# A Million explained — Short Fiction > Chapter companion for Short Fiction by Guy de Maupassant. ## What happens Léopold Bonnin and his wife are modest clerks expecting a million-franc inheritance from a wealthy aunt, but the will stipulates the fortune goes to their firstborn child within three years or to the poor. Their desperate attempts to conceive lead to marital strife, public ridicule at the office, and a fraught reconciliation after the wife becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son named Dieudonné, securing the inheritance. ## Themes in this chapter ### Social Class and Money The entire plot revolves around the pursuit of a million-franc inheritance, exposing how financial desperation corrupts relationships and personal integrity. ### Marriage and Domesticity The Bonnins' marriage is tested by the pressure to conceive, leading to bitter recriminations and a fragile reconciliation after the birth of their son. ### Obsession and Delusion Both husband and wife become obsessively fixated on the inheritance, with their desperation driving them to near-madness and irrational behavior. ## Character check-ins ### Monsieur Parent Léopold Bonnin, a conventional and painstaking government clerk, is the husband whose desperate efforts to conceive for the inheritance nearly ruin his health and marriage. ### Madame Loisel Madame Bonnin, the wife, is initially placid but becomes bitterly taunting toward her husband over the lost inheritance, eventually becoming pregnant and securing the fortune. ### Cornudet Frédéric Morel, a colleague known as a roué, teases Bonnin about the inheritance and later becomes a friend of the house, though he is eventually banned after allegedly insulting Madame Bonnin. ### Duc de Servigny The wealthy aunt, though not named directly, is the source of the million-franc legacy and the will's condition, which drives the plot. ## Key lines > It was a modest clerk’s household. The husband, who was employed in a Government office, was conventional and painstaking, and he always was very careful in the discharge of his duties. The story begins in the home of a humble clerk, where the husband, Léopold Bonnin, is a diligent and conventional government employee. _Establishes the setting and character of Léopold Bonnin._ > The wealthy aunt, however, was not to be consoled, and was profuse with practical advice. The rich aunt, disappointed by the couple's childlessness, constantly offers them advice on how to conceive. _Highlights the aunt's role in pressuring the couple._ > Finally she died. The young people experienced a delighted relief which they sought to conceal from themselves as well as from the outside world. When the aunt dies, the Bonnins feel a secret relief, though they try to hide it from others and themselves. _Reveals the couple's true feelings about the aunt's interference._ > Should the young couple have no offspring within three years, the money was to go to the poor and needy. The will stipulates that if the Bonnins do not have a child within three years, the fortune will be donated to charity. _The central conflict of the story: the time-limited condition of the inheritance._ > He persisted in his endeavours for six months, until he was but the shadow of his former self. Léopold tries desperately to conceive for six months, exhausting himself to the point of illness. _Shows the physical toll of his obsession._ > And Madame Bonnin never stopped saying over and over again: “Isn’t it dreadful to lose a fortune because one happens to have married a fool!” Madame Bonnin constantly blames her husband for the potential loss of the inheritance, calling him a fool. _Illustrates the marital tension and blame-shifting._ > A boy was born, whom they christened Dieudonné, in remembrance of the practice in royal households. The Bonnins have a son and name him Dieudonné, a name historically used by royalty to signify a gift from God. _The resolution: the birth of the heir secures the fortune._ > And it is worth while to hear Madame Bonnin talk about women who have transgressed for love, and those whom a great passion has led to adultery. After securing the inheritance, Madame Bonnin hypocritically moralizes about women who commit adultery for love. _Ends with ironic commentary on Madame Bonnin's self-righteousness._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_23_se/chapters/a-million - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_23_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_23_se/chapters