Before reading for class, I like to
go over the discussion questions in order to guide my reading in a certain
direction. After reading the question about the Péricand family, I was expecting Madame Péricand to have changed for the better. As
I was reading, however, I still found her to be an awful person. Additionally,
I also found similarities in the personalities of Madame Péricand and Charles Langelet.
Madame Péricand was thankful to God because “the most precious
things have been saved” (109). Assuming an omniscient narrator, the first things that
she is thankful for having saved are her jewelry and money. She also managed to grab her fur coat and her
overnight bag with the family silver. Oh yeah and by the way, her children were
saved too. Even worse, she forgot her father-in-law. Then when she finds out he is dead, “her
thoughts ran back to her father-in-law’s Will” (150). She forgot him in the midst of
the chaos, but she won’t forget the possibility of getting money from him.
I find similar
hypocritical characteristics in Charles Langelet. It is unbelievable how highly
he thinks of himself. After someone tells him they have no petrol to spare, he
has the audacity to say, “Well, that’s the human race for you! Egotistical and
mean. In times of misfortune, no one will share with his brother, not a crust
of bread, not a bottle of beer, not a pathetic can of petrol” (115). However, we know
that he would never give someone his petrol. Then he goes so far as to trick a
nice engaged couple “who were clearly a better class of people than the other
refugees,” reminiscent of when Madame Péricand only talked to the boy
because he looked as if he was from a good family (117). He convinces them to
leave their car, takes their petrol, and drives away like the selfish person that he is.
Bravo! Nice use of quotes to add depth to your views. It is great to see you getting so much out of the book.
ReplyDeleteI like the comparison. Both of the characters annoyed me for the reasons that you mentioned: them being too full of themselves to see past their own well being. I think that the fact that those use to having everything will still expect it even when they are in the same boat as everyone around them, speaks of human nature. People don't like change, and they will refuse to acknowledge that they are no longer in the lap of luxury. Maybe a lack of suffering discourages empathy for those used to suffering, believing that they do not deserve it while others do, but it would be nice to see some personal growth from those who have begun to experience that harshness of surviving in the real world.
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