# The Return to Sainte-Severe and the Moral of the Story explained — Mauprat

> Chapter companion for Mauprat by George Sand.

## What happens

Bernard and Edmée return to Sainte-Severe after her mourning period, marry in a modest ceremony with close friends, and settle into a happy life. Bernard reflects on their years together, Edmée's influence on him, their experiences during the Revolution, and the moral lessons of his story, emphasizing the power of education, love, and the rejection of fatalism.

## Themes in this chapter

### Moral Transformation

Bernard credits Edmée's love and education for correcting his violent passions and shaping his character.

### Love and Fidelity

Bernard's eternal love for Edmée and their lifelong partnership are central to the chapter.

### Justice and Injustice

Bernard argues against capital punishment and fatalism, advocating for education and mercy in justice.

## Character check-ins

### Edmée de Mauprat

Returns to Sainte-Severe, marries Bernard, and continues to educate and guide him throughout their life together.

### Bernard Mauprat

Narrates the return, marriage, and later years, crediting Edmée for his moral transformation.

### Patience

Attends the wedding banquet and later serves as a judge during the Revolution.

### Marcasse

Remains with Bernard until his death near the end of the French Revolution.

### Sir Arthur Lee

Attends the wedding and later returns to Philadelphia; Bernard visits him after being widowed.

### Abbé Aubert

Attends the wedding and is described as the Girondin of the family, troubled by the Revolution's violence.

## Key lines

> Every man needs to be loved before he can be worth anything; but each in a different way; one with never-failing indulgence, another with unflinching severity.

Each person requires love to become virtuous, but the kind of love needed varies—some need constant patience, others strict discipline.

_Bernard reflects on the individualized nature of moral education._

> Do not believe in any absolute and inevitable fate; and yet acknowledge, in a measure, that we are moulded by instincts, our faculties, the impressions of our infancy, the surroundings of our earliest childhood.

Reject the idea of an unchangeable destiny, but recognize that our early experiences and innate traits shape who we become.

_Bernard offers the moral of his story, balancing free will with environmental influence._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/mauprat_se/chapters/xxx
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/mauprat_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/mauprat_se/chapters