Two Little Soldiers By: Guy de Maupassant | Exercise English | Literature

Two Little Soldiers

Guy de Maupassant 

Summary:

This is a triangular tragic love story with an unexpected twist. In it we find two soldiers, Luc and Jean, falling in love with a dairymaid. 

The two friends Luc and Jean were in the same barracks. It was their pleasure to take a walk to a particular place at a nearby jungle, carrying some food. The place reminded them of their home. They did it every Sunday. They used to take their lunch, talk and return back to their barracks. It had become almost a ritual for them.

There, they noticed a certain milkmaid who used to walk past them on her way to milk her cow. Though they had never talked with her, but it pleased them to watch her. 

One Sunday she talked to them. She even gave them some milk. The following Sunday they came with a candy for her as a gift, which she ate happily. That day also she gave them some milk while returning from the pastures. 

Now the two friends used to wait eagerly for Sundays. The whole week they thought and talked of her. Thus, they met on several Sundays. One Tuesday something unusual took place. Luc took leave from the barracks and went out, and returned at about ten at night. Neither he told anything to Jean, nor Jean could know reason behind it. The following Friday too, Luc borrowed some money from one friend and took leave for several hours. Next Sunday, when the two friends were on their usual visit to their favorite place, Luc seemed disturbed and his behavior seemed changed. Although Jean couldn't understand exactly, but he suspected something vaguely, but nothing was clear.

Soon the girl came. When she came nearer, this day Luc got up and went near her. They both hugged and kissed each other without taking any notice of Jean. Then they went from there. They stopped and milked the cow and leaving the pail, they disappeared in the woods. Jean was upset and heartbroken by this event.

After some time, the two returned back, hand in hand, and after kissing Luc again she went from there. When the two friends were returning from there, like every Sunday, they stopped at the bridge. Jean leaned over the railings and suddenly dropped down in the river, and drowned. Thus, he committed suicide. Luc was left stupefied and shocked at this sudden happening.

 

Understanding the Text:

Answer these questions: 

a. Why do the two soldiers spend their free time on Sundays away from the barracks out in the country side?

Ans: The two friends stayed in the barracks away from their home. They often felt homesick. So, every Sunday, they used to leave their barracks, and visit a peaceful place which reminded them of their home.

 

b. Why does the girl become the topic of conversation for these soldiers?

Ans:  The two friends and the girl became more and more intimate. She even started to share their lunch. So, she occupied a place in their hearts. Even in the barracks, they remembered her and spoke of her.

 

c. Why does deception enter into their friendship?

Ans:  Deception entered into friendship because of the dairy maid. Unfortunately, both friends fell in love with her. But before Jean could understand his new found love properly, Luc moved and won her love. This was the way deception entered into their friendship. 

 

d. Do you think Luc was a betrayer?

Ans:  The answer to this is open to audiences. Some people think that he was a betrayer, whereas some others think he was not. 

I think he was betrayer. Had his heart been clear, he would have told his friend about his two visits. He knew that his friend would not like it. Further, even on the last day, when they were on their usual visit to the jungle, he didn't open his heart to Jean. Thus form the very beginning, we find him keeping his friend in dark about his developed relationship with the girl. This is enough to think that he was a betrayer.

 

e. What is the cause of suicide of Jean? Do you think that it was the only release of his love?

Ans:  There is not a single cause of the tragic event. His suicide is the outcome of several emotions. On the surficial level, he commits suicide because of his friend's betrayal. He was hurt by the way Luc kept him in dark about the whole thing. He was also hurt by the way Luc and the girl behaved before him, totally ignoring him. He felt he had lost his friend forever.

Finally, as he could not release his emotions by talking about it to Luc, he released it through committing suicide. 

 

Reference to the Context:

a. What is the central theme of the of the story?

Ans: The central theme of this story is conflict between friendship and love. It is about the incompatibility of friendship and romantic love. When two friends fall in love with the same girl, friendship cannot survive and it ends in tragic circumstances.  

 

b. "What are you doing here? Are you watching the grass grow?"

