THE LAST LAUGH: MAUPASSANT'S "LES BIJOUX" AND "LA PARURE"

Author(s): Mary Donaldson-Evans

Source: French Forum, Vol. 10, No. 2 (May 1985), pp. 163-174
Published by: University of Nebraska Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41429504
Accessed: 14-05-2015 18:02 UTC
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Mary Donaldson-Evans

THE LAST LAUGH:

MAUPASSANT'S "LES BI JOUX" AND "LA PARURE"

Two prettyyoungwomenof meanstoo modestto allowthemto indulge

theirpassionforthe finerthingsof life.Two marriages
to petitsfonctionand joy, andcharacterized
byabundance,the
naires,one filledwithlaughter
otherbitterlyunhappyfromthe start,reflecting
Two couples
emptiness.
linkedby extra-and intertextual
bothliveon theruedes Marreferentiality:
tyrs.Two stories,publishedelevenmonthsapart,in two different
journals,
and whichrelyfortheirmeaningupon thewell-worn
dichotomyof appearance versusreality:"Les Bijoux" and "La Parure"of Guy de Maupassant.
Both narratives
are direct(unframed);bothfeaturean impersonal
narrator;
both relatea discoveryinvolving
the truevalue of jewelry.Both,finally,
women.
regarding
betrayan incurable
cynicism
Of "La Parure,"muchhas beenwritten.Few short-storyanthologies
fail
to includeit. Whether
deridedor praised,itsfamouswhip-crack
is
ending the
"Les Bijoux" is anothermatterentirely.
focusof mostcommentaries.
This
earlierMaupassanttale has receivedscantcriticalattentionand is virtually
"
Yet ittoo features
a "surprise
ignoredbynon-specialists.
ending.Ittoodeals
withprideand shame,materialdeprivation,
and thesuffering
causedby loss.
then
it
remain
the
while
text
does
in
its
"sister"
wings
Why
(and thetwoare
indeedsiblings,
bornof thesamemind,inspiredby thesamebeliefs,sharing
as we shallsoonsee) standsaloneinthelimedozensof familytraits,
literally
of
With
the
light?
providedby recentreader-response
criticism,
help insights
I shouldlike to attemptan explanationof thisdisparity,
whileat thesame
timeexposingthe numerousthreadswhichbindthe two narratives
together
and makeof themyet anotherexampleof ironicdiptych,thatconstantly
reneweddoublingwhichis an integral
fictional
universe.
partof Maupassant's
In comparing
a newtrail.FrancisSteegthesetwostories,I am notforging
of "Les Bijoux"as earlyas
mullerhad termed"La Parure"a "transposition"
1949.1 However,his commentbore only upon the centraleventin both
to be falsewerein
in "Les Bijoux"thatjewelsthought
stories-thediscovery,
factgenuine,whilein "La Parure,"a borrowed"diamond"necklace,lostand

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164

FRENCH FORUM

is discoveredto be nothingbut
replacedat greatsacrificeby theborrowers,
arefarmorenumercostumejewelry.Indeed,theparallelsandtranspositions
withthefirststorycan scarcelyfailto influence
ous thanthis,andfamiliarity
of thesecond.
ourreading
treatstheclassicthemeof
"Les Bijoux,"withperfectfabliauirreverence,
inthe
thecuckold.The statusof thehusbandas a defenseless
preyis affirmed
cettejeunefille,dans
openingsentence:"MonsieurLantinayantrencontr
une soire,chez son sous-chefde bureau,l'amourl'enveloppacommeun
filet"2 The themeof thetrapis thusimmediately
pressedintoserviceinone
of its mostwidespreadvariations,
the trapof love.3 But if such trapsare
evendeath,quitethe reverseis
associatedwithpainand suffering,
generally
truehere.MonsieurLantinmarries
theadorableyoungcreature(sheremains
thestory)whoseexemplary
namelessthroughout
modestyand docilityearn
forheruniversal
adulation("Tout le mondechantaitses louanges;tousceux
sansfin:'Heureuxceluiqui la prendra.
On ne
qui la connaissaient
rptaient
pourraittrouvermieux'") andgivehera saintlyair("sa beautmodesteavait
un charmede pudeuranglique,"p. 764). The civilservant,
"invraisemblablementheureux,"findsonlytwo causesforreproach:hertasteforfalsegems
and her love of the theater.So it is thatwhenshe dies suddenly,having
he
caughtpneumoniaone winter'snight,he is inconsolable.Furthermore,
soon discoversthatwhereasduringherlifetime,
he lackednoneof thecomfortsof life,he is now unableto makeendsmeet.Aftermonthsofstruggle,
he findshimselfwithouta centimea fullweek beforepaydayand decides
to sell a pieceof hiswife'scostumejewelry.To hisutterastonishment,
the
necklacehe selectsprovesto be worth,not the six or eightfrancshe had
but 18,000 francs:"Le doutehorrible
l'effleura.
Elle?" (p. 768).
anticipated,
And a secondperiodof mourning,
thisone forhiswife'svirtue,
takesplace.
But it is notablefor its brevity,
lastingonly the space of an evening.The
thejewelers'ridicule,he submitsthe restof whathe
followingday, braving
had believedto be her "pacotille"to an evaluationand his suspicionsare
confirmed:
everypiece is thegenuinearticle.MonsieurLantinis a richman
rich
if
now,
enoughto quit the hatedministry
(whichhe does). Maupassant,
he had had a penchantforwriting
fairytales,could well haveallowedhis
cuckoldto livehappilyeverafter.However,he was too muchof a cynicto
let his characteroffso lightly.The story'spunchlinedeliversthe message:
"Six mois plus tard il se remariait.
Sa secondefemmetaittrshonnte,
maisd'un caractredifficile.
Elle le fitbeaucoupsouffrir"
(p. 771). If there
is, as Steegmuller
puts it (p. 207), "a laughin the lastline,"it is well-prepared.In thefirstplace,thecarefulreaderis alerted,fromthebeginning,
to
the possibilitythat the apparentlyangelicyoungwomanis not whatshe
seemsto be. "La jeune fillesemblaitle typeabsolu de l'honntefemme";
sourirequi ne quittaitpas ses lvressemblaitun refletde son
"l'imperceptible

