Janet Lewis' "The Wife of Martin Guerre"

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how, in Janet Lewis's "The Wife of Martin Guerre", the character of Martin possesses a cold and unforgiving nature and how his cruelty is evident in the pain he causes his wife, Bertrande, in both his absence and his presence.

From the Paper:

"Martin's presence is commonly regarded as a blessed time in Bertrand's tortured existence, with the vivid descriptions of there happiness together, "she kissed him on both cheeks feeling the warmth of the sun upon his flesh", overpowering the earlier descriptions of Martin's cruelty towards Bertrande, the displays of his cruel nature; "he cuffed Bertrande soundly upon the ears". The beautiful imagery used to describe the village of Artigues and the later happiness of Martin and Bertrande causes the reader to forget the coldness of Martin towards Bertrande earlier in the book, his first signs of affection towards his wife do not occur until she earnestly defends his rebellious acts against his father, then becoming his only confidant."

More papers on Janet Lewis' "The Wife of Martin Guerre":

• Analytical Essay # 58187 : "Patriarchy in "The Wife of Martin Guerre"
• Analytical Essay # 58188 : "Authoritarian Society in "The Wife of Martin Guerre"
• Analytical Essay # 62163 : "The Wife of Martin Guerre"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: