Kiani Hernandez
Art and Literature paper
20/2/14
Both Maupassant and Daumier analyze and satirize the class system in Paris. By pinpointing and exaggerating certain features, the writer and artist can point flaws by making them larger than life and seemingly unreal. In Boule De Suif, Maupassant looks at an aspect of each class and how they mingle with each other as several people travel out of war torn France. A successful courtesan, for which the short story is titled, who is seen as lower because of her line of work; when she is needed to help the higher ups she is used and discarded. A haughty wine merchant and his self righteous wife who see lower class workers as below them and mere things to be used to their advantage. Daumier used his art to the same effect. He shows a woman revealing that she is in a position not usually held by men in his drawing The audience at Odéon; everyone is shocked and backing away from. Daumier draws a haughty and self-involved Menelaus in his piece Conqueror Menelaus along with his female escort who is always walking as if she is above everyone and everything. Both methods make people rethink the people, class system or political powers that surround them; which can hold very real power.
Firstly, I want to look at the portrayal of Elisabeth Rousset or Boule de soif. Miss Rousset is described as being beautiful, much like a “peony bud just bursting into bloom”. She is highly sought after in her world but in the carriage full of “respectable” people she is seen as a “hussy”. Other than her occupation, there is no reason to whisper such words about her. She is smart, kind and a caring person to a fault. She had the wherewithal to pack food for the journey to Totes, which turned out to be much longer than everyone in the carriage previously thought. Sir Loiseau goes as far as to tell the whole carriage that Rousset has “…more forethought than the rest of us. Some people think of everything.” She is also...