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MARY DONALDSON-EVANS

165

cur"-suchsentencesfolloweach otherquicklyin the openingpagesof

so thatwhenthejewelryitselfis describedinsimilar
Maupassant'snarrative,
terms("deux gros cailloux du Rhin qui simulaientdes diamants/'"des
colliersde perlesfausses
, des braceletsen simulor,des peignesagrments
de verroteries
varies
fines,"p. 765), we arealreadydrawing
jouantlespierres
the
textual
so obviousas to arousesuspicion.
being
redundancy
parallels,
less
Whenfinallythe truthdawnson MonsieurLantin,we are considerably
we
have
he.
been
into
than
gentlynudged
accepting
surprised
Furthermore,
an apparentparadox,i.e.,thata womanwhocuckoldsherhusbandcan neverbut from
thelessbringhim intensehappiness,not only duringher lifetime
of
her
but
and
not
in
the
because
of
betrayal.In the
beyond
spite
grave,
withMonsieurLantinand havein
secondplace, we have failedto identify
all theway through.
His wife's
at him(if unconsciously)
fact been laughing
we
becomes
which
now
the
full
understand
smile
sphinx-like
significance)
(of
franklaughter
whenshe beginsto bringthejewelshome,and thedescription
of hereveningritualis markedbydouble-entendre:
entte tteau coindufeu,elleapportait
le soir,quandilsdemeuraient
Quelquefois,
oelleenfermait
la "pacotille,'
le thla botede maroquin
surla tableo ilsprenaient
examiner
avecune
etellesemettait
lesbijouximits
selonle motde Monsieur
Lantin;
e;
etprofond
secrte
attention
si elleeutsavour
quelque
jouissance
passionne
, comme
de toutson
passeruncollier
au coude sonmaripourrireensuite
et elles'obstinait
tues drle!"Puisellese jetaitdanssesbrasetl'embrassait
"Comme
curens'criant:
perdument.
(p.765)
a subtleextensionof the trapmetaphorsuggested
In additionto providing
Madame
Lantin's
by
repeatedgestureof "collaring"hernaivehusband,the
one
attitudeon the partof thebelovedwife:first,
a
two-fold
defines
passage
withpleasure;secondly,one of playful
of secrecy,but a secrecymaintained
herhusband.Bothserveas signalsto thewaryreader.When,
vis--vis
mockery
afterhiswife'sdeath,Lantin'sgriefis seen,lessfromwithinthanfromwithbecomesevenwider:
out,thedistancebetweenreaderandcharacter
unpeu
s'envenaient
causer
dubureau,
lesheures
alorsquelescollgues
Souvent
pendant
sesyeux
sonnezse plisser,
sesjouesse gonfler,
soudain
deschosesdu jour,on voyait
sangloter,
etsemettait
unegrimace
affreuse
d'eau;ilfaisait
(p.766)
s'emplir
Such distanciation
preparesus to adoptthe"proper"(i.e.,amused,detached)
the jewels are discoveredto be
at
when, the story'smid-point,
perspective
real. Lantin'schoice to divesthimselffirstof his wife'snecklaceis hardly
in thefaceof thejeweler'sappraisal.
coincidental.
However,he is incredulous
le fauxdu vrai!"he thinksto
"En voil un bijoutierqui ne saitpas distinguer
intact
hiswife'ssupposed
his
illusions
and he thuspreserves
regarding
himself,
underthe yokeof love (and of thedaily
to struggle
virtuewhilecontinuing