1.Who is the speaker?

Ans:  The milkmaid is the speaker.

2. What does the word "here" indicate?

Ans:  "Here" means on the ground full of grass.

3. Who does "you" refer to?

Ans:  "You" refers to the two friends.

 

c. "He leaned--he--he was leaning--so far over--that his head carried him away --and--he--fell--he--fell----"

1.Who is the speaker?

Ans:  Luc is the speaker.

2.Why is the speaker speaking with interruption?

Ans:  He is speaking with interruption because he is extremely shocked, scared and panicked at the sudden and unbelievable event, and words are not coming out easily.

3. What does he mean when he says "he--fell--he fell---"?

Ans:  He is narrating the event to perhaps to his senior. By this broken sentence perhaps he is narrating the slow motion in which Jean left the bridge and dropped in the river.

 

d. Two Little soldiers can be viewed as a series of dramatic scenes. Describe the story as tragedy.

Ans:   Although the action of the story appears to continue, but we can find a series of dramatic scenes in this story. The writer has brought this effect by changing points of view. Point of view changes as the scenes change. 

In the beginning, we find third person omniscient point of view, where the writer gives us simple information. This works mostly as orientation part of the story. Then comes another scene, when Luc goes on leave on two occasions up to the two friends go to the woods last time, girl's arrival and the behavior of Luc and the girl. Here there is limited point view, which presents Jean's point of view. The final scene when the two friends return back to the barracks. Here we find Luc's point of view leading up to the tragedy. Here readers are not given any information of Jean's feelings.

(Story as a tragedy) Traditionally a tragedy depends upon human suffering. It is when some terrible or sorrowful events befall (strike) a main character. Loosely telling, it is related with the misfortune of the character.

Here in this case, tragedy occurs because of the sudden discovery of the relationship of Luc and the girl and their behavior became so unbearable for Jean that he could not carry it up to the barracks, and takes away own life.

In conclusion we can say that a strong internal conflict led the event to tragedy.

 

e. What is the setting and style of the story?

Ans: The setting of the story is French countryside, near the town of Courbevoie. It has a pastural surrounding. The scene is so peaceful and wonderful. 

Maupassant is known for his realistic style of writing. But he doesn't follow all its principles of realistic writing strictly. We find the same in this story too. Unlike the principles of realism, the writer has changed points of view in this story, which has helped him to bring the tragedy more effectively.

 

f.  How would you describe the conflict between the friends?

Ans:  The central issue of this story is conflict between friendship and love. Like any love triangle in this story too love brings conflict between two friends.

Both of them fall in love with the same girl. But it goes unexpressed. They don't talk about this topic. So, neither of them has any knowledge of the other's love with the girl. Luc's unusual move (taking leave) sows the seeds of conflict between the two. At the end the behavior of the girl and Luc hit the final nail. Jean was so overwhelmed that he could not overcome it, and finally took his own life.

If the two friends had ever talked about their love, this tragedy would not have taken place.  

 

Reference beyond the text:

a. Is good to have conflict between friendship and love? Is it morally good that a person and his best friend can love the same person?

Ans:  No, it is good to have conflicts between friendship and love. These two are entirely different things, which should never be meshed up. In fact, there should be no type of conflict in friendship.

Friends are important in life. If friends positively affect our emotional wellbeing, conflict in them often brings stress and frustration, sometimes leading up to death as in the case of these two friends.

No, it is morally not good that a person and his best friend should love the same person.

 

b. How would you describe the triangular love?

Ans:  Many fictions depend on the theme of love triangle. It is usually a romantic relationship involving three people. In a love triangle, there are two people who compete against each other of the undivided attention of a single interest. In most of these there is   competition and jealousy between the two suitors one of which win the love.

In Two Little Soldiers, there are two friends and a dairymaid. Both the friends fall in love with her. But more than jealousy or competition, there is an information gap between the two friends. As they never talked about their love, none of them had any knowledge about the other's love. This is the main reason that Luc took the move and won her love.