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Maupassant；　on　the　other　hand；　if　he　suffered　from　a　nervous

lesion；　gave　no　sign　of　it；　except　in　his　heart。　His　intelligence

was　bright　and　lively；　and　above　all；　his　imagination；　served　by

senses　always　on　the　alert；　preserved　for　some　years　an

astonishing　freshness　of　direct　vision。　If　his　art　was　due　to

Flaubert；　it　is　no　more　belittling　to　him　than　if　one　call

Raphael　an　imitator　of　Perugini。



Like　Flaubert；　he　excelled　in　composing　a　story；　in　distributing

the　facts　with　subtle　gradation；　in　bringing　in　at　the　end　of　a

familiar　dialogue　something　startlingly　dramatic；　but　such

composition；　with　him；　seems　easy；　and　while　the　descriptions　are

marvelously　well　established　in　his　stories；　the　reverse　is　true

of　Flaubert's；　which　always　appear　a　little　veneered。

Maupassant's　phrasing；　however　dramatic　it　may　be；　remains　easy

and　flowing。



Maupassant　always　sought　for　large　and　harmonious　rhythm　in　his

deliberate　choice　of　terms；　always　chose　sound；　wholesome

language；　with　a　constant　care　for　technical　beauty。　Inheriting

from　his　master　an　instrument　already　forged；　he　wielded　it　with

a　surer　skill。　In　the　quality　of　his　style；　at　once　so　firm　and

clear；　so　gorgeous　yet　so　sober；　so　supple　and　so　firm；　he　equals

the　writers　of　the　seventeenth　century。　His　method；　so　deeply　and

simply　French；　succeeds　in　giving　an　indescribable　〃tang〃　to　his

descriptions。　If　observation　from　nature　imprints　upon　his　tales

the　strong　accent　of　reality；　the　prose　in　which　they　are　shrined

so　conforms　to　the　genius　of　the　race　as　to　smack　of　the　soil。



It　is　enough　that　the　critics　of　to…day　place　Guy　de　Maupassant

among　our　classic　writers。　He　has　his　place　in　the　ranks　of　pure

French　genius；　with　the　Regniers；　the　La　Fontaines；　the　Molieres。

And　those　signs　of　secret　ill　divined　everywhere　under　this

wholesome　prose　surround　it　for　those　who　knew　and　loved　him　with

a　pathos　that　is　inexpressible。　　　　　　｛signature｝



INTRODUCTION



BORN　in　the　middle　year　of　the　nineteenth　century；　and　fated

unfortunately　never　to　see　its　close；　Guy　de　Maupassant　was

probably　the　most　versatile　and　brilliant　among　the　galaxy　of

novelists　who　enriched　French　literature　between　the　years　1800

and　1900。　Poetry；　drama；　prose　of　short　and　sustained　effort；　and

volumes　of　travel　and　description；　each　sparkling　with　the　same

minuteness　of　detail　and　brilliancy　of　style；　flowed　from　his　pen

during　the　twelve　years　of　his　literary　life。



Although　his　genius　asserted　itself　in　youth；　he　had　the　patience

of　the　true　artist；　spending　his　early　manhood　in　cutting　and

polishing　the　facets　of　his　genius　under　the　stern　though

paternal　mentorship　of　Gustave　Flaubert。　Not　until　he　had

attained　the　age　of　thirty　did　he　venture　on　publication；

challenging　criticism　for　the　first　time　with　a　volume　of　poems。



Many　and　various　have　been　the　judgments　passed　upon　Maupassant's

work。　But　now　that　the　perspective　of　time　is　lengthening；

enabling　us　to　form　a　more　deliberate；　and　therefore　a　juster；

view　of　his　complete　achievement；　we　are　driven　irresistibly　to

the　conclusion　that　the　force　that　shaped　and　swayed　Maupassant's

prose　writings　was　the　conviction　that　in　life　there　could　be　no

phase　so　noble　or　so　mean；　so　honorable　or　so　contemptible；　so

