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An Interpretive Approach
to Reading French Literature
by Lisa DeMar '03

        Through close reading and interpretative analysis, an understanding of the different styles of writing can be gained, and this knowledge can be inspiring and useful when attempting one’s own creative writing. In the research I did for this project, I ultimately learned more about writing from the reading process. My analysis of the works I read was based on the goal of the project. Therefore, it started out general. I began my reading process by finding the message behind the works. However, as I began to focus on a creative writing aspect, the questions I asked myself when reading changed. I began to focus less on the particular meanings within the works and more on the styles of the different authors’ writing and how the style and form contributed to the meaning. I learned from my reading that the important aspects of the work are emphasized through the form the work takes and the style of writing the author uses. From analyzing what I read from this point of view, I was able to gain insight into how to write effectively. My outlook on writing, and even my style of writing, changed as a result of my experience with interpreting the connection between style and meaning in the works of literature that I read.

        My reading covered short narratives and poetry from the 16^th C. to the 19^th C. I focused on Marguerite de Navarre’s Heptameron, Voltaire’s Contes, Guy de Maupassant’s "Boule de Suif", and the poems of Louise Labé. Each of these authors wrote about different subjects and had their own style of writing which was effective for what they were conveying in their works.

        The stories by Marguerite de Navarre in Heptameron are narrative dialogues told by a group of people escaping the plague who relieve their boredom by taking turns telling stories. Thus, the stories are almost like stories within a story. The main plot involves the group of travelers, and then there are the stories told each day. These stories take place in the reader’s imagination, but through the eyes of the storyteller, with details left out so that you can imagine them. The stories are short and straightforward, with less emphasis on the characters and more on the actions. The author chose this style of writing to emphasize that the importance of the stories was their being told, not necessarily on the separate plots, because the entire collection of stories was about people telling stories for their entertainment, and so the shorter stories are also meant as entertainment for the reader.

        Voltaire’s Contes are narrative with some dialogue but not a lot of detail. With these stories the reader is an observer through the eyes of the narrator (or author). Voltaire makes comments about society and human nature through stories where foreigners travel to a strange land and make observations based on reason. The form of the tales is that they start with the story and characters and then converge towards the main point. Voltaire uses interesting and even amusing stories to give his observations and opinions. Thus, the stories are interesting but not long and detailed, because the point of the story is the message it contains.

        "Boule de Suif" by Guy de Maupassant is a very descriptive story; he paints a vivid enough picture so that the reader does not necessarily need to use his or her imagination to picture the actions in the story. It feels like as a reader, one is part of the story, like another character going through the actions with the rest of the characters. For the form the author used, the story has a lengthy introduction, then the characters are introduced, and the plot evolves. The transition between actions and time and place in the story is almost unnoticeable and very natural, which helps make the story more effective. There are also no breaks in the story at all, which is not necessarily a positive aspect of the form because it makes the story seem almost never-ending. However, the detailed descriptions and the way the story flows are very effective aspects of the author’s style that help the reader to better enjoy and experience the story.

        Louise Labé’s poems are sonnets, with the common theme of love. She depicts the effects of love through the poetic voice, rhyme scheme, word choice, and the format of her poems. Usually, her poems begin with statements about the experiences of love by the poetic voice in the two quatrains, and then the tone changes and she makes a statement in the tercets that contains the meaning of the poem. Her style is unique because she presents a question or idea and then the answer, and it is unique because all of the techniques she uses unite together to bring the message to the reader.

        The authors chose the styles they used, and there were reasons for the choices they made and why these choices contributed to their works. Sometimes, the conventions of the time period were used, whereas sometimes the author developed his or her own style. Also, some authors used the conventional form creatively to make their works unique and meaningful. One example of a conventional form is the sonnet, which both Labé and Ronsard used, but each with his or her own different styles. Labé used the conventional form, but she added her own creativity and genius to it. Marguerite de Navarre imitated the form used by another author but used it to tell her own stories. Voltaire is an example of an author who is known for his own unique style of writing in his philosophical and almost humorous tales.

        I found that it can sometimes be challenging but rewarding to adhere to certain constraints caused by conventional forms such as the sonnet. However, there are also cases in which I found that it was more difficult for me to express my ideas when I had to follow certain guidelines. After reading works by authors who kept a certain form but were still able to produce works that were even more enjoyable and meaningful because of their style, I changed my outlook on writing. My style of writing has also changed, which I believe is a benefit I gained from my reading experience. I have learned that even though it may be difficult to keep a certain form, it is better to use a form that works than to have no form at all. Reading stories and poems by those who are masters in writing has taught me to write more carefully. I have learned that if one has something to say, it is more effective to use not only words, but also certain stylistic techniques, to get the message across to the reader. Thus, the author has to choose which style he or she will write in based on which works best for him or her and for what he or she wishes to convey.

