‘My Uncle Jules’ by Guy de Maupassant

Guy de Maupassant is a novelist and short story writer who specializes in surprise,
irony, and tragedy. 'My Uncle Jules' is no exception.
Summary
''My Uncle Jules'' is a frame narrative, or a story within a story. In Maupassant's tale,
the outer frame introduces an unnamed narrator and Joseph Davranche, who gives an old
beggar five francs. In Maupassant's lifetime (1850-1893), this was fairly generous. Joseph
explains his act by telling the story about his uncle, Jules.

Main Narrative
The main narrative is about Joseph's immediate family and his uncle, Jules. His
family lives in Le Havre, a coastal town in Normandy, France.

The Davranche family is fairly poor, a condition which Joseph's mother passive-
aggressively blames on his father. His two adult sisters sew their own clothes, and the family
survives on plain, monotonous meals. Joseph's uncle Jules, whom Joseph has never met, has
squandered the Davranche inheritance. However, he's imigrated to New York and written to
the family twice, explaining that he's doing well and hopes to return to Le Havre one day. He
plans to repay Philippe, Joseph's father, his share of the inheritance, leaving the family to
place all their hope in Jules to secure their financial future.

Every Sunday, the family members dress in their best clothes and walk along the
docks of Le Havre, watching the steamships come in and hoping to attract marriage prospects
for the sisters. Each week, Joseph's father muses how wonderful it would be if Jules
happened to be on one of the steamers.

Based on Jules' promise of financial recompense, a young man marries the younger
sister, and the Davranche family celebrates by taking a trip on a steamship to nearby Jersey,
England. On the way, they observe an ''old, ragged sailor'' selling oysters to passengers as
light refreshment. Philippe thinks he resembles Jules, and they soon learn from the captain
that, indeed, he is — and that he's been avoiding returning to Le Havre because he owes the
family money.

Humiliated and afraid Jules might ask for their help, most of the family make
themselves scarce so he won't see and recognize them. However, Joseph approaches his
destitute uncle, pays him for the oysters, and gives him ten cents as a tip. His family is
outraged, but Joseph pities his uncle, noting that he disappeared afterward ''below to the dirty
hold [lower cargo area] which was the home of the poor wretch.''

Analysis
Among other devices, Guy de Maupassant is known for his ironic plot twists, and
''My Uncle Jules'' is no exception. (An outcome directly opposite of the one expected is
ironic.) The main irony of the story is that the Davranche family consider themselves very
badly off financially, and are counting on Jules — whom they've been led to believe has gone
from broke to successful — to improve their lives. The husband of the younger Davranche
sister is counting on this too; it's the reason he proposed.
 However, Jules turns out to be little more than a beggar peddling snacks, and is
clearly much worse off than they are. Further, while they've looked forward to seeing him for
so many years, they consider it a ''catastrophe'' when they finally do. Jules is destitute not
only financially, but emotionally, as well. Whereas the other Davranche family members
have each other, he is alone in the world, marginalized by his rock-bottom social status and
fear of facing his own family.