118 исторических миниатюр и 108 авторских текстов на 13 иностранных языках. Сборник
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1953 is a pleasant year for French literature: this year, in addition to the personage of 1884, two more Bombards appeared in French literature: (1) the author (several books - in the future) and (2) the character of the book "Naufrag'e Volontaire".
What happened between 1884 (the year of publication of the story "Bombard" by Maupassant) and the 1953 (the year of publication of the first book by Alain Bombard)? It's almost the seventy years!
The works by Guy de Maupassant were publishing and reading. Were living Gaston and Alain Bombards (the father and the son). It is quite possible that life more seniors Bombards also occurred in this period. I can assume that not only lifes of relatives of Alain Bombard were developing during this period, but also others Bombards: the surname of Bombard almost completely coincides with the French "bombarde" and the Italian "bombarda"; so in some sense - the French 'Bombard' is the Russian 'Pushkin'. [Пушка (cannon - bombard) - Pushka - Pushkin].
Bombards ... It sounds romantically! Middle Ages! In military operations the bombards were most considerably and are effectively presented approximately from the middle 1300 x years until the end of 1400 x years; further they were replaced by other types of guns.
The bombards were used on ships and at the siege of fortresses... The skilled craftsmen-armorers and masters of the gunfire were the most skillful, intellectual representatives of medieval society. Such qualities as the hardness and courage were required for direct participants of battles.
(In brackets we will note that "ENGINEER" (fr. ingenieur, from Latin ingenium - ability, ingenuity), originally - the name of the persons, were operating military mechanisms).
It is possible that someone from number of craftsmen-armorers, soldiers or military seamen, received surname "Bombard".
Bombards, as people cultural, since 1884 knew about existence of the literary personage 'Bombard', the person without honor, formed by Guy de Maupassant's creativity.
2.Henry Thomas Buckle and civilization
What kind of Bombard appeared under Guy de Maupassant's feather in 1884? The literary hero, created by Guy de Maupassant, is, - in general, - a satirical personage.
"Bombard of 1884" is uneducated weak-willed self-interested silly sexually anxious idler.
The story consists of the following elements:
the literary hero has a determination to to make almost anything "for ten thousand francs annuity" ("For ten thousand francs of annuity I'm willing to work as a hangman!" In other words, "Bombard of 1884" - a man without honor),
acquaintance of the hero with the rich Englishwoman (widow),
his marriage; financial security at the expense of the wife,
subsequent treasons to the wife,
the transforming into position under wife's heel
restriction by the wife of opportunities of treason (of husband),
attempts of the hero to fulfill the spouse's treasons at least with the ugly servantwoman, which isn't causing suspicions of the wife.
The story ends with the fact that a literary hero in the dark late at night in the hallway once again was cheating on his wife with the servantwoman. However it becomes clear in the morning that he dealt with own wife. In general, the hero is so primitive that even can not to cheat the wife, the wife dominates him, and forces him to have love affairs only with her.
The literary image of "Bombard of 1884" can be disputed even without knowledge of the fact that in 1953 Bombard, both as the seafarer and as the writer, has sparkled, like lightning.
"For