        Some aspects of the different styles of writing short stories are the form the story takes and the way it is told. These depend on how the story progresses and what methods are used more than others. For example, some stories are more descriptive, while others are written so that the reader has to use his or her imagination. Some stories are straightforward, with an introduction, the main plot, and then a conclusion that gives the message of the story. Other stories have the meaning dispersed throughout, so that the reader must search for a deeper understanding but can still enjoy the basic plot of the story as well. For poetry, there are many forms, such as free verse and the sonnet. There are techniques in writing poetry which help make the poem much more effective, such as rhythm, rhyme scheme, and perhaps most importantly, the choice of words. In a poem, each individual word has more emphasis and significance than it necessarily would in a prose passage. The writer decides which style of poetry to use, and how to use the many techniques to convey the message. From reading works that were examples of all of these different styles of writing, I learned how complex the writing process could be, but I also learned that it could be rewarding when the right style is found to produce a work that conveys one’s ideas.

        For example, I used to prefer to write free verse, but after reading Labé’s poetry, I realized how much more effective a sonnet can sometimes be. I then attempted to write a sonnet myself, knowing that I could not be as successful as Labé of course, but I still wanted to try and challenge myself. Despite the challenges of maintaining the conventional even number of syllables per line and rhyme scheme and such, I enjoyed writing a sonnet and was pleased with the results. I used to prefer free verse simply because it was an easier way to express my ideas and feelings freely. But such poetry was written for myself, and not for an audience. I found that the sonnet can be a much more effective form to use for making my point to the reader. Therefore, I no longer get frustrated and annoyed by having to write in the form of a sonnet; I instead actually made the choice to use this form because I find it is very effective.

        However, there are also some styles of writing among the ones I examined for this project that I do not prefer to use when I write. For example, when writing short stories, I find that I prefer the kind of stories that are narrative but not as descriptive as Maupassant’s stories, because I like the reader to be able to use his or her imagination. I also find that in a story, dialogue can be difficult to write. Therefore, I did not write in a style similar to Marguerite de Navarre’s because her stories were all narratives told by a group of people. I think I could compare my style of writing short stories with Voltaire’s style of writing more than with the other authors I studied. I like how his stories are entertaining and even amusing, but they also give comments on society or philosophical lessons. Even there were some styles I preferred over others, I did learn from everything I read. Each story and poem I read influenced my writing, even if I did not adopt the same styles as the authors.

        Another difficulty I encountered in my creative writing attempts was the matter of language. Everything I read in my research was in French, some in old French even. However, even though I was reading French, I found it difficult to write in French since it is not my first language. Especially with the short narrative form of writing, I felt frustrated and constrained when attempting to write in French, so I decided to write in English so I could better express myself. Nevertheless, my experience with writing poetry was quite opposite. I was able to write poetry in French without as much difficulty as I expected. I even enjoyed writing poetry in French because of the beauty of the language that I believe added to my creative expression. It was challenging of course, but I feel that it was worth it to adhere to the form of the sonnet and to do this in French. I enjoyed finding words that worked well together, and words that fit the rhyme scheme, to express the ideas I wanted to convey. Thus my writing experience included some difficulties but in the end was still a good experience because I learned about writing and attempted writing of my own.

        In my attempts at creative writing, I had to decide which author’s style worked best for me, with both the short story and the poem I wrote. For the story, I found dialogue difficult, and so my story does not contain too much of it; therefore, I could not imitate Marguerite de Navarre’s narrative style. I also did not want to write a long, detailed story, like Maupassant’s "Boule de Suif". Therefore, I found that Voltaire’s style worked best for me. However, I did not exactly decide which style I was going to use before writing the story. It was not until after the story was in progression that I realized it would be easiest for me to incorporate aspect of Voltaire’s style into my writing.