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166

FRENCH FORUM

laborsof ministerial
work):"MonsieurLantin,tout fait idiot,repritson
seulet de rflcollieret s'en alla,obissant un confusbesoinde se trouver
chir"(p. 767). Later,whena secondjewelerconfirms
of the
theauthenticity
necklaceand identifies
forced
himself
as theseller,MonsieurLantinis finally
to put his reasoningpowersto work.His interior
in
monologueis rendered
styleindirectlibre: "Sa femmen'avaitpu acheterun objet d'une pareille
valeur.-Non, certes.-Mais alors,c'tait un cadeau! Un cadeau de qui?
Pourquoi?"(p. 768). If,as withall fictionaltexts,thereaderhasbeenactive
fromthe beginning,
Iser termsthe "gaps" in the
fillingin whatWolfgang
in
text,4his activityis carefullycontrolledhere. He has littledifficulty
the responsesto Lantin'ssilentquestions,firstlybecauseMaufurnishing
has led himto therightconclusion,
passanthimself
secondlybecause,assumhe knowsthatpreciousgemsgiveninsecret
ingat leastminimalcompetence,
to a marriedwomanand passedoffas costumejewelryby hermusthavea
earlierpartsof thetext(evesuspiciousorigin.The hintsscatteredthrough
her
ningsat the theaterunaccompanied
by
husband,thesuddenlyacquired
taste for jewelry,a newfoundseductive"glow" about her,an attitudeof
amusement
and mystery
withregardto her husband)strongly
suggestthat
MadameLantinhas a lover(we areculturally
conditioned
to rejectthepossibilitythata merefriend-maleor female-couldbe thebenefactor;
moreover,
ifthiswerethecase,MadameLantinwouldhaveno needto keepthevalueof
the jewels a secretfromher husband,unlesshe weredepictedas beinga
frominterjealous man, whichis not the case). We are further
prevented
the
of
the
in
other
than
theintended
one
preting acquisition
jewels anyway
by thesubsequentbehaviorof MonsieurLantinandof thejewelers.Monsieur
Lantinfirstfaints(fromthe shockof the revelation),
then,afterregaining
consciousness,
weeps forseveralhours,an unlikelyreactionindeedto the
thatone is rich!However,greedprevails,
andalthough
a profound
discovery
senseof personalshamedelayshis returnto the jeweler's,he does return,
and his shamediminishesin inverseproportion
to his growingwealth(as
each pieceof jewelryis weighed,examined,andappraised,
he becomesmore
and demanding).
The jewelers,fortheirpart,are literally
aggressive
doubled
overwithrepressedlaughter.
Whenhe enterstheshop,the merchant
offers
him a seat "avec une politessesouriante"(p. 769). The assistantscannot
resiststealingglancesat Lantin"avec des gaietsdans les yeux et sur les
lvres."One of themis evenforcedto leavetheroom"pourrire sonaise,"
whileanotherblowshis nose loudlyto camouflage
hisgiggles.
It is thusclear
thatMonsieurLantinhas servedout thedestinyoutlinedgrammatically
by
the story'sincipit
: he is not a subject,but an object-of derisionin this
instance-andthestory'struesubjectis thenaivetof thosewhoclingto outmoded and unrealisticvalues.The last paragraph,
whichdescribesevents
temporally
separatedfromthe restof thenarrative,
functions
as an epilogue,

