Guy de Maupassant
Younger Years
- Born on August 5, 1850 in France
- He attended multiple acclaimed private schools where he studied drama, poetry, classical literature.
- During high school, he became friends with French writer Gustave Flaubert, who later became a leading factor in literary realism in France.
- In 1868, after graduation, he became a volunteer in the Navy during the Franco-Prussian War. He served as a civil servant for 10 years.
- After the war, he became an editor for newspapers and started his literature career.
A Literary Legend
- Guy de Maupassant is known as the "Father of Modern Short Story".
- He has written over 300 short stories, 6 novels, travel books, and a book of poetry.
- Some of his inspiration came from the time he spent in the war.
- His writing style falls under naturalism (extreme realism).
- The majority of his writing revolved around the war and aspects of French society in the 19th century.
Famous Works
Maupassant Meets the End
- When he was in his 20s, he contracted syphilis which later caused his mental and physical state to deteriorate.
- Often he would take trips around the country because he thought that he had to always be moving.
- When he was 42 he tried to commit suicide by slitting his throat. After his failed attempt, he was put in an asylum in Paris. There he died one year later from his disease.
"Words dazzle and deceive because they are mimed by the face. But black words on a white page are the soul laid bare"
-Guy de Maupassant
Citations
Boule De Suif. Book Node. Web. 30 Mar. 2016.
Guy De Maupassant. E-Books Library. Web. 30 Mar. 2016.
"Guy De Maupassant." 2016. The Famous People website. 30 Mar. 2016
"(henri) (rene Albert) Guy De Maupassant." Gale Online Encyclopedia. Detroit: Gale, 2016. Literature Resource Center. Web. 9 Mar. 2016.
La Parure. Goodreads. Web. 30 Mar. 2016.
"Maupassant, Guy de." Merriam Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 1995. Literature Resource Center. Web. 9 Mar. 2016.
The Necklace. Fantastic Fiction. Web. 30 Mar. 2016.
Presentation by Lauren Middleton