        My story is similar to Voltaire’s Contes because, like many of his tales, it is about a traveler who learns from her experiences in a foreign land and discovers the negative qualities of these foreign places and people. It is somewhat amusing because of the traveler’s reactions to the "outside" world, and because of the reactions of the people who meet her. My story is also similar to Voltaire’s tales because there is less attention to details and characters than to the actions and how these actions bring across the message. I chose not to develop the characters and explain everything in detail because I wanted the story to be short and to focus on the main idea. I did however have some aspects of my style of writing that were different from Voltaire’s and different even from all of the author’s I studied for this project. One main distinction is the change in narration in my story. I change from a first person point of view, that of the main character, to a third person omniscient point of view, which focused more on the people who were the foreigners, the "others", to the traveler. I thought that this change in narration would be an effective way to show the contrasts between the two societies and the different ways of thinking.

        Like Voltaire’s stories, my story has meaning beneath the plot. The girl traveling to the outside world realizes there are many things she was missing in her own small world, which at first makes her wonder if she will want to return home. However, she realizes that even though the "grass is greener" on the outside, it may not be such a great place after all. She finally decides that she would rather return home to her simpler life. Thus, the story is a comment on the faults of society, which are shown through the point of view of someone coming from a life that was almost utopic in its simplicity. However, to those who are living on the outside, they would never want to live the life of the people who lived underground, because they obviously believe that where they are is better; they cannot see their faults, and if some do realize, they still chose to live in their society. Thus, perhaps the simpler life is not so utopic after all, since the people there did want to escape, to explore the outside world.

        With the sonnet I wrote, I imitated Labé’s style very closely. This is because I enjoyed her poetry and found it very effective, so I wanted to see if I could challenge myself and write a sonnet similar to hers. My sonnet is about love, as are Labé’s sonnets. It begins with general statements about the emotions and effects caused by love, such as that love is a confused jumble of emotions. Then, in the first tercet, a general question is asked about what love is, and this question is answered in the second tercet. The final statement in the poem gives my message, that despite the effects the different types of love can have, what is important in the end is the experiences and what was gained from these experiences. This poem is very similar to Labé’s sonnet number VIII, in which she gives contrasts about love in the quatrains and then in the tercets she gives the message that love can have these different effects.

        Overall I think that reading and analyzing works by authors such as Voltaire and Labé made me more conscious of the effectiveness of style on the meaning of a work, and I believe my writing has greatly improved as a result of this project.

It is very dark where we live. The high rock walls are cold and damp. I cannot wait to leave this place, to head towards the light above. The others in our colony have chosen me as the one to venture outside, perhaps because they think I am young and convincible, but I was more than willing to leave this place and see what lies beyond our own small world. We have managed to build a contraption to lift me up, a balloon-like object that will hopefully be enough to bring me to the top. We found a crack while exploring one of the tunnels; it is a crevice not wider than I am tall, but it is my only chance to get outside, assuming it even leads to the outside. I am ready to journey though, to discover new things; I have always been discontent with life, now perhaps my dreams will be fulfilled.

*****

As I ascend, the faces of my friends and family become smaller and smaller, indistinguishable from each other and from the moss growing on the rock walls. And the light from above becomes brighter and brighter, reflecting my hopes and anticipations. It is so bright now that I can barely see, there seems to be only a few feet remaining before I reach the top. I think I am almost there, so I blindly steer the balloon, letting the air out and holding my breath, hoping I will land somewhere outside and not plummet back down to the world I left behind. The balloon lands upon something rather soft and fragrant, jolting me into awareness once again. Once my sight adjusts to the brilliance of the light here on the outside, I realize that I have landed on a springy green carpet, somewhat like the moss in our caves but much more luxuriant and alive. I look up at the blue sky, something I had only heard about in stories passed down from so many generations that they have become almost like myths. A small rodent scatters by, similar to the ones we see underground. Everything around me seems so alive, so different than being surrounded by cold dreary rock.

*****
*****

The hunters were walking cautiously through this unexplored territory. They heard a crashing noise and headed alertly in that direction. Later they would argue over who spotted her first, but at the time they forgot their petty rivalries in their surprise over the discovery of a girl sitting in the grass, with a limp heap of some material scattered around her. They crept up on her from behind, prepared to shoot if necessary. When she finally noticed their presence, she jumped up suddenly like a frightened rabbit. She seemed quite harmless, squinting at them in amazement. They asked her, "Who are you? What is your business here?" She responded, "I am Lianne… So there are people here on the outside! Are there others here like you?" The two hunters, very confused by her response, and trying to understand her thick accent, asked her again, "What are you doing in this land? We were told that no one lives here." Now she was confused. She told them, "If no one else lives in this land, but you do not come from where I do, then are you the last two surviving outsiders?" At this, they deemed her to be delirious or simply insane. They restrained her and led her back to their camp, making sure to bring along her contraption.

