# The Burglar explained — Short Fiction

> Chapter companion for Short Fiction by Guy de Maupassant.

## What happens

An old artist recounts a drunken night at the studio of the late Sorieul, where he, Sorieul, and Le Poittevin, costumed as soldiers, discover a real burglar hiding in a cupboard. After a mock trial and a series of absurd threats, they eventually befriend the terrified intruder, share punch with him, and let him go at dawn.

## Themes in this chapter

### Obsession and Delusion

The artists' drunken delusion transforms a real burglar into a plaything for their military fantasy, blurring the line between jest and cruelty.

### Cruelty and Suffering

The burglar is terrorized, bound, and threatened with execution, highlighting the casual cruelty of the artists' prank.

### Illusion vs. Reality

The artists' theatrical role-playing clashes with the very real fear and helplessness of the burglar, only to dissolve into absurd camaraderie by dawn.

## Character check-ins

### Sorieul

The host of the dinner, now deceased; he instigates the military costumes and the mock trial of the burglar.

### Guy de Maupassant

The narrator of the story, who participates as a cuirassier and later as prosecutor in the mock trial.

### Mouche

Referenced as Le Poittevin, the marine painter, who plays the grenadier and suggests starving the burglar.

## Key lines

> I tell you, you will not believe it.

The narrator insists the story is true despite its implausibility.

_Opening line that sets up the tale's claim to authenticity._

> The funniest part of my story is that it really happened.

The narrator concludes that the humor lies in the story's factual basis.

_Closing line that reinforces the story's veracity._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_23_se/chapters/the-burglar
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_23_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_23_se/chapters