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MARY DONALDSON-EVANS

167

the reader'sneed for closure(PhilippeHamon would termit a

satisfying
clausule)5 whileat thesametimedenyinghimthefairy-tale
endinghe may
have been led to expectby the newsof Lantin'sremarriage.
Furthermore,
it provokeslaughterfromthe readerwho,havingdrawnthe properconclusionsfromthe story'slogic,feelssuperiorto the idealisticLantin.The last
calls into questionthe value of
sentence,"Elle le fit beaucoup souffrir,"
became
morevaluablein Lantin's
as
the
jewels
progressively
honesty.Just
on
the
of his inheritance
each
he
insists
sum
imagination
exaggerating
(for
but
the
timehe recountsit),so also is fidelity
by
story's
revalued, downward,
wifecan bringherhusbandhappiness
andwealth,
conclusion.If an unfaithful
one can makehimmiserable.
Witha finalwinkat hisreader,Maua faithful
the
to
his
thus
offers
us
argument.
Havingexposedas myth
corollary
passant
arenecessarily
builtupontraditional
the notionthathappymarriages
notions
of fidelity
he now suggests,
in an epigrammatic
and monogamy,
pointe,that
theconverseis also true,i.e., thatmaritalfidelitydoes notensurebliss-and
It is leftto the
further,
may even be the cause of considerablesuffering.
wifecan be thesourceof herhusreaderto imaginein whatwaysa faithful
band'smisery.
and
Fromthe beginning,
the toneof "La Parure"is decidedlydifferent,
"Les
which
had
their
various
in
theverbsrireandsourire
figured(in
forms)
,
Bijoux" no fewerthantentimesare to be foundonlytwicein the pagesof
"La Parure."As was thecase with"Les Bijoux,"thefirstsentencecontains
withinit the key to the outcome:"C'tait une de ces jolies et charmantes
filles,nes,commepar une erreurdu destin, dans une familled'employs"
(p. 1198). However,unlikethe narratorof "Les Bijoux," who leads the
readerstep by step towardsa properconclusion(and thisfromthe title
of "La Parure"is infinitely
moredeceptive.We learn,
onward),the narrator
long before her name is revealed,6that this attractiveyoung woman
de l'instruction
"[qui] se laissa marieravec un petitcommisdu ministre
of hersurroundings,
at thevulgarity
that,feelingshe
publique,"is indignant
et tousles luxes,"shesuffers
was bornfor"touteslesdlicatesses
unceasingly.
inthisstoryaresouffrir
Indeed,thetwoverbswhichfiguremostprominently
and songer.The contrastbetweenher charm,her innategood taste,her
of her lifeas the wifeof a
beauty,on the one hand,and the mediocrity
Her indignarepeatedly.
employee,on theother,are underlined
government
and depression:"Et elle pleuraitpendantdes jours
tion leads to irritability
de dsespoiret de dtresse"(p. 1199). Whatis
de regret,
entiers,de chagrin,
inothers,wishing
hereis thatsheis constantly
seekingheridentity
important
she could awakendesireinmenand provokejealousyinotherwomen.In her
and pricelessartobjects,she is alwaysat the
dreamsof elegantsurroundings
donttoutes
quietlywith"les hommesconnuset recherchs
center,chatting
les femmesenvientet dsirentl'attention"(pp. 1198-99),or savoring
expen-

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168

FRENCH FORUM

sive delicaciesas she listensto male galantries"avec un sourirede sphinx"

and ifsheremains
faith(p. 1199). In short,shehasthesoulof an adulteress,
ful(herhusbandreproaches
herforbeinga recluse)it is notforlackof imagination.
AssumingthatMaupassansreadersapproachedthistextwiththeusual
and culturalbaggage,theycould scarcelyhavefailedto identify
this
literary
unfortunate
youngwomanwithMadameBovary,and thereare numerous
in
parallelsbetweenthe ball sceneevokedhereand thatof La Vaubyessard
Flaubert'snovel.7However,as has been notedfrequently,
Mathilde'ssituationalso recallsthatof Cinderellaand, indeed,appearsto be itsironiccounballsignalstheendof theheroine'stoil,because
terpart.For,ifthefairy-tale
of an important
loss (theglassslipper),it is just the reversein "La Parure."
the eventswhichfollowthe ball in Maupassant's
tale standin
Similarly,
starkoppositionto those of MadameBovary
. MathildeLoisel, it is true,
realizesa cherisheddreamat the ball, where,beingthe prettiest
and most
she is resplendent
in herglory:"Tous leshommesla
elegantwomanpresent,
demandaientson nom, cherchaient treprsents.
Tous les
regardaient,
attachsdu cabinet voulaientvalseravec elle. Le ministrela remarqua"
(p. 1201). However,whereasin bothCinderellaand MadameBovary
, desires
awakenedat the ball are soon indulged(Cinderella
theprince;Emma
marries
nevereven
betraysCharles),in Maupassant'sstorythe heroineapparently
the idea of takingadvantageof the interest
entertains
she has stirredamong
thegentlemen
at theball (including
theminister
despitetheobvious
himself),
motivation
the
need
to
the
enormous
debt
incurred
providedby
repay
bythe
lossof thenecklace.
And thisbringsus back,momentarily
at least,to "Les Bijoux."According
to Louis Forestier,thefaitdiverswhichprovidedMaupassantwiththe idea
forthistalehad identified
theyoungwoman'sbenefactor
as theminister
himself.Knowingthis,the readerof "La Parure"cannothelpbutwonderwhy
MathildeLoisel,who disdainsher husband,takesintensesatisfaction
in the
companyof othermen,and has managedto attractthe attentionof the
does notseektheobvioussolutionto herfinancial
minister,
At
predicament.
thecoreof bothstoriesappearsthethinlydisguised
thatall women
suggestion
are possessedof adulterousdesires.But whereasin theearlierone,thewife's
contributes
infidelity
directlyto themuchtouted"douceurdu foyer,"inthe
latterwe appearalmostto havean enactment
of thefemmehonnte!
caractredifficile
scenarioto whichthefirststoryhad onlyalluded.Evenbefore
thedisasterof the lostjewelry,
thehaplesshusbandof "La Parure"is forever
bendingover backwardsto please his ill-tempered
wife,whereasLantinis
pamperedand coddledby hisaffectionate
spouse("[l]l n'taitpointd'attentions,de dlicatesses,de chatteries
qu'elle n'et pour son mari,"p. 764).
whereasMadameLantin'smoraldeceptionultimately
Furthermore,
madeit

