Guy De Maupassant: Here we will discuss the important points about Guy De Maupassant that would be helpful for us to solve all questions of the Short stories—the first semester of B.A. English Honours has some short stories by Guy De Maupassant. If you read this article attentively, you can answer all questions of the stories. It is a crucial question for the 1st Semester students. Read it properly.
Guy De Maupassant’s life and works
In short, he was called G. D. Maupassant but his full name is Henri Rene Albert Guy de Maupassant. He was a French author born on 5 August 1850 near Dieppe in the Seine-Maritime department in France. He was the first son of Laure Le Poittevin and Gustave de Maupassant. His parents belonged to a wealthy family. When he at the age of 11 his mother separated from her husband. His mother was fond of classical literature and liked to read Shakespeare. So, he grew up happily with his mother and the literature till he was thirteen.
G. D. Maupassant went to Junior Hingh School in 1867. He was very close with Gustave Flaubert at Croisset. Next year he was sent to Lycee Pierre Corneille in Rouen. He proved a good scholar indulging in poetry and taking a prominent part in theatricals. After his graduation in 1870, The Franco-Prussian War broke out and he was enlisted as a volunteer. He left Normandy and went to Parise where he had been serving as a clerk in the Navy Department for 10 years. During this time, on Sundays and holidays, he spent time boating.
Gustave Flaubert took him under his guidance as his literary guardian. He always guided him in journalism and literature. At Flaubert’s home, he met Emile Zola, Russian novelist Ivan Turgenev and the other many of the proponents of the realist and naturalist schools.
He was transferred to the ‘Ministry of Public Instructions’ in 1878. There he became a contributing editor to several newspapers such as Le Figaro, Gil Blas, Le Gaulois, etc. He usually wrote novels and short stories in his spare time. In 1880 he published his first short story “Boule de Suif” which was highly successful. Flaubert characterized it as “a masterpiece that will endure.” This was Maupassant’s first piece of short fiction set during the Franco-Prussian War, and was followed by short stories such as “Deux Amis”(Two Friends, 1882), “Mother Savage( 1884)”, and “Mademoiselle Fifi (1882)”.
The decade from 1880 to 1891 was the most productive duration of Maupassant’s life. Made popular by his initial narrative, he worked methodically and also produced two or in some cases 4 volumes annually. His ability and practical business sense made him rich.
Guy De Maupassant’s Writing Style
Although de Maupassant preferred to identify with the Rationalist custom, he is usually classified as a Naturalist. The difference between these designations is slight; both concentrate on the everyday lives of middle or lower-class personalities. Naturalism shows a higher emphasis on the inevitable repercussions of hopeless circumstances on human actions and supreme outcomes. Guy de Maupassant’s fiction is identified by realistic accounts of the issues and also desperate actions of regrettable characters, frequently featuring women of the streets as well as various other personalities from the margins of courteous French culture.
His passion for seafaring professions and also his experiences in battle are frequently mirrored in the setups of his fiction. Imaginary personalities de Maupassant creates to represent upper-class people are usually ridiculing stories of greed and also opportunistic actions. The driving pressure behind his stories often tends to be destiny or irrepressible scenarios that push people to unavoidable verdicts.