Short Fiction · Chapter
The Horrible explained
General de G—— recounts two harrowing stories to illustrate the true meaning of 'horror': the mistaken execution of a woman as a spy during the Franco-Prussian War, and the cannibalistic survival of the Flatters Mission in the desert.
What happens
General de G—— recounts two harrowing stories to illustrate the true meaning of 'horror': the mistaken execution of a woman as a spy during the Franco-Prussian War, and the cannibalistic survival of the Flatters Mission in the desert.
Themes in this chapter
Cruelty and Suffering
The execution of an innocent woman mistaken for a spy and the cannibalistic survival of the Flatters Mission exemplify extreme human cruelty and suffering.
Illusion vs. Reality
The general contrasts the superficial horror of an accident with the deeper, more disturbing reality of war and survival.
Isolation and Loneliness
The desert retreat and the solitary march of the survivors highlight profound isolation.
Characters to notice
- Guy de Maupassant
Narrator of the frame story, present at the gathering where the general tells his tales.
- Duc de Servigny
Implied as one of the men smoking and listening to the general's story.
Key passages
“The hackneyed word ‘horrible’ carries much more meaning than the word ‘terrible’ does.”
The general argues that 'horrible' implies a deeper, more mysterious terror than 'terrible'.
Sets up the philosophical distinction that frames the two stories.
“I saw two gendarmes holding the arms of a strange-looking little man, old, beardless, quite amazing in appearance.”
The general describes the initial sighting of the supposed spy, who is later revealed to be a woman.
Key moment of mistaken identity leading to tragedy.
“Suddenly one of them stammered: ‘Damn it all, Major; it’s a woman!’”
During the search of the executed body, the gendarmes discover the victim is female.
The shocking revelation that defines the horror of the first story.
“Then the survivors realised that they would be obliged to eat each other...”
The Flatters Mission survivors are forced into cannibalism to survive.
Climactic moment of the second story, illustrating the ultimate horror.