George Duroy, the protagonist of the novel "Dear Friend": characteristics

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

George Duroy. Who is this?

Most likely, you are familiar with his name - the name of a charming and depraved adventurer, a playboy and an unscrupulous seducer; the name of a poor retired military man, striving to break into the people and achieved his impudent shameless goal. This is Dear Friend, Georges Duroy, whose name is the symbol of the self-serving seducer and voluptuary ambitious man.

Did such a person really live? Georges Duroy is the protagonist of French writer Guy de Maupassant's novel Beloved Friend. And although this is a fictional character, one can only imagine how many prototypes and prototypes he had, not to mention imitators and followers.

What did the French writer want to show with his priceless work? What is remarkable about the characterization of Georges Duroy in the novel "Dear Friend"? And is it possible to find an excuse for his disorderly deeds and actions? Let's try to figure it out.

Social issues of the novel

Events in "Dear Friend" take readers to France, during the Third Republic. What was the focus of the society of that time?

Most people have lost their spiritual core. They see happiness and prosperity only in money and noble birth. If you are a nobleman, you can do everything. And if you are rich, you can do the impossible. Unfortunately, Georges Duroy, the hero of the novel "Dear Friend", also adheres to this principle.

The surrounding people dictate their terms to him. A society corrupted by we alth loses its moral face and forgets about conscience. Women, both rich and poor, sell themselves in order to acquire we alth and luxury. Men look at the opposite sex only from a selfish point of view. Mothers and fathers are ready to sacrifice the happiness of their children in order to strengthen personal material and financial affairs.

To all this, secular society suffers from the absence of any moral and moral principles. Carnal love drives most of the representatives of the aristocracy, for them the satisfaction of their physical desires and pleasures is at the forefront of all worries and anxieties. Adultery, brothels and promiscuity no longer surprise or puzzle anyone.

People live only to satisfy their bodily desires, regardless of the opinion of moral canons and the happiness of those around them. Duroy has the same attitude to morality.

Morals

George Duroy (in French - Zhorzh Dyurua) from the very first pages of the novel appears before readers as an example of an insatiable and dissolute voluptuary. For him, a woman is not a person who needs to be loved andwhich must be taken care of, but the object of his greedy desire, which must be used as soon as possible for his own purposes. By the way, most of the women with whom Duroy communicates go down this slippery path themselves and want to be used.

The sensual, animal revelry that Georges Duroy indulges in is the satisfaction of his primary need (along with the needs of food and clothing), so the main character does not feel remorse, following his own lust.

Without hesitation, he uses his base passions to get out of poverty and wretchedness. He shamelessly plays with women, looking at them as a means of enriching himself and climbing the social ladder.

Having a little understanding of the social and domestic issues of the novel, let's now briefly get acquainted with its content. This will help us to see the image of the main character from the inside, in his actions and relationships with other characters.

Description of Duroy

Georges Duroy is a charming young man, with his graceful figure and handsome face he can be liked and admired. He is the offspring of poor peasants, trying by any means to break into the light.

The main character is ambitious and double-minded, seductive and beautiful. However, with the help of his appearance, he cannot achieve prosperity and universal recognition.

Besides good looks, Duroy no longer has anything - he has no mind, no talents, no connections and, of course, no money. However, there is a great desire to have them.

Oldfamiliar

So, the main character works for pennies and dreams of the best, wandering around unfamiliar Paris. He is hot and stuffy, and he does not even have the means for a glass of beer. However, he still, tirelessly and regretfully, wanders the streets of the city in search of a favorable opportunity. What is this case? Is it a meeting with a rich stranger?

Be that as it may, but we althy ladies do not pay attention to a poorly dressed person. What can not be said about the poor and destitute courtesans. One of them, Rachel, loses his head from a charming provincial and gives himself to him almost for free, awakening in his soul the desire to charm and use women in love with him.

Duroy is still waiting for a chance to get acquainted with a we althy aristocrat, but he meets only … an old comrade. This meeting radically changes the life and future of the protagonist.

Charles Forestier is a former colleague of Georges in Algeria. However, life in the capital benefited him - he gained weight, acquired the fashionable profession of a journalist, and acquired money. Charles treats Duroy to a glass of beer and invites him to a social dinner in order to impress the right people.

Everything shows that the main character does not feel any friendly feelings towards Forestier. The concept of partnership is alien to him, but he understands that a flourishing journalist can be useful to him.

Dinner

At the party, George tries to please all the participants of the celebration, and he succeeds. He kisses little Lorina, and then the girl's mother, Clotilde de Marel, is imbued with sympathy for him. Duroy makes an impressionForestier's wife, Madeleine, and the we althy newspaper owner W alter and his wife.

