Short Story: A Piece of String

SUMMARY

"The Piece of String" by Guy de Maupassant is a short story set in a small

Norman village in France. The story focuses on the character of Maitre Hauchecorne,

an old peasant who becomes embroiled in a scandal when he is falsely accused of

stealing a pocketbook.

The story begins on an autumn market-day in Goderville, where Hauchecorne is about

to enter the square when he sees a piece of string on the ground. He picks it up, but is

embarrassed when he realizes that his enemy, M. Malandain, the local harness maker,

has seen him do it. Hauchecorne hides the string in his pocket and continues on to the

market.

Later that day, Hauchecorne is having lunch at a local tavern when the town crier

announces that a pocketbook containing five hundred francs has been lost by M.

Houlbreque. Hauchecorne is later summoned to see the mayor, who accuses him of

stealing the pocketbook. The only witness to the alleged theft is Malandain.

Hauchecorne vehemently denies the accusation, insisting that he found only a

piece of string and not a pocketbook. However, no one believes him, and he is searched

but no pocketbook or large sum of money is found on him. The mayor dismisses him,

but warns that he will consult a higher authority on the matter.

 Hauchecorne returns to the village and tries to clear his name by telling anyone

who will listen that he only found a piece of string. However, no one believes him, and

he is shunned and mocked by his peers.

A week later, the pocketbook is found and returned to its rightful owner.

Hauchecorne is overjoyed and returns to the market to tell everyone the good news.

However, he is met with disbelief and mockery once again. He becomes angry,

dejected, and confused, unable to understand why no one believes him.

Hauchecorne becomes increasingly fixated on clearing his name and proving his

innocence. He becomes ill and bedridden, and in his delirium, he repeatedly utters the

phrase "a little bit of string."

The story ends with Hauchecorne dying alone and misunderstood by his

community. The theme of the story is the injustice of reputation and prejudice, and how

one's past actions and reputation can shape how others perceive them.

Throughout the story, Hauchecorne is a sympathetic character who is victimized

by the small-mindedness of his community. He is an old man who has lived a hard life,

and his only crime is picking up a piece of string. However, his past reputation as a

crafty and cunning peasant has created a prejudice against him, and he is unable to

clear his name despite his best efforts.

The other characters in the story are unsympathetic and quick to judge

Hauchecorne. They are suspicious by nature and ready to think the worst of him, and

they relish in mocking and ridiculing him. Even when he is proven innocent, they

continue to doubt him and refuse to believe his version of events.

 The story is a commentary on the human tendency to judge others based on

their past actions and reputations, and how difficult it can be to overcome these

prejudices. It is a poignant and tragic tale that explores themes of injustice, prejudice,

and the human condition.

The harsh realities of social class in 19th-century France are exposed in Guy de

Maupassant's "A Piece of String" from a Marxist perspective. The story follows Maitre

Hauchecorne, a poor farmer wrongly accused of theft.

Marxist Criticism

Marxist theory emphasizes class struggle, and Hauchecorne's poverty makes

him an easy target. When he finds a piece of string, his enemy, the wealthy harness

maker Maitre Malandian, misinterprets his action as theft. The townspeople readily

believe the accusation because of Hauchecorne's social status. This highlights a key

Marxist concept: the wealthy use their power to control how information is spread to

keep the working class divided and powerless.

The story shows how poverty breeds desperation. Hauchecorne desperately tries

to prove his innocence because he fears being ostracized and even worse off. Marx

argued that the rich controlled everything, including the legal system and information. In

the story, Malandian's accusation holds weight despite no evidence. Hauchecorne's

struggle reflects the powerlessness of the working class. The wealthy have all the

power, and their words are seen as truth while Hauchecorne's pleas are ignored. The
legal system is biased towards the wealthy, and Hauchecorne, with no social standing,

has no way to defend himself.

The villagers, despite their own struggles, don't see themselves as part of the

same fight as Hauchecorne. They believe the idea that poverty equals crime, which

strengthens the existing class system. The lost wallet, a symbol of wealth, becomes

more important than the truth. Hauchecorne's misfortune is overshadowed by potential

theft, highlighting a society obsessed with possessions.

"A Piece of String" depicts a society divided by riches. The false accusation

destroys Hauchecorne's reputation and life. This short story depicts a small-scale vision

of a society in which wealth and social rank strongly impact how individuals interact and

perceive one another.