. 5)“A little bit of string—a little bit of string.