*****

I go along with them mostly out of curiosity, eager to explore this new world. Already, these people seem strange to me, but I still want to learn more about them and meet others. The sound of voices makes me realize that there are others nearby, it was all just a misunderstanding with these two men, perhaps someone else will be able to clear things up for me. I see something through the clearing up ahead, a gathering of strangely shaped shelters and even more strangely dressed people. I have so many questions, yet I try to keep my thoughts to myself for the moment.

*****
*****

The girl seemed as if she was in a trance, but at least she was quiet for the moment. The hunters were worried about their leader’s reaction to their catch, but they hid their fears and instead began to argue about who would get the credit for finding her. Their banter ceased as they reached the sentries posted outside camp. As they continued through the clearing, the girl appeared more alert, staring around in astonishment. The men wondered why she was so surprised; after all she was more of an unexpected sight for them when they found her earlier that day.

*****

The others would not believe what I am seeing. I cannot wait to tell them that there are people on the outside, but first I want to find out as much as possible about this world. Maybe I will not want to return home once I discover all that the outside has to offer…

Now they are bringing me to the largest shelter, I wonder what they call these. Inside it is furnished more beautifully than anything I have ever seen. No longer able to restrain my curiosity, I ask my companions, "What do you call this place?"

They respond through their laughter, "It is the king’s tent, of course. Take a good look around, because it may be the last thing you see." A sudden fear overcomes my curiosity; I ask apprehensively, "What do you mean by that?"

"Whoever you are, you are a strange one. Don’t you know that the king does not like trespassers on his lands?"

"But I am no trespasser, I am an explorer."

"Save your stories for the king — and look, here he comes."

*****
*****

The king sat patiently, listening to the two fools tell their version of the story; he was more interested in hearing what the girl had to say. When they finished their rambling, they sat there with looks of eager expectation of some reward for their catch. But instead he dismissed them abruptly, enjoying his moment of power as they sulked away, arguing as soon as they left the tent. He approached the girl, looming over her, but she did not seem too frightened by his presence. Realizing that he was not going to be able to overpower her with his supposed authority, he sat, bringing himself to her level.

*****

At first I was afraid - especially after the other two men warned me - I had no idea what this king would do to me, after all, he seems to have all of the power here in this world, and no one here would stop him. But I try not to show my fear - I keep my mission in mind. This seems to work better than I thought it would, because the king sits down across from me and begins to ask me questions in a very friendly manner. So I tell him the story of how I came to be sitting here in front of him. I tell him how we had finally found a way to the outside world, and how I was chosen to go. I explain the contraption that I helped to build, the one that brought me to my freedom. Because (much to my surprise) he is so curious, I tell him all about our world, and the dull life there, and how I dreamed to see the places and live the experiences I had only heard about. He seems to be listening intently, unlike he was when the other men were talking. After I finish, he tells me, "Now that you have told me all about life in your world, it is my turn to show you what it is like in our world, and to help you with your quest."

*****
*****

The hunting party left abruptly. Everyone whispered and grumbled about it, but in the end they did whatever the king said. Still, they knew it was that girl’s fault. There was something strange about her, but at least she proved to be an amusing distraction. Perhaps the most interesting scene was their departure. The girl acted as if she had never seen, let alone ridden on a horse before. Nevertheless, the king insisted that she ride, and on one of the best horses, which happened to belong to one of the hunters who had found her. But it seemed like the only thing keeping the girl on the horse was the king’s stubbornness. Throughout the entire journey, the king kept a close watch on her — it was almost as if she were an important noble, like an ambassador. At least she did not complain much — she seemed too excited about every little thing around her to do so. The entire group was halted more than occasionally so that she could pick some flower, or watch the wild animals. In the end, it was a relief for most of the men to be able to return to the city, to receive their pay and get a nice warm meal and a good night’s sleep. They would also have stories to tell about the strange girl that was found on what started out as a normal hunting excursion.

