Moonlight Gay de Maupassant (B A 2nd Year Major English)

Moonlight

Gay de Maupassant

·        Critical analysis

·        Theme

·        Suggestion (Interpretation)

·        Type of story

·        Elements: plot, character, setting and narration

·        Use of language: symbols, images, metaphor and

Gay De Maupassant 'Moonlight' is a beautiful story having the study of human psychology. The story causes on the theme that human mind is never static but it is highly flexible and dynamic because there are so many changes in the ideas that we have in our mind. We are guided by some ideas in the beginning and while experiencing life, we acquit more and more new ideas so that the old and the false ideas are replaced by new and fresh ideas. This is the reality of human nature and this reality of human nature is clearly reflected in the story. The priest Abbemarigan used to think that he knew everything is complete without woman. This ideology of the priest was false values so in the later part of the story he realizes that he was false in the beginning. He replaced the old false values by the new value that neither man nor woman can be complete in the absence of one another. He concludes in the ending of the story that man and woman are two different bodies but only by the reunion of their soul they can be complete. This story is a good story since it has the movement of progress from negative ideology to positive one. In other words this story has the movement from ignorance to enlightenment which makes is a good story. The thinking of the priest that he knew all and his beginning attitude toward woman reflect his ignorance. In the ending of the story he realize that he does not know all and both genders are equally important which are his enlightenments? Such positive progress in the ideology of the priest suggests the story as a good story.

Gay De Maupassant in a 19^th century French realistic writer and he like in his other stories, he has used realism in this story. The portrayal of the priest as an all knowing man, his faith on god as well as his negative attitude to female reflects the realistic nature of all priest in general. The portrayal of his naughty niece who is irritated by his preaching his realism related to the nature of the young people. The desire of niece to keep the beautiful as a pet and to give love is another realism reflecting that all females want to be mother and they want love to the children, the priest avoiding his embracing niece is also related to another realism with the suggestion that all males wants to be father and give love to the children but it lacked in the priest which unconsciously handed him. The writer has also used realism in the other action and as well as setting in the story. 

'Moonlight' is the story with the tradition type of plot because action in this plot are developed in the order and sequence without any break and flashback characterization in this story is related to the middle class people. The priest as well as his niece is the typical character because the priest presents the common thinking of the priest is general and even the niece represent the typical nature of the young teenage girls. There is also the realism in this characterization. The setting in this story is also realistic because there is the description of countryside road, beautiful moonlight night and the river side. Narrated by the 3^rd person narrator the story gives us omniscient point of view.

Maupassant language in this story is extraordinarily beautiful because of the descriptive quality, images, symbols, metaphors, illusion and humors are used in this story. The beautiful night with silvery moon seam The subjects decorated by moonlight musical sounds by the insects, lovely river beds with poplars are some of the image of in the story Moonlight as the tile of the story symbolizes the source of knowledge Comparison of the woman with the trap and comparison of the river side of as a temple are the example of metaphorical comparison. There is also the allusion of /bible related to Eve and Edam garden. The priest cutting there times his nose and ear, while shaving him, it is a humor un the language of this story.