Sunday, April 9, 2017

What do Morissort and Sauavge feel about the prospect of Prussians showing up in "Two Friends"?

"Two Friends" tells the story of two Parisians going fishing with the Prussian army making its advance—with fatal consequences by the story's end.
Taken as a whole, there is a certain tension in their attitude regarding the Prussians. On the one hand, Maupassant establishes that they share an animosity against the Prussians, shaped by the experience of the war. They resent the Prussian invaders and the effect this war has had upon France and upon their own way of life.
At the same time, however, despite their negative feelings regarding the Prussians, they also share a dangerous carelessness regarding the potential threat this army might pose. Additionally, in their conversation, they reveal a certain apathetic cynicism concerning the war, government, and the world around them. This general attitude will have lethal repercussions in the story's conclusion.

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