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Maupassant, Guy de
An Old Man
Monsieur Daron, an eighty-six-year-old-man, comes to live at the new spa in Rondelis. He believes himself to be in excellent health, as a result of "careful living." He has always had "an obsessive fear of death," and he avoids all pleasure because it may be dangerous.
In order to measure and monitor his own condition, M. Daron arranges for the doctor in charge of the springs to visit him once a week with information on the health of everyone else in the surrounding area who is over the age of eighty. When he hears that someone has died, he quickly identifies a cause that might have been avoided; the man who died of pleurisy should not have gone out in the cold, and the one who died of dysentery must have eaten the wrong food.
Eventually, though, one old man dies for no apparent reason. The doctor can report no lesion, no disease: "He died because he died, that's all." M. Daron is horrified and asks the man's age. Eighty-nine. He laughs in relief, saying, "whatever it was, it wasn't old age . . . ."
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoA pithy account of our unwillingness to accept that illness and death are largely beyond our control. M. Daron is determined to believe that he owns and can completely determine his body and his health, and, therefore, his death. This is emphasized by his speech, with its emphatic use of the word "my," as in "my life," "my arms," and even "my doctor."
Even at the end of the story, he denies his resemblance to the man who has died, clinging to the illusion that "careful living" will be enough keep him alive. In the process, his life is entirely focused on avoiding death, and he is unable to use or enjoy the time he has. A telling antidote to our present obsession with the power of the individual healthy lifestyle.
simaomidi_25@Yahoo.com
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoclimax and resolution of the story old man
Wiki User
∙ 12y agotheme of an old man
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Is there any irony in an old man by guy de maupassant?
Yes, "An Old Man" by Guy de Maupassant contains irony. The story follows an old man who wants to die, but every time he finds a dangerous situation, he ends up surviving. This irony highlights the character's desire for death contrasted with his inability to achieve it.
How old is Guy de Maupassant?
Guy de Maupassant was born on August 5, 1850 and died on July 6, 1893. Guy de Maupassant would have been 42 years old at the time of death or 164 years old today.
How old was Guy de Maupassant at death?
Guy de Maupassant died on July 6, 1893 at the age of 42.
What is the plot of 'the family' by guy de Maupassant?
"The Family" is a short story by Guy de Maupassant. The plot of this story is how a man changed as he got older and in poor health. His family was controlling what he ate and how much he ate due to his health. Family members would tease him telling him he couldn't have any food. When he became upset the children would laugh out loud at him. One of his old friends was visiting him and noticed that his old friend was being deprived of the simple pleasure of food when there was nothing else for him to do or enjoy in his life.
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What is the summary of the beggar by guy de maupassant?
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"Old Mother Savage" by Guy de Maupassant is a short story about an elderly woman who lives in a border village during the Franco-Prussian War. She provides shelter to French soldiers hiding in her barn, but tragedy strikes when her son, a Prussian soldier, inadvertently leads a destructive raid on the village. The story explores themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the senselessness of war.
How old is the oldest man who lived on earth?
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