lofty　or　so　low　as　to　be　unworthy　of　chronicling；no　groove　of

human　virtue　or　fault；　success　or　failure；　wisdom　or　folly　that

did　not　possess　its　own　peculiar　psychological　aspect　and

therefore　demanded　analysis。



To　this　analysis　Maupassant　brought　a　facile　and　dramatic　pen；　a

penetration　as　searching　as　a　probe；　and　a　power　of　psychological

vision　that　in　its　minute　detail；　now　pathetic；　now　ironical；　in

its　merciless　revelation　of　the　hidden　springs　of　the　human

heart；　whether　of　aristocrat；　bourgeois；　peasant；　or　priest；　

allow　one　to　call　him　a　Meissonier　in　words。



The　school　of　romantic　realism　which　was　founded　by　Merimee　and

Balzac　found　its　culmination　in　De　Maupassant。　He　surpassed　his

mentor；　Flaubert；　in　the　breadth　and　vividness　of　his　work；　and

one　of　the　greatest　of　modern　French　critics　has　recorded　the

deliberate　opinion；　that　of　all　Taine's　pupils　Maupassant　had　the

greatest　command　of　language　and　the　most　finished　and　incisive

style。　Robust　in　imagination　and　fired　with　natural　passion；　his

psychological　curiosity　kept　him　true　to　human　nature；　while　at

the　same　time　his　mental　eye；　when　fixed　upon　the　most　ordinary

phases　of　human　conduct；　could　see　some　new　motive　or　aspect　of

things　hitherto　unnoticed　by　the　careless　crowd。



It　has　been　said　by　casual　critics　that　Maupassant　lacked　one

quality　indispensable　to　the　production　of　truly　artistic　work；

viz：　an　absolutely　normal；　that　is；　moral；　point　of　view。　The

answer　to　this　criticism　is　obvious。　No　dissector　of　the　gamut　of

human　pas…　sion　and　folly　in　all　its　tones　could　present　aught

that　could　be　called　new；　if　ungifted　with　a　viewpoint　totally

out　of　the　ordinary　plane。　Cold　and　merciless　in　the　use　of　this

point　de　vue　De　Maupassant　undoubtedly　is；　especially　in　such

vivid　depictions　of　love；　both　physical　and　maternal；　as　we　find

in　〃L'histoire　d'une　fille　de　ferme〃　and　〃La　femme　de　Paul。〃　But

then　the　surgeon's　scalpel　never　hesitates　at　giving　pain；　and

pain　is　often　the　road　to　health　and　ease。　Some　of　Maupassant's

short　stories　are　sermons　more　forcible　than　any　moral

dissertation　could　ever　be。



Of　De　Maupassant's　sustained　efforts　〃Une　Vie〃　may　bear　the　palm。

This　romance　has　the　distinction　of　having　changed　Tolstoi　from

an　adverse　critic　into　a　warm　admirer　of　the　author。　To　quote　the

Russian　moralist　upon　the　book：



〃　'Une　Vie'　is　a　romance　of　the　best　type；　and　in　my　judgment　the

greatest　that　has　been　produced　by　any　French　writer　since　Victor

Hugo　penned　'Les　Miserables。'　Passing　over　the　force　and

directness　of　the　narrative；　I　am　struck　by　the　intensity；　the

grace；　and　the　insight　with　which　the　writer　treats　the　new

aspects　of　human　nature　which　he　finds　in　the　life　he　describes。〃



And　as　if　gracefully　to　recall　a　former　adverse　criticism；

Tolstoi　adds：



〃I　find　in　the　book；　in　almost　equal　strength；　the　three　cardinal

qualities　essential　to　great　work；　viz：　moral　purpose；　perfect

style；　and　absolute　sincerity。　。　。　。　Maupassant　is　a　man　whose

vision　has　penetrated　the　silent　depths　of　human　life；　and　from

that　vantage…　ground　interprets　the　struggle　of　humanity。〃



〃Bel…Ami〃　appeared　almost　two　years　after　〃Une　Vie；〃　that　is　to

say；　about　1885。　Discussed　and　criticised　as　it　has　been；　it　is

