Guy de Maupassant
BY: Emory Britt, Nick Geier, Will Palmer,
Bobby Truskowski, Austin Poplin
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Born in 1850
Died in 1893
He was born into an aristocratic family
Spent his childhood in Normandy
After graduating from high school he joined
the armed forces during the Franco-Prussian
War
Following his service in the army he went on
to work as a government clerk
Lived in Paris and improved on his writing
1. (a) What is the mood, or atmosphere, of the
story?
Happy towards the beginning and stressful
towards the end.
(b) How and when is the mood established?
The mood is established when they get
kidnapped.
2. (a) How does Maupassant characterize the
friendship between M. Morissot and M.
Sauvage?
There is an equal friendship between them.
(b) What motivates the two men to go
fishing?
Memories of them going fishing in the past.
3. (a) What is the significance of the fact that
the villages of Colombes and Argenteuil and
the surrounding areas are deserted?
- The war caused the people to leave to safer
areas.
(b) How does the emptiness of the landscape
foreshadow, or hint at, the events that occur
later in the story?
- It has been taken over by enemy forces.
4. (a) Considering the outcome of the story,
what is ironic, or surprising, about M.
Sauvage’s remark that if they met the
Prussians they would “offer them some fish”?
- The Prussians killed them and took their fish.
(b) What is ironic about the happiness that
the men feel when they begin to fish?
- They get kidnapped and shot.
(c) What is ironic about M. Morissot’s remark,
“That’s death for you”?
- They will both die.
5. What is the significance of the two men’s
comments concerning war and its relation to
republics and monarchies?
- It was talking about how there is war
everywhere and they get involved in the war
and killed.
6. How does the description of the physical
appearance and actions of the Prussian
soldiers support the two men’s earlier
impressions of the Prussian forces?
- It shows that their ideas of the Prussians were
true.
7. (a) How would you characterize the Prussian
officer’s manner and the outlook on life?
- He’s a soldier and he has orders that he has
to follow.
(b) How does his outlook on life compare to
that expressed by the two fishermen prior to
the arrival of the Prussians?
- They are feeling good about life and he just
wants to win the war.
8. How does the suddenness of the story’s
climax contribute to its effectiveness?
- It happens all at once so you get the full
effect of how the story ends.
9. (a) What effect does Maupassant produce by
juxtaposing the execution of the fishermen
with the frying of the fish?
- It gives the effect that it’s just another day for
the Prussians.
(b) What is the effect of his juxtaposition of
the peacefulness of fishing with the violence
of war?
- They are opposites that don’t go together,
giving the effect of cruelty.
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A manner of treating subject matter that
presents a careful description of everyday
usual life.
They are showing the characters as real
normal people, not wealthy powerful kings.
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A manner of technique of treating subject
matter that presents through volume, 2a
determination view of human life and actions.
The Natural thing about ‘two friends’ is that
the persons fate is is determined by heredity,
chance, and the elements of their
environment.
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Sometimes called irony of events, is most broadly
defined as a situation where the outcome is
incongruous with what was expected, but it is also
more generally understood as a situation that
includes contradictions or sharp contrasts.
A man who takes a step aside in order to
avoid getting sprinkled by a wet dog, and
falls into a swimming pool."
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The theme of a piece of fiction it is
controlling idea or its central insight. In
order to figure out theme, a reader must
ask what view of life a work supports or
what insight into life in the real world it
reveals.
Sacrificing your own life for your own
Country.
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Protagonist is the main characters of the
story while the Antagonist is the opposing
characters of the story.
The protagonist of ‘Two Friends’ is
M.Morissot and M. Sauvage
The Antagonist of ‘Two Friends’ is Prussians
that attack M.Morissot and M.Sauvage.
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Conflict is to come into collision or
disagreement; be contradictory, at variance,
or in opposition; clash.
The Conflict is that the Prussians are
attacking France.
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The Franco Prussian War was fought between
the French and the Prussians from July 19th
1870 to May 10th 1871. The outnumbered
French troops were beaten back, surrounded
in Paris, and surrendered.
Some major battles were Sedan, Paris, Toul,
and Metz.
"Wars of the World* ." Franco Prussian War
1870-1871. Armed Conflict Events
Database, 16/12/00. Web. 8 Sep 2011.
http://www.onwar.com/aced/data/foxtrot/
franceprussia1870.htm
Why go to war?
Napoleon III
declared war
on Prussia in
fear of being
attacked so he
attacked first.
Otto Von
Bismarck
Otto Von
Bismarck saw
war with
France a
chance to
unify the
German
States.
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M. Morissot and M. Sauvage are accused of
being spies and will not give up the password
to get into the city so they are killed by the
Prussians.
If there was no war they could fish with no
worries but there is a war and they are killed
for not giving up the password to get into
Paris, to the Prussians.
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They met on the side of the road after one
year of fighting. After they meet they would
go fishing.
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After they met, morissot went to get the pass
from his friend Cl. Dumoulin.
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Every Sunday Morissot would grab his bamboo
pole and get on the Argenteuil railroad. He
would get off at Colombes and walk over to
Marante island. As soon as he arived to this spot
he would begin to fish until nightfall.
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The Prussians spoke in their language and
then grabbed morissot by the arm and
whispered to him. He commanded the
password. Then the soldier raised there rifle
and the officer shouted “fire!”
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The Prussians capture Morissot and sauvage
demanding the password. After both the guys
denied giving the password they were shot
and killed.
http://www.myfakewall.com/w/Morissot+Sauv
age