Short Fiction · Chapter
The Donkey explained
Two junk-gatherers, Labouise and Maillochon, poach and torture a donkey for sport, eventually killing it by shooting it in the mouth.
What happens
Two junk-gatherers, Labouise and Maillochon, poach and torture a donkey for sport, eventually killing it by shooting it in the mouth. They then deceive a wine shop owner into buying the carcass as if it were a deer, pocketing twenty francs.
Themes in this chapter
Cruelty and Suffering
The deliberate, prolonged torture of the donkey by Labouise and Maillochon exemplifies wanton cruelty for entertainment.
Social Class and Money
The men's poverty drives them to poach and deceive, and they value the donkey only for its potential monetary gain, selling its carcass for twenty francs.
Characters to notice
- Labouise
A junk-gatherer and poacher who tortures and kills a donkey for amusement, then tricks an innkeeper into buying the carcass.
- Maillochon
Labouise's partner in poaching; he participates in the donkey's torture and shares in the deception.
Key passages
“Labouise, in great humour, got the gun and held it out to Maillochon, saying: 'Each one in turn; we're going after big game, kid. Don't get so near or you'll kill it right off! You must make the pleasure last a little.'”
Labouise cheerfully handed the gun to Maillochon, instructing him to shoot from a distance to prolong the donkey's suffering for their amusement.
Highlights the men's deliberate cruelty and their view of the donkey as a plaything.
“Labouise stretched out his hand, exclaiming: 'No, it's not that! It's not a buck. I should have seen the horns. No, it's not a buck!'”
Labouise insisted the animal was not a buck, claiming he would have noticed antlers, to maintain the deception about the donkey's identity.
Shows the men's cunning in deceiving the innkeeper for profit.