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MARY DONALDSON-EVANS

169

possiblefor her husbandto leave his workand live as a rentierfromthe

whichhad
incomegeneratedby thejewels,MadameLoisel'ssocial pretense,
caused her to borrowthe necklaceand perhapsevento lose it (forhad she
not beenashamedof hermodestoutergarments
shewouldhavewaitedat the
ball whileherhusbandwentin searchof a fiacreinsteadof leavingwithhim
so thatshewouldnotbe seen),is at therootof thetragedy
whichnecessitates
tenyearsof penury.Notonlydoes MonsieurLoiselcontinueto workdaysat
the Ministry,
but he takeson additionalwork"le soir, mettreau net les
d'un
et la nuit,souvent,il faisaitde la copie cinq
comptes
commerant,
sous la page" (p. 1205). But here,we arenotallowedto dwelluponthehusforthecentralfocus,thecharacter
whomourviewof
band'smisery,
through
the eventsis filtered,is MadameLoisel and not herlong-suffering
husband.
of
to
narration
"Les
which
forces
us
unlike
the
adoptan
Bijoux,"
Moreover,
in "La Parure"we are led
ironicattitudewithregardto the maincharacter,
to greater
andgreater
emotionalinvestment
intheheroine'splight.
our
fearof loss,thatwe idenIt is perhapsnot surprising,
given
pervasive
at
moment
of herhorriblediscovery.
Madame
Loisel
the
with
tifystrongly
Her decisionto replacethe necklaceratherthanconfessthetruthof theloss
forshe livesin fearof
to herwealthyfriend,does not appearincongruous,
whatotherswillthinkof herandcannotriskthisblowto herfragile
identity.
Whenshe had fledon footwithherhusbandafterthe ball,it was "pour ne
de richesfourpas treremarquepar/es autresfemmesqui s'enveloppaient
necklaceto
rures"(p. 1202). And whenshe does returnthe replacement
that
relieved
the
latter
does
not
the
MadameForestier,
is
she
open
jeweler's
box and so does notdiscoverthesubstitution
pens?qu'au("qu'aurait-elle
rait-elle
dit?Ne l'aurait-elle
pas prisepourunevoleuse?").In fact,as we learn
realforsomething
false.In thesameway,
something
later,shehassubstituted
of
herlifereflects
thedisplacement illusionby reality,and herheroicaccepinthe
tanceof a fatefarworsethantheone againstwhichshehadstruggled
firsthalfofthestorychangesherfroman objectof pityto one of admiration.
Froma refinedand beautifulyoungwoman,sheis transformed
by herlabors
into"la femmeforte,et dure,et rude,des mnagespauvres"(p. 1205).
we do not pityher,forshe hasexchangeda crippling
And yet,curiously,
fora newfoundasserti
veness:she bargainswithmerchants,
speaks
timidity
of thevulgarmnagre
attributes
loudly- stereotypical
, no doubt,but also
of her own changedself-image.
Likewise,materialcomforthas
suggestive
a lifeof despairand aimlessdreaming
beenreplacedbyheroicself-denial,
bya
cette
"Il
fallait
dette
Elle
of
life
payer
effroyable. payerait"
purposeful
activity:
(p. 1204). In short,she has found herraisond'tre. Thus, her reflection
theeventsof thatnightwhichchangedherdestiny("Commeil faut
regarding
de
chose
peu
pourvous perdreou voussauver!")is subjectto a double-and
arrivsi elle n'avaitpointperdu
"Que serait-il
contradictoryinterpretation:

