A really noble personMaupassant (1850~1893) was one of the greatest critical realist writers in the world. During his brief life, Maupassant created six novels and more than 350 medium forms. His literary achievement relied heavily on his short stories, such as necklace, suet ball, beautiful friend, etc. As one of three “kings of world short story”, Maupassant produced a great effect on the later word literature. Maupassant won world renown for suet ball, which was his maiden work. Suet ball was created based on a true story happened at the war between French and Prussia.Suet ball, a humble prostitute, was the heroine of the story. In 1870, several French tried to flee from enemy-occupied area by cottage. Unfortunately, they were detained by a Prussia officer. The officer didn’t let them leave unless suet ball agreed to sleep with him for a night. Out of her patriotism, suet ball gave him a point-blank refusal. However, in order to leave that area, other French, the so-called nobles, flattered suet ball, prayed her to sleep with that officer. Suet ball was so kind that she made a sacrifice for them. Next morning, when suet ball got into the cottage, the nobles, who still smiled at her yesterday, altered their attitudes to suet ball totally. They stayed away from her, cast contemptuous sights at her, and even disdained talking with her. In their eyes, the nasty prostitute wasn’t useful any more. Through the sharp comparison between suet ball and the so-called nobles, Maupassant put the evil, shamelessness, greed and hypocrisy of the aristocracy in the spotlight, and paid a tribute to the people of lower class for their goodness and patriotism. The so-called nobles were selfish and greedy; they paid their attention to nothing but wealth. So it was impossible for them to concern about the future of their motherland and national honor. When they can take advantage of you, they flattered you, served you like you were god; when they used up you, they discarded you like rubbish. It was just the evil soul that brought power, wealth and status to the nobles. However, suet ball, the prostitute of the lower class, behaved like a real noble person. She returned good for evil: though the nobles humiliated her, she still shared her food with them. She refused to sleep with that officer, because she thought it was a betrayal of her motherland to sell her body to enemy. At that critical time, suet ball showed her patriotism and national honor. To help her compatriots, she would rather sacrifice herself. Suet ball was humbly born, but her soul was noble.In my opinion, the several nobles were disgusting, humble, no matter how much wealth they had, how powerful they were. Suet ball was noble and gracious, though she was a prostitute. Suet ball helped me to realize that a man with a noble soul is a real noble person.
