The Complete Short Stories of Guy de Maupassant (With Audio)

Author: Guy de Maupassant
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-12-01
Features: This book selects two short story works by Guy de Maupassant. In The Necklace, the protagonist Mathilde is the wife of an education department official who is deeply dissatisfied with her impoverished life. One day, they are invited to attend a ball organized by the education department, an opportunity that is too rare to be missed. Mathilde is both excited and frustrated, as she can only afford to buy a single evening gown but lacks a matching necklace. Therefore, she borrows a diamond necklace from a wealthy friend. Unfortunately, after the ball, she discovers that the necklace is missing. Unable to avoid it, Mathilde buys an identical necklace to return to her friend. From then on, Mathilde and her husband spend ten years of hard labor to repay the debt incurred from buying the necklace. Ten years later, one day, Mathilde coincidentally meets her friend who lent her the necklace in the park. Her friend tells her that the lost diamond necklace was actually a cheap fake. Boule de Suif is a novel set against the backdrop of the Franco-Prussian War. After the Prussian invading army occupied Rouen City, the prostitute Boule de Suif had no choice but to flee. Because Boule de Suif refused to comply with the shameless demands of a Prussian occupation army officer, her carriage was detained. The others traveling with her, driven by their own interests, use deceptive and coercive means to force Boule de Suif to do things against her will. In the end, Boule de Suif yields, and their carriage sets off again. However, the fellow travelers not only fail to appreciate Boule de Suif's sacrifice but also double the humiliation and contempt she faces. Boule de Suif can only turn her bitter indignation into tears.