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170

FRENCHFORUM

wouldput it,un code limicetteparure?"The textis, as MichaelRiffaterre

In
in hisinterpretation.
tatif*and thereadermustrespectcertainconstraints
thiscase,MadameLoisePsactionssubsequentto the ball do notallowusto
supposethatshe wouldhavebeen happierhad the loss notoccurred.Unlike
metat theball.
Cinderella,she was notfreeto marryone of thegentlemen
Hence,theonlyjustifiable
(and likely)answerto MadameLoisePsrhetorical
woulddoubtlesshavebeenintensified,
as
questionis "Rien." Her depression
had Emma Bovary's;perhaps,in the end, she would have followedin the
in mind,the reader
footstepsof herfictionalelder.Withthesepossibilities
the lossof the necklaceas a fortuitous
eventin Madame
maywell interpret
LoisePslife.Until,thatis,thecoup de grceof thestory'slastsentence.
Let us considerfora momentthesetting
of MadameLoisePsfinalencounterwithMadameForestier.
Not onlyhad theformer
decidedto takea stroll
alongone of themostelegantstreetsof Paris,shewho,indefenseof herneed
forpreciousjewelsto adornherdress,hadonceclaimedthat"il n'ya riende
plushumiliant
que d'avoirl'airpauvreau milieude femmesriches"(p. 1201),
butshe had also had thecourageto accostheraffluent
andyouthful-looking
friend.Her tenyearsof meniallaborhavingtransformed
herso thatsheis no
she mustidentify
herselfexplicitly,
and yet she
longereven recognizable,
does so withouta shadowof embarrassment.
Evenmorestriking
arethepride
and satisfaction
thatpush her to tella truthshe had once fearedrevealing.
She is proudthatthe debt has been paid,proudthatshe had succeededin
deceivingher friend(Maupassantgiveshis readera poke in the ribsas he
makeshiscrudemnagre
describeherself
as Urudement
contente,"p. 1206).
And for the firsttimein the story,she smiles"d'une joie orgueilleuse
et
nave" (p. 1206). It is thewordnave whichleadsus to MadameForestieri
untilnow:"Oh! ma pauvreMathilde!Maisla mienne
reply,totallyunforeseen
taitfausse!Elle valaitau pluscinqcentsfrancs!"
As numerous
criticshavepointedout,it is thislastline,therevelation
that
the jewelswerenot real,whichchangesthe entirethrustof thestoryand
inducesthe readerto reinterpret
it. If conventional
had led us to
morality
readintotheeventsof thestorya confirmation
of theworkethic,Madame
Forestieristatement
strikesdown thatfacilereadingwithone swiftblow,
and the reader,who is informed
at thesame instantas MadameLoisel,is as
stunnedas sheis.Thefactthattheconclusionto thisstoryis givenindialogue
increasesits immediacy
and adds
form,withminimalnarrative
intervention,
to theshockof thefinalrevelation.
But it is above all theabsenceof details
Mathilde'sreactionthatopensup thestoryand pullsthereaderin.
describing
It is not merelythatwe are forcedto imaginehow she musthavereacted;
becausewe havebeenmisledjust as surelyas shehas (likeher,we havebeen
culturallyconditionedto believe that wealthywomenpossessonly real
to dispeluntilthisverylast
gems,an illusionwhichthetexthaddonenothing

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MARY DONALDSON-EVANS

171

of
withher,and thesimultaneity
moment),we are shockedsimultaneously
thisemotiondrawsus evencloserto theheroine.Unlikethecoup de fouetof
"Les Bijoux," forwhichthe readerhad beencarefully
preparedthroughout
Ratherthanconfirm
thestory,theclausuleof "La Parure"is notredundant.
into
"l'ensembledu
it
calls
aroused
the
question
by
narrative,
expectations
contexteprcdent"(Hamon,p. 509).
and the
withthereversal
Thisoppositionbetweenthetwostories,together
an antithetical
as the
construction
dislocationof the centralevent,suggests
basis fortheircomparison.Indeed,thereare othersuch oppositions:male
pointof view in "Les Bijoux" versusfemalepointof viewin "La Parure";
to thesorties
fromthe title-and hencethejewelsthemselves, to
plurality,
whichmarksthe
of thefirststoryversusthesingularity
thesexualpartners,
morefamoustale.In fact,insomewaysthestoriesappearto illustrate
respecdu vice"
Sadianformula,
"prosprits
tivelythetwo sidesof thewell-known
de la vertu"("La Parure").
("Les Bijoux")and "infortunes
But thereare equallyimportant
parallelsbetweenthe two stories.It is
boththe realizationregarding
the true
of
for
that
in
worthy note, example,
thatfamedparade
natureof the jewelstakesplace on theChamps-Elyses,
It is also noteworthy,
although
groundwhereappearancealone is important.
of
the
that
vertical
nature
the
images
subjectmatter,
given
perhapspredictable
aboundin bothstones,fromtheColonneVendmewhichin hisexuberance
stairsup and down
the newlyrichLantieryearnsto climb,to thetenement
herdaily
whichthe newlypoor MathildeLoisel trudgesas she accomplishes