*****
*****

I will have so much to share with everyone when I return home. I have already seen and experienced so many new things. I cannot say I have enjoyed everything about this world up here, but it is so fascinating. Everything is so much more alive. I never realized how many people there were on the outside. Their city is so huge and so noisy. Strangely enough, I feel more crowded, more surrounded here than I did at home, underground. The more I see in this world, the more I think that maybe it will not be so difficult to return home after all. But I will give it a chance, and try to learn as much as I can. And I am lucky that the king is being so accommodating, he has promised to give me an escorted tour of the city and of his home, what they call a palace, similar to the castles I have heard about in myths. I can see it, at the top of the hill, with the city growing around it. Everyone here stops what they are doing when the king and his company pass — I never realized that one person could have so much power. I was lucky to have found the leader of this world, I wonder if he is the only leader? Hopefully, I shall soon have this and my many other questions answered.

*****

I could not have chosen a more magnificent building than the king’s palace to be the first to explore. It reminds me in a way of the vast, high ceilinged caverns deep underground, the walls sparking with moisture and crystal stones, adding to the natural beauty. But the palace is much brighter and more extravagant — even the rooms I am staying make me feel out of place in all this richness. I do not know why I need more than one room, after all I am by myself, but the king insists so I politely accept. But when the king leaves me to freshen up and relax, some of the others that were with him remain, and they hover around me asking if there is anything I need. One woman even begins to try to undress me! I wonder if this is some strange custom of theirs, in which case I do not want to be rude and refuse their offers of assistance. I kindly try to tell the woman that such assistance is not necessary, but that I certainly would not mind some of the other things they offered, such as some water to wash up with and something to eat if possible. This fortunately seems to be the right reaction, because they leave me in peace.

*****

As I walk through the city with my guide, I see so many different people, some of them wearing very strange clothes, many who look exotic and foreign to me, because they are different from the people where I come from and they seem foreign here too. I ask about this and everything else that sparks my curiosity. I soon learn that there are many other cities similar to this one — the outside world must be bigger than I could ever imagine. I am feeling rather hungry, so I walk over to a woman who is cooking something that smells delicious. I take some food, smile at her, and walk away, but I hear her shouting, "Thief", and two big men come chasing after me. My guide explains to them that it was a misunderstanding, that I am a foreigner to this land, and then he hands them some shiny pieces of metal. He explains to me that I was supposed to pay for the food, which means giving the woman some pieces of metal that they call money in exchange for the food. This seems unfair though, because when we trade things in my world, we would only give the person something useful in exchange, not some shiny little piece of metal. Soon after, as we are walking through a less well-off area of the city, I see two men storming out of a building called an inn; they fight and shout at each other and one finally knocks the other down, takes something from him, and leaves him there. My guide then explains that things like this happen all the time, and that they had probably drunk too much and gotten into some argument, and the one who won took the other man’s money. I have seen anger, and I have seen death happen all the time from natural causes, but never in my world would something like this happen. Having seen enough, I ask to be taken back to the palace.

*****
*****

The king has been thinking about what to do with this girl. He knows that she will not want to stay here forever, and he would not let her remain in the palace too long anyway. She seems rather naïve (but not stupid), but she never seemed threatening. He realizes therefore that her people are probably harmless. They at least present no imminent danger to him, because after all they could technically be considered part of his kingdom. However, since appearances can sometimes be deceiving, he will be prepared in case they decide to come out of their hole after she tells them how much better it is here. He has decided to find out which noble owns an estate closest to the place where the girl was found, and give them an extra honorary title and perhaps some funds to keep watch on the area. Now all that remains is to convince her to leave — he will have to tell her that it is her duty to share her newfound knowledge and experiences with her people.

*****

It was not that difficult to convince her to leave after all. Actually, she seemed more than willing to return home. The king discovered from her guide that her tour of the city did not go as well as expected. But from what he heard of her reactions, he was even more convinced that her people would present no threat to him.

*****
*****

I cannot wait to leave this place, to return to the world I left behind. There are many interesting, beautiful, amazing things here, and I feel lucky to have been able to see them firsthand. I will always remember these experiences that have forever changed me. But home is where I belong, away from the difficulties and extravagances of this contradictory world.

Tous ces sentiments mêlés dans mon cœur
Deviennent un fouillis confus;
Elle ne comprend guère, ma tête têtue
Ce qui me rend accablé de douleur.

Ce conflit dedans moi cause la peur;
Néanmoins, j’essayerai de durer
Pendant toutes les tempêtes et les paix
Qui quelquefois me font croire que je meurs.

Qu’est-ce que c’est que l’Amour, qui veut
M’affliger avec ses obscurités,
Afin que je ne puisse résister?

Il est une force puissante, qui peut
Me donner du malheur et de la joie;
Rien que les expériences comptent pour moi.



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