Lam 1 Sample Student Paper 2 Professor Crozier English 1C Lit Ana 26 July 2010 Shedding a Light on Guy de Maupassant s Farewell Summary: The short story Farewell by Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) articulates the idea that physical beauty is often seen as the foundation of a person s character. The story starts with two friends talking over dinner about growing old. One man expresses that, as opposed to feeling full of life, he feels older and full of regrets. However, the other man exclaims that he has always been merry, healthy, vigorous and all the rest. The man with the positive outlook on his maturation goes on to explain that he had never thought of himself as getting older, until he coincidently crossed path with a woman with whom he had previously had an affair. He explained that when he first laid eyes on her, she was the most beautiful thing that he ever could imagine. They had an affair that lasted for three months, but, subsequently, lost contact. Years later, they came in contact again and Carnier finds that his memory of this perfect beauty is tarnished as Lefevre has four children and has gained weight. Interpretation: when was it written and how was it written. Who is the author s meaning over time and currently, how has it evolved? Although Farewell was written over a century ago, the superficiality in the story draws similarities to people s perception of beauty in modern day society especially considering the innovation of today s technology, such as the internet, which
Lam 2 enables people to easily reconnect with people with a click of a button. Facebook, for instance, has become one of the largest social networks in the world for users of all ages, races, genders, and religions. Based on my personal experiences, I stumbled upon the web-pages of people who I knew from my past; and at first glance, I didn t recognize them, but upon further investigation photos, I remembered their identities. Similar to Carnier s experience, positive and negative thoughts have crossed my mind regarding the changes that occur in people s physical attributes. These thoughts helped me come to terms with the process of life, just as Carnier when he looked at himself in the mirror. Moreover, beautiful people, by the definition of society, are likely to have more friends on social networking websites, like Facebook, than those who appear to be less attractive. When Carnier reunites with his ex lover who he described as being a big, fat, common woman, he cannot accept the fact that she has gotten older, noting that he was overwhelmed with sadness (de Maupassant, 1). This superficiality is a representation of society s negative perception of physical maturation. Instead of this natural process being viewed as a sign of beauty, it demonstrates a societal stigma of unattractiveness. Fundamentally, it displays humans preference of youth for their choice of mate a concept that has evolved since the existence of life. Evaluate : evaluate based on assumptions. Does it give you any living guts about life? What is its worth to the world? Have we evolved? Find its value. How is it relevant? How does it help us learn about ourselves? Your opinion and support with an argument. Maupassant provides an insight on life and beauty through the eyes of Carnier s to help us understand that while the aging process is inevitable, certain perceptions that we have when we were younger do not change despite the changes of our surroundings.
Lam 3 For instance, although Carnier is older and has expanded his life experiences, he still looks at beauty through the same lens as he did when he was in his twenties. For many years, he continued to fantasize about this woman that he once loved, only to find out that she has indeed grown older. Instead of falling in love with the woman, he falls in love with the concept of external beauty that undoubtedly fades over time. When we speak of beauty, women are often subjected to harsh criticisms. Carnier clearly states, And women... all their joy, all their power, all their life, lies in their beauty, which lasts ten years (de Maupassant, 1). This is a shallow statement that holds untrue because each individual has a different meaning of what is beautiful. This tells us that society, especially with the influence of media, has placed a tremendous pressure on women to achieve and maintain their beauty. Today, more than ever, young girls are more willing to go under the knife to attain beauty that they believe meets the expectations of society. Theory: analyze. What theories do you have? Does it have a meaning? Does it tell us anything about life or is it just an invented story? Carnier exemplifies an individual that is self-absorbed and is unable to take notice of his surroundings until he is faced with the facts of his past. Maupassant s message in Farewell is to share the concept that some people accept the natural ebb and flow of life and some people do not. Although the stages of life remain the same, people go through and accept these stages at different points in their lives. Carnier exemplifies this concept through his encounter with Lefevre; it is only at this point that he reflects and finds that he too is not the handsome young man that he once was when he was in his twenties. In addition, Carnier repeatedly describes the woman that he had an affair in vivid details; however, these descriptions focus solely on external beauty, instead of
Lam 4 one s inner soul. When they meet again, Carnier never seems to look past the fact that his long lost love is a big, fat, common woman. He cannot accept the fact that she is older because he still sees himself as practically a youth. Maupassant illustrates this picture of youthfulness to redefine beauty and to remind people to not only recognize the increasing numbers of their age, but to also embrace the changes reflected in the mirror so there would be a greater appreciation for life and its surrounding. Conclusion: Although the process of life cannot be halted, some people may believe that they are exempt from the aging process. Through Carnier s anecdote, it is seen that although he is getting older, he fantasizes about a previous encounter between him and a women that is based on external appearance. He feels that he is still young and when he reunites with the woman through a chance encounter he realizes that she has aged and has a moment of reflection, which troubles him. This shows that one must count positive experiences in life as a whole not years in part and as time progresses and as people age, people must remember the eternal beauty of one s heart and soul instead of the fading attractiveness of one s external appearance. Works Cited de Maupassant, Guy. Farewell. About.com: Classic Literature : 1, August 2010. http://classiclit.about.com/library/bl-etexts/gdemaupassant/bl-gdemaupfarewell.htm
Lam 5 NOTES: This student obviously took out the gray area when turning in the paper. But used it while writing the paper. It helped her focus on the points she was to discuss. Works cited example from document from a website is below. This website will help you create your works cited for anything. http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/legacylib/mlahcc.html HOW TO: ARTICLES IN ONLINE PERIODICALS [5.9.4] Author. "Title of Article." Title of Publication Date: Page(s) or Section(s), if numbered. Date of Access <URL>. Gima, Craig. "Whale's Body Found Near Hanalei Bay." Honolulu Star-Bulletin.com 6 July 2004. 4 Sept. 2004 <http://starbulletin.com/2004/07/06/news/story1.html>. Gundy, Jess. "The Complexities of Use of Force." Law and Order Dec 2003. 13 May 2004 <http://www.hendonpub.com/lawmag/catalog.cfm?dest=itempg&itemid=10350&linkon =category&linkid=87&secid=15>.