in　reality　a　satire；　an　indignant　outburst　against　the　corruption

of　society　which　in　the　story　enables　an　ex…soldier；　devoid　of

conscience；　honor；　even　of　the　commonest　regard　for　others；　to

gain　wealth　and　rank。　The　purport　of　the　story　is　clear　to　those

who　recognize　the　ideas　that　governed　Maupassant's　work；　and　even

the　hasty　reader　or　critic；　on　reading　〃Mont　Oriol；〃　which　was

published　two　years　later　and　is　based　on　a　combination　of　the

motifs　which　inspired　〃Une　Vie〃　and　〃Bel…Ami；〃　will　reconsider

former　hasty　judgments；　and　feel；　too；　that　beneath　the　triumph

of　evil　which　calls　forth　Maupassant's　satiric　anger　there　lies

the　substratum　on　which　all　his　work　is　founded；　viz：　the

persistent；　ceaseless　questioning　of　a　soul　unable　to　reconcile

or　explain　the　contradiction　between　love　in　life　and　inevitable

death。　Who　can　read　in　〃Bel…Ami〃　the　terribly　graphic　description

of　the　consumptive　journalist's　demise；　his　frantic　clinging　to

life；　and　his　refusal　to　credit　the　slow　and　merciless　approach

of　death；　without　feeling　that　the　question　asked　at　Naishapur

many　centuries　ago　is　still　waiting　for　the　solution　that　is

always　promised　but　never　comes？



In　the　romances　which　followed；　dating　from　1888　to　1890；　a　sort

of　calm　despair　seems　to　have　settled　down　upon　De　Maupassant's

attitude　toward　life。　Psychologically　acute　as　ever；　and　as

perfect　in　style　and　sincerity　as　before；　we　miss　the　note　of

anger。　Fatality　is　the　keynote；　and　yet；　sounding　low；　we　detect

a　genuine　subtone　of　sorrow。　Was　it　a　prescience　of　1893？　So　much

work　to　be　done；　so　much　work　demanded　of　him；　the　world　of

Paris；　in　all　its　brilliant　and　attractive　phases；　at　his　feet；

and　yetinevitable；　ever　advancing　death；　with　the　question　of

life　still　unanswered。



This　may　account　for　some　of　the　strained　situations　we　find　in

his　later　romances。　Vigorous　in　frame　and　hearty　as　he　was；　the

atmosphere　of　his　mental　processes　must　have　been　vitiated　to

produce　the　dainty　but　dangerous　pessimism　that　pervades　some　of

his　later　work。　This　was　partly　a　consequence　of　his　honesty　and

partly　of　mental　despair。　He　never　accepted　other　people's　views

on　the　questions　of　life。　He　looked　into　such　problems　for

himself；　arriving　at　the　truth；　as　it　appeared　to　him；　by　the

logic　of　events；　often　finding　evil　where　he　wished　to　find　good；

but　never　hoodwinking　himself　or　his　readers　by　adapting　or

distorting　the　reality　of　things　to　suit　a　preconceived　idea。



Maupassant　was　essentially　a　worshiper　of　the　eternal　feminine。

He　was　persuaded　that　without　the　continual　presence　of　the

gentler　sex　man's　existence　would　be　an　emotionally　silent

wilderness。　No　other　French　writer　has　described　and　analyzed　so

minutely　and　comprehensively　the　many　and　various　motives　and

moods　that　shape　the　conduct　of　a　woman　in　life。　Take　for

instance　the　wonderfully　subtle　analysis　of　a　woman's　heart　as

wife　and　mother　that　we　find　in　〃Une　Vie。〃　Could　aught　be　more

delicately　incisive？　Sometimes　in　describing　the　apparently

inexplicable　conduct　of　a　certain　woman　he　leads　his　readers　to　a

point　where　a　false　step　would　destroy　the　spell　and　bring　the

reproach　of　banality　and　ridicule　upon　the　tale。　But　the

catastrophe　never　occurs。　It　was　necessary　to　stand　poised　upon

the　brink　of　the　precipice　to　real