souffler"
"s'arrtant
chaque tage pour
chores,
(p. 1204). However,the
Each storyrecounts
the
themselves.
involves
losses
mostimportant
parallel
notone but two losses.In "Les Bijoux,"Lantin'sfirstlossis thedeathof his
endlessperiodof unbearable
wife.This loss is followedby a seemingly
grief.
thatthejewelsarereal:it is the
The secondloss coincideswithhisdiscovery
of virtueand
loss of his illusionthat his wifehad been the embodiment
the
his
second
loss,bydeflating valueof the
domesticity.
Ironically,
perhaps,
Neverthean
puts abruptendto hismourning.
wife,"cures"Lantin'smisery,
value
systemby dispelling
less,it does not cause himto changehis personal
a
his moregeneralillusionthatmaritalfidelityis a guaranteeof happiness,
of
second
him
to
the
his
value systemwhichwill lead
marriage,
suffering
exclamation,"Commeon est
therebymakinga mockeryof his simplistic
heureuxquand on a de la fortune!"In "La Parure,"thefirstloss is thatof
intendedto
thejewels,andthislossis followedbya periodof intenseactivity
in
the
second
case
"Les
the
restorethe loss.As was
discovery
Bijoux,"
(that
of the eventswhichhad
the necklacegemswerefalse) revealsthe futility
which
assumethatthe revelation
followedthefirst,and one can reasonably
in
the
entailed
of
first
also
item
lost
the
value
the
deflated
place(thenecklace)
the loss of the protagonist's
pride,as had been the case in "Les Bijoux."

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172

FRENCHFORUM

to proceed,and it is forthis
However,beyondthiswe are not permitted
reasonthat"La Parure"furnishes
greater
pleasurethan"Les Bijoux."
readingisjeu inthedoublesenseo play
If,as MichelPicardhassuggested,
sense-making
activityin which
(distraction)and game (a moreintellectual
withliterary
scholarsengagewhenconfronted
texts),9and ifthemultiplication of "gaps" whichthe readermustfillin adds to whatRolandBarthes
moresatisfying
termstheplaisirdu texte,10then"La Parure"is an infinitely
textthan"Les Bijoux." Reader-oriented
criticism
hasplacedheavyemphasis
and uponthereader'sactiverole
uponthecommunicative
aspectof literature
in creatingmeaning.As Iser puts it, "meaningis no longeran objectto be
This effect,for Iser and
defined,but ... an effectto be experienced."11
others,dependsfrequently
upon the unexpectedtwistsand turnsof a text
whichforcethe readerintotheactiveroleof modifying
themeanings
which
he himselfhad producedfromthe languageof thetext.The significance
of
the eventsis thusconstantly
alteredby the readeras the narrative
unfolds.
is an important
elementinestheticenjoyment:
But,inaddition,surprise
. . . causesa temporary
oftheexploratory
cessation
Surprise
phaseoftheexperience,
anda recourse
to intense
andscrutiny.
Inthelatter
contemplation
phasethesurprising
elements
areseenintheir
withwhathasgonebefore,
connection
withthewholedrift
oftheexperience,
andtheenjoyment
ofthese
values
isthenextremely
intense.12
thatthe
Now, whilethe "surprise"of "Les Bijoux" (namely,thediscovery
are
unveiled
for
is
the
attentive
the
jewels
slowly
authentic)
reader, conclusionof "La Parure"hitshimwithall theforceof a slap intheface.Furthermore,unlike"Les Bijoux,"whichmakesexplicitthe character'sreaction,
then describes,step by step,the stagesof his "recovery"fromthe shock
(whiledenyinghimthewisdomto be gainedfromit),"La Parure"leavesthe
readerto ponderthe revelation,
guessat thecharacter's
reaction,in a word,
to recreatethestoryand itsconclusionin thewakeof thedevastating
news.
Nowherein Maupassant'sfictionis the readercalled upon to play a more
activerole thanin thisstory.One is now in a positionto respondto Steegmuller's
thetwotales:
judgment
regarding
ThispairofMaupassant
tales... is ... aninteresting
ofsomething
morethan
example
an interesting
of thesuccessof a story["La Parure"]
merely
transposition:
example
andflawed
to bedone
which,
although
inherently
inferior,
byimprobabilities,
happens
withparticular
andthefailure
ofan inherently
brilliance;
taleduetolethargic
superior
In "La Parure,"
execution.
thesuperb
technician
at thetopofhis
Maupassant
working
carries
allbefore
anopportunity."
powers
him;in"LesBijoux"hemisses
(p.208)
For Steegmuller,
weredirectly
esthetics
relatedto theworkof art,and notto
the reader'sreceptionof it. Basedupon traditional
notionsof symmetry
in
he judged"Les Bijoux" to be thesuperiortale becauseit "cliconstruction,
maxed" somewherein themiddle,thenoffereda classicdnouement.
Only

