19th century Paris: Shifting Norms and Ironic Storytelling in Maupassant’s “Bel-ami”

Abstract

Published in 1885, Maupassant’s “Bel-ami” is a novel in which the reader is constantly drawn by the visual appeal of the colourful descriptions. The sensorial quality of Maupassant’s prose leads us to visualize each scene and to observe the characters’ manners and behavior as the narrative moves rapidly along in a series of brief descriptions of scenes punctuated by the protagonist’s internal speech. Short paragraphs, lively and picturesque sentences exert an unmistakable influence on our reading. Although the novel can be read as the story about the advance of a mediocre man to social and political prominence, this paper will show that Maupassant uses a dual-voiced discourse and juxtaposes a recognizable 19th century Paris and his protagonist’s sexual exploits in order to call our attention to the duplicity of the Parisian society during Belle-époque. In spite of his carefully assumed impartiality, we shall see that Maupassant’s style is marked by ironical comments where apparently insignificant remarks reveal their implications as the narrative unfolds.