Guy de Maupassant Novel Preface

Extract

[...] The Novel, Preface by Pierre and Jean - Guy de Maupassant (1888) Doc 1 Doc 2 For Guy de Maupassant, "the theory of all truth" is a deception for several reasons. First, because the author who calls himself a realist will not seek to show life in its most ordinary aspects, but rather in its most striking elements. Instead of telling the life of a character in its smallest details that are not important, the author will only want to show the events that will interest the reader. [...]

[...] It stages an event from everyday life since it is about women who spend their time on the grass by the Seine. This event may seem mundane but can tell several things: the woman in blue has fallen asleep while the other woman in black seems bored, and this is clearly visible on the faces of the two women. Furthermore, the choice of colors is very interesting: there is blue on the woman's dress but also on the water of the Seine, which contrasts with the green of the grass and the tree located on the same plane as the water, as well as the dark boat placed on the edge of the water. [...]

[...] For these two reasons, the theory of all truth is a deception for Guy de Maupassant. Guy de Maupassant does not reject all realism but proposes a compromise between art and realism. One must, for him, tell the events of everyday life, but by choosing striking events to continue to interest the reader, and then tell these events in a realistic, complete, and engaging way. One must not tell everything, but at least tell the chosen events well. The Courbet painting allows us to illustrate Guy de Maupassant's thesis. [...]