Boule de Suif Summary
Boule De Suif is a short french story by Guy De Maupassant. It was originally published in “Less Soirees De Madan” in 1880. It was the most popular work of GD Maupassant. The story Boule De Suif is a story about a prostitute. The title “Boule De Suif is also a nickname of her. She is also known as batter ball and Boule of fat.
This story is set in France during the Franco-Prussian war.
The Prussian soldiers had occupied Rouen, a city of France, and they were maltreating the people living in that occupied area. So Boule De Suif and nine other passangers, Comte and comtess Hubert, Monsieur and Madame Loiseaue , Monsieur and Madame Carre Lamandon , Cornudet and two nuns, were going to Le Havre because they were feeling uncomfortable in the occupied city. So they boarded a chilly train in the cold night. The floor of the train was covered by straw.
In the mid-way, while going to Le Havre, all the passengers felt hungry and thirsty. Unfortunately, non of them carried food except Boule De Suif. But all the passengers were feeling uncomfortable asking for food from a prostitute, but Monsieur Loiseue asked after that other passengers. The prostitute happily shared her food with passengers in the Coach. Until now, those people who did not even want to talk to her also talked to her happily and ate her food and wine. After sometime later, the coach arrives in Totes, the Prussian soldiers greet the Coach passengers and check the papers. Luckily, all the papers were sufficient to go ahead, but the soldiers forced them to stay there one night.
They agreed. At night the passengers were having their night meal in the inn. Suddenly, Boule de Suif was called to talk to the Prussian soldier. The Prussian officer wanted to sleep with the prostitute, Boule de Suif, but she refused. When all the passengers came to know about this, they appreciated Boule de Suif’s decision, but some days later, when they were getting late for Le Havre, they forced her to do what the Prussian officer asked her. Then Boule they Suif agreed.
The next day all the passengers packed their luggage and some food and wine for the journey to Le Havre, except Boule de Suif. She had not much time to pack anything, so she sat in the coach without food or wine. All the nine passengers were not talking with Boule de Suif, and even they set aside from her. After some time, when they ate food and drank wine, they did not share it with Boule de Suif. Boule de Suif was also hungry, and she had nothing to eat, but they did not share with her. She was upset from their
Boule de Suif Critical Appriciation
The short french story “Boule De Suif” is about a prostitute written by GD Maupassant during the Franco Prussian war in 19th century. This story is set in Paris.
The main motto of Moupassant Of writing this story may be to show that selfish people do with prostitutes. Maupassant beautifully showed there that how people changes their ideology according to their selfishness. Boule De Suif was a prostitute and all the passangers knew it very well but when they were hungry and thirsty they did not hesitated to eat or drink her foods and wines. Even after having the meal they all prised her and of her food. But when she slept with that commandent in Totes to make them allow to proceed towards Le Havre, suddenly their thinking changed towards her. Even the prostitute had refused for that but all of them insisted her to agree because they were getting late for Le Havre.
Moreover, Maupassant ave a beautiful scene of the cold night and the chilly train also. In this story he used many different plots and very simple diction as he alway do in his all stories. The title ” Boule De Suif” is also quite suitable for this story.
Boule de Suif Character Sketch
Boule de suif is one of the 10 passengers going to Le Havre from Rouen. Her full name is Miss Elizabeth Rousset, but she is also called Boule de Suif, ball of fat or batter ball. She is a prostitute by profession. She is the protagonist of the story “Boule de Suif”. Her home is in Rouen, but she decides to go to Le Havre because the Prussian soldiers had occupied Rouen. So she feels uncomfortable living there, and her patriotic feelings lead her to go to Le Havre, leaving that occupied territory and settling somewhere else. So she boards a chilly train where she meets nine other passengers in her coach; they were also going to Le Havre.
However, Boule de Suif is a prostitute but is an innocent and kind-hearted person. She shared her foods and wines with the hungry passengers in her coach. The passengers hate her career, but she does not care.
Boule de Suif is full of patriotic feelings, so she refused to sleep with that Prussian commandant. When all the other passengers requested her, she agreed to allow them to leave for Le Havre. she made a big sacrifice for those selfish passengers.
After this incident, they treated her differently. They did not want to talk with her. Even when they were hungry and had nothing to eat, she shared her food with them, but when she was hungry and had nothing to eat, they didn’t share their food with her. And she cried the whole journey to Le Havre, she was asking herself why she did the sacrifice for those selfish people.