Short Fiction · Chapter
The Farmer explained
Baron René de Treilles invites a friend to his farm at Marinville for shooting.
What happens
Baron René de Treilles invites a friend to his farm at Marinville for shooting. Upon arrival, they are greeted by the farmer, Master Lebrument, an old and devoted servant. After dinner, the Baron recounts the tragic story of Lebrument's marriage to Louise, a former chambermaid. Louise, who was in love with the Baron, reluctantly married John but pined away from grief, eventually dying of a broken heart. On her deathbed, she made John promise to tell the Baron the truth, which he faithfully does years later.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Desire
Louise's unrequited love for the Baron leads to her physical decline and eventual death, illustrating the destructive power of hidden desire.
Cruelty and Suffering
The emotional cruelty of forcing Louise into a marriage she did not want, and the suffering of both John and Louise as a result of this arrangement.
Social Class and Money
The Baron's family uses money and authority to pressure Louise into marriage, demonstrating how class and wealth dictate personal destinies.
Illusion vs. Reality
The outward appearance of a happy marriage and successful farm life contrasts with the hidden reality of Louise's fatal grief and John's quiet tragedy.
Characters to notice
- Duc de Servigny
The narrator and friend of Baron René de Treilles, invited to the farm for shooting.
- Monsieur Saval
Baron René de Treilles, the host who tells the story of his farmer's tragic marriage.
- Guy de Maupassant
The author, present as the narrator in the frame story.
- Old Amable
Master Lebrument, the farmer and former orderly, who faithfully delivers his wife's deathbed confession.
Key passages
“I caught hold of his hands across the table, and wept.”
The Baron grasped the farmer's hands and cried.
The Baron's emotional reaction to hearing the farmer's confession about his wife's death.
“She begged me to deliver something to you... a confession.”
Louise asked John to give the Baron a message, which was essentially a confession.
The farmer reveals that his dying wife wanted the Baron to know the true cause of her death.
“I have never deceived you, never, neither before nor after our marriage, never.”
Louise swore to John that she had never been unfaithful to him.
Louise's deathbed declaration of fidelity to her husband, despite her love for the Baron.