Short Fiction · Chapter
Old Mongilet explained
Old Mongilet, an eccentric office clerk who has never left Paris, recounts his one and only disastrous trip to the countryside twenty years ago.
What happens
Old Mongilet, an eccentric office clerk who has never left Paris, recounts his one and only disastrous trip to the countryside twenty years ago. Invited by his friend Boivin to Colombes, he endures a miserable day: a tiny, sunless garden, a hostile wife, a meager lunch, a drunken brawl, and getting lost in a vineyard at night. The experience convinced him never to leave Paris again, preferring instead his imaginary journeys by omnibus.
Themes in this chapter
Illusion vs. Reality
Mongilet's idealized vision of Parisian omnibus travel is contrasted with the harsh reality of his one country excursion, which was filled with discomfort, drunkenness, and humiliation.
Isolation and Loneliness
Mongilet's preference for solitary omnibus rides over social outings highlights his isolation; the countryside visit only reinforces his alienation.
Marriage and Domesticity
Boivin's marriage is depicted as a prison of nagging, stinginess, and resentment, with his wife controlling every aspect of his life, including his drinking and hospitality.
Characters to notice
- Guy de Maupassant
Narrator of the frame story, recounting Old Mongilet's tale.
- Monsieur Parent
Old Mongilet, the eccentric clerk who never leaves Paris.
Key passages
“You are like a lot of sheep! A nice place, this country you talk of!”
Mongilet dismisses his colleagues' enthusiasm for the countryside, calling them mindless followers.
Mongilet's contempt for the pastoral ideal is established early.
“I would not give my excursions in the omnibus for all your stupid excursions in the woods.”
He values his urban bus rides more than any rural outing.
Highlights his preference for the imagined drama of city streets over real nature.
“That is why I never married, and why I never go out of Paris.”
His disastrous trip convinced him to remain single and stay within the city limits.
The moral of the story: the countryside and marriage are both traps to be avoided.