Tow Friends by GD Maupassant: We wrote these notes for the First Semester BA English Honours Students of BBMKU and VBU Univerty. Here are some important questions available for the first semester Examinations. We especially worked for BA English Students but others can also use our notes for their notes or assignments.
Two Friends Summary
The short story Two Friends by GD Maupassant is about two friends, named Monsieur Morisot, a watchmaker, and Monsieur Sauvage, a draper. They were good friends. And the common thing was that they both liked fishing. Before the Franco-Prussian War, they used to enjoy fishing together. But in a few years, they could not go to the fishing spot because now it was in the occupied territory by Prussians.
One day while walking on the street, they met, and they were very happy to see each other after a long time. Then they went to a nearby cafe and drank there. Suddenly they decided to take the risk to go to the occupied fishing spot to refresh their sweet memories. Afterward, they got the French password from the general, took their fishing rods, and went to the fishing spot of the occupied territory.
After reaching the fishing spot, they were extremely happy. They were dangling in the water. They refreshed their old sweet memories there. Then they talked about Franco Prussian War, and how the war destroyed several people’s lives. The war killed many people, and those alive were eating anything they could get because there was no other option. Suddenly, some Prussian soldiers captured them. They asked him for the French password that allowed them to come into their area, but they refused to tell him the password. Then they took the one friend aside and asked him for the password, but still, he did not tell, They did the same to the other friend, but he also did not say a word. Then they took them to the Prussian general.
The Prussian general considered them spies and ordered the soldiers to shoot them, The soldiers did the same as the general had said, and after killing them, they bound them with a rope and a big stone and threw them into the river. And then the general ordered them to cook the fish for him that they had got.
Two Friends Critical Appreciation
The short French story “Two Friends” was written by Guy De Maupassant. It was published in 1882. It is also called the masterpiece of his works. He was a realistic writer, and he wrote stories based on realism. The Two Friends is set in Paris.
The story “Two Friends” highlights the theme of friendship and patriotism feelings also. Maupassant used very simple diction in the story to read and understand the story easily. The story begins with the lines, ” Besieged Paris was in the throes of famine, Even the sparrows on the roofs and the rats in the sewers were growing scarce. people were eating anything they could get.” Through these lines, Maupassant showed a horrible picture of France. By reading this, people can understand what would have been the situation during the Franco-Prussian war.
At the beginning of the story, Maupassant shows the scene of starvation due to the war, and later, he describes the deep friendship of two friends, Monsieur Morisot and Monsieur Sauvage. They used to enjoy fishing together, but they were not able to do fishing for a few years due to war. But after meeting each other for a long time, they decided to take the risk to go to the fishing spot, which was now near the occupied territory by Prussians, not for the fish but to refresh their old sweet memories. Here Maupassant showed the deep friendship of two friends. They met after a long time and without caring about their life, they decided to go to occupied territory for fishing to recall their sweet memories.
They got the password, went to the fishing spot, and enjoyed fishing a lot. They were dangling there as they used to do before. They were happy to go there once more, but it was their last happiness. Afterward, they could not return home anymore. The Prussian soldiers captured them, they asked them for the password that allowed them to come to their area, but they did not say even a word. Then they were considered spies, and as per the order of the Prussian general, they were shot and thrown into the water. Here Maupassant showed patriotic feelings towards their nation. The two friends were not dead. They were martyrs for their nation.
Here Maupassant gives us this message that if something like this happens to us too, we must not betray our country and become martyrs for our motherland.