From the first time, the main character manages to make his way: W alter makes him an order for an essay on soldier's life, Madeleine disinterestedly composes a story instead of him, the essay is approved by the editor and published. Georges was also given a new task, however…

Test pen

He has no writing talent. Forestier refuses to help Duroy, he writes an essay on his own, but the newspaper rejects him. After suffering, Georges decides to become a reporter, not a writer. This business does not require talent, but perseverance, charm and arrogance.

As a reporter, the protagonist wins over W alter and starts earning a considerable amount of money. He moves in the highest circles, he manages to live better and richer. And yet…

Not only Duroy's income is growing, but also his desires. A young man cannot remain in the shadow of rich and noble acquaintances. He himself wants to live in luxury and reverence, dress with chic and eat expensive dishes.

Permanent mistress

What does a pretty dodgy reporter do to achieve his goal? He decides to find an additional source of income - Madame de Marelle.

The young woman is a spectacular bright brunette. She rarely sees her husband and is constantly bored. In Duroy, Clotilde finds a reflection of herself. She is just as risque as he is, just as artistic and desperate.

Relationship with Georges begins with a petty, inconspicuous affair, but ends with a burning, all-consumingpassion, which is destined to last the whole life of the main characters. Madame de Marelle plunges headlong into carnal pleasures, giving herself entirely to a new feeling. She rents an apartment for meetings with a fiery lover, gives him small but significant amounts.

Realizing that the Dear Friend has other women, Clotilde is very angry and jealous, but at the same time she forgives Duroy again and again. She cannot imagine life without this charming adventurer and becomes his slave and maid.

Using the money and gifts of his mistress, the young man does not feel a twinge of conscience or regret. He pretends to borrow from her, but he realizes he will never pay it back.

Relationship with Madeleine

Interesting and multifaceted relationship between Georges and his friend Forestier's wife. Going to take revenge on his former comrade-in-arms, Duroy tries to seduce his wife. However, she immediately saw through the unknown young reporter and offered him … friendship. And even advised me to try to win Mrs. W alther's heart.

However, soon Madeleine's husband dies, and the pretty widow marries Duroy. Their marriage is not a union of two lovers, but an agreement between two adventurers who are trying to improve their social status. Madeleine invents a title for her husband, writes articles for him, gets him an honorary order from her lover. She is a real support and fighting friend who knows how to seduce and shine in secular society, giving thoughtful, wise advice.

Marriage of Madeleine and Georges -an example of a typical secular marriage of that time, based not on feelings and tenderness, but on reason and mutual benefit.

Virginia W alter

However, Georges Duroy is not satisfied with living together with Madeleine, no matter what mountains of gold she promises. He needs everything at once, he does not want to accumulate we alth slowly and gradually.

Other women can help Duroy with this. First, the protagonist seduces Mrs. W alter, an aging God-fearing lady, the wife of her boss and patron. As you can see, the main character has no limits of decency, feelings of gratitude or subordination.

Virginia has a hard time falling - she struggles with herself for a long time, doubts and worries for a long time. And, finally, she succumbs to the persistent persuasion of Georges and becomes his mistress. She betrays her husband by telling her Sweet Friend about his mysterious plans, she gets him money and jewelry.

But a relationship with a mature woman is not interesting to the unprincipled Duroy. He quickly loses interest in his passion and, despite her protests and scenes of jealousy, continues to visit Clotilde.

Second marriage

How can Duroy become rich and independent? The young man decides to marry again, but this time to choose a bride with a large and impressive dowry. Georges' choice falls on Suzanne W alter, a stupid and innocent eighteen-year-old beauty.

Duroy is hard at work seeking a divorce from Madeleine and taking half of her fortune away from her, not feeling a drop of conscience in front of the one who did so much for himwelfare!

Then the protagonist cynically seduces the daughter of his former mistress Virginia, thereby forcing the parents to agree to this dishonorable marriage.

Finally, the young man's wish came true - he took several million as a dowry. Now he will no longer feel either heat or stuffiness, and he will never feel thirsty for beer. But will he be happy?

Influence

As you can see, the image of Georges Duroy is very complex and multifaceted. It generates a storm of negative emotions and contempt, and yet it evokes sympathy and sympathy. After all, Georges Duroy is only a consequence of the spiritual decay of the entire nation, the moral decline and moral corruption of the whole society.

It is noteworthy that the type of the main character does not leave anyone indifferent. He is judged and talked about a lot, he is held up as an example and accused.

It is interesting that the character of the Dear Friend has found its reflection in modern music. Who was impressed by the shamelessness and impudence for which Georges Duroy became famous? "Chizh" (Sergey Chigrakov) in his song composition mentioned the name of the protagonist of the novel along with drunkards, drug addicts and unrecognized talents.