Irony Used in
------with the symbolic meaning of title
Song Jingyi D01
In , Maupassant uses irony to satirize humanity in that social environment, and the title “The False Gems” also has its symbolic significance. In the context, the most prominent representatives are Monsieur Lantin and his wife, through discussing those two characters, we will know the social environment and the prevalence of money worship and bureaucracy in the 19th century in France.
Maupassant describes Lantin’s wife as a “stunner”, which made Lantin fall in love with her at first glance. They two got married soon after and their married life was happy. It seems wonderful, but isn’t it implies she has many other pursuers? Just like Maupassant writes in the context, “People
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Lantin, in this story he has complicated emotional changes. In the beginning of the story, he truly loved his wife, we can see in the context that after his wife’s death, “Monsieur Lantin’s despair was so great that his hair became white in one month”, “time did not assuage his grief”. However, life is tough, he couldn’t bear it, finally “one evening, finding himself without a cent in his pocket”, therefore, “immediately the thought occurred to him of disposing of his wife’s paste jewels”. After he knew his wife had affairs, even though he was ashamed he sold all the jewels and ignored the clerks’ sneer. I think, this is the power of money, it can totally change a person as time goes on. Just like Monsieur Lantin who is a frank office clerk, can not resist the temptation of money, after became rich he also went to theatre and enjoyed it. Besides, the two marriages of Monsieur Lantin also shows something. The first marriage is wonderful before Lantin knew his wife’s affairs, after he knew the affairs, he only felt ashamed and suffering. However, the second marriage also made him suffered, even though the wife is a “rule” person. The description of Lantin’s marriage is also an irony, the author wants to tell the readers that the marriage is miserable. As the main character of , Monsieur Lantin definitely was given a lot by the author, the emotional changes and the behavior changes of Mr. Lantin show the complicate and abnormal humanity from levels on exist, psychology and culture. In that society, where the money worship and bureaucracy are in vogue, the weakness of human is