Lecture 13. Realism and critical realism

Dumas, Alexandre, pè re (1802-1870)
Dumas, pè re, was a novelist and dramatist. He is best-known for his adventure
novel, The Count of Monte Cristo (Le Comte de Monte Cristo, 1844), in which the hero, Edmond Dantè s, is condemned to life imprisonment through a false political charge, dramatically escapes to the island of Monte Cristo, unearths a treasure there, becomes a powerful and mysterious figure, and finally revenges
himself on all who have wronged him. Dumas, Alexandre, fils (, 1824-1895) Dumas, fils, was the natural son of Dumas, pè re. He was a popular dramatist during the Second Empire of France. He wrote realistic works on moral and social problems. He is particularly noted for depicting the intrigues and scandals of the
upper social classes. His most successful play is The Lady of the Camelias (La Dame aux Camé lias, 茶花女, 1852), which is erroneously known as Camille in America (through a translator’ s error). It was adapted from the novel with the same title published earlier (1847). In the play the heroine, Marguerite Gauthier, is a
beautiful courtesan in Paris. She scorns the wealthy Count de Varville, escapes to the country with her penniless lover Armand Duval, and then, at the request of Armand’ s father, returns to Paris and her frivolous life. She gives Armand the impression that she has tired of their life together, although she truly loves him and suffers greatly after their separation. Eventually, Armand comes to see Marguerite dying (of consumption) on her deathbed but still wearing on her breast the flowers he once gave her.

Maupassant (1850-1893)
Guy de Maupassant was born in Normandy of a plain family. He once served in the Franco-Prussian War. In 1873 he became a faithful disciple of Flaubert. He wrote several novels and nearly 300 short stories. Dissipation and incessant hard work ruined his good health. He was almost insane before he died of general
paralysis. Maupassant is remembered particularly as a realistic short-story writer that, like his master Flaubert, believes in le mot juste. His stories fall within several groups, respectively about Normandy, the Franco-Prussian War, bourgeois life in Paris, high society in Paris, and other subject matters. They are often pessimistic and morbid, with the naturalistic tendency of favoring the seamy side of life. His best-known
short story is “The Necklace” (“La Parure,”), in which Madame Loisel (wife of a poor government clerk) borrows from her friend a jewel necklace for a ball, loses it at the party, replaces it with a similar one bought at a high price, works laboriously for ten years to repay the money, and thus ruins her health and appearance, only to discover that the borrowed jewels were paste!