On the work of Guy de Maupassant


Being a disciple and follower of G. Flaubert, Maupassant in his work adhered to the priorities of his teacher, which included the description of everyday life and customs of different strata of society, the formulation of acute issues of modern social and moral life, the study of human psychology, the impeccably polished style. At the same time, having experienced the influence of naturalistic writers, Maupassant relied on the idea of ​​a person close to him as a being subordinated to biological laws, his natural essence. Hence the characteristic significance of his work for depicting the natural “interior” of the personality, the sphere of human instincts. The popular ideas of the German philosopher A. Schopenhauer also had a tangible impact on the writer,

In short, but rich in artistic achievements of the writer’s life, researchers identify two stages, which coincide in time, respectively, with the first and second half of the 1880s.

The first period

was marked by the flourishing of Maupassant’s short stories and the appearance of two of his most successful novels – “Life” and “Darling Friend.” The second stage was characterized by an increase in the writer’s interest in the genre of the novel and the intensification of pessimistic and mystical motives in his works.

In his novels Maupassant appeared as an outstanding realist, analyst and life writer of the life of the French society of the Third Republic, a writer who combined the skill of psychological analysis with the gift of a caustic satirist.

The writer made a significant contribution to the development of the novel, saturating it with clearly outlined and at the same time unpredictable human characters, unexpected but internally truthful dramatic situations, a subtle psychological picture, lyrical digressions. In this case, the refusal of the intricate intrigue of Maupassant counterbalanced the buildup of psychological stress and the strengthening of the moral and emotional sound, and the laconicism of the artistic image – a thoughtful composition and capacious artistic details. The central place in Maupassant’s novelism was occupied by themes of love and war, developed in a wide emotional and psychological range, from mischievous humor to deep tragedy.


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On the work of Guy de Maupassant