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MARY DONALDSON-EVANS

173

of Lantinprevented
the inadequately
"Les Bijoux"from
developedcharacter
work
beinga success,in hisopinion.For Iser,on theotherhand,theliterary
which
to
the
and
the
esthetic
has two poles,theartistic
belongs
,
author,
, or
thereader'spole [TheAct of Reading,p. 21). By hisstandards,
"La Parure"
hasindeedmerited
itsfame.
An examinationof "La Parure"froman Iserianestheticperspective
has
haveseenas itsartistic
revealedthat,despitewhatcriticssuchas Steegmuller
successcan be explainedon estheticgrounds,for it
faults,its tremendous
an activeandcreativenarrative
Muchhas
the
reader
with
provides
experience.
beenwritten
of late aboutthe relationship
betweennarrativity
anddesire,13
and manyof theinsights
can helpilluminate
bythistypeof criticism
provided
thesimilarities
between"La Parure"and "Les Bijoux." Just
and differences
as total possessionof the object of one's desiresnuffsout thedesireitself,
whichsurrenders
all itsmeanings
so also does the narrative
inone facilereadand
to
the
his
the
Like
reader
desire
satiate
extinguish
ing
reopen narrative.
the faithlesslittlewifedescribedin its pages,"Les Bijoux" givespleasure,
makesus laugh;however,it is in theend totallyconsumed,leavingnot the
on ourplateswhenwe havefinished
ourreading.
slightest
scrapof ambiguity
"La Parure,"on the otherhand,neverdoes abandonall itsmeaning,
raises
farmorequestionsthanit answers,and in thefullestand bestsenseof the
leaves somethingto be desired.Maupassant,workingwiththe
expression,
a cleverbut somewhatbanal tale of
same basic donnes, has transformed
of variations
are
there
in hiswork)intoa
which
dozens
femaleperfidy(of
no
for
which
muchmorecomplex,but lesspleasurable,
thereadermust
story
of
Parure"
Althoughthecharacters "La
maybe matesupplythevariations.
riallyimpoverished
by theirloss, the narrative,paradoxically,has been
a losswhichincreases,
enriched
bywhatwe mightcall thelossof determinacy,
of thesetwo
to satisfy,the reader'sown desire.A comparison
by refusing
tales enablesus to appreciatethe rapidlydevelopingartisticand esthetic
talentsof the masterstoryteller.
Maupassant,that notoriouslysuccessful
the mechanisms
at workinawakening
seducerof women,clearlyunderstood
and sustaining
desire,not only on the physical,but also on the narrative
of havingthe lastlaughin
plane.And if he givesthereaderthesatisfaction
"Les Bijoux," he keepsit all for himselfin "La Parure,"whosesurprising,
and thus
yet open-endedconclusionpostponesthe reader'sgratification
hisdesire.
prolongs
ofDelaware
University

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174

FRENCH FORUM

A Lionin thePath(NewYork:Random
1. Francis
Maupassant:
Steegmuller,
to oneofmyliterature
survey
students,
House,1949),p. 207. I owea debtofthanks
mewiththeideafora rapprochement
between
the
forhaving
Thomas
provided
Brokaw,
thesubject
thathewasnotthefirst
to
didI discover
twotexts.
researching
Onlyafter
it.
perceive
de la Pliade
Conteset Nouvelles
2. "Les Bijoux,"Maupassant:
, Bibliothque
tothetwostories,
references
inthe
given
Gallimard,
1974),I,764.Allsucceeding
(Paris:
Hereandthroughout,
aremyown.
willbetothisedition.
italics
text,
ofthetheme
ofthetrapinMaupassant's
hasbeenthorough3. Thepresence
work
andanalyzed
Besnard-Coursodon
inEtudethmatique
etstrucbyMicheline
lydiscussed
deMaupassant:
del'uvre
lepige(Paris:
turale
Nizet,
1973).
Reader
4. TheImplied
Univ.
Johns
Hopkins
(Baltimore:
Press,
1974),p.280.
5. "Clausules,"
No.21 (1975),495-526.
Potique,
6. Thisnameanditsimplications
fortheheroine's
of a
is thesubject
destiny
"Nomet destin
article
dans'La Parure,'"
byGerald
fascinating
Prince,
FR,56 (1982),
267-71.
D. Sullivan,
7. See Edward
TheShortStories(GreatNeck:Barron's
Maupassant:
Educational
andGianluigi
"La
Series,Inc.,1962),p. 20, andLucioLugnani
Goggi,
Parure"
diGuydeMaupassant
(Pisa:Giardini,
1979).
du texte(Paris:Seuil,1979),p. 11: "le textelittraire
8. La Production
estcon contrler
demanire
struit
sonpropre
dcodage."
9. "La Lecture
comme
jeu,"Potique
, No.58 (1984),pp.253-63.
10.Le Plaisir
dutexte(Paris:
Seuil,1973).
11. TheAct of Reading
ofAesthetic
(A Theory
Response)
Johns
(Baltimore:
Univ.
Hopkins
Press,
1978),p. 10.
12. BenbowRitchie,
"TheFormal
of theAesthetic
Structure
Object,"in The
Problems
ofAesthetics,
ed. EliseoVivasandMurray
Krieger
(NewYork:Holt,Rinehart
andWinston,
1962),pp.230ff.
13.See,forexample,
"ThatObscure
Angela
Moger's
perceptive
article,
Objectof
andPeter
forthePlot(NewYork:
Narrative,"
YFS,63 (1982),129-38,
Brooks,
Reading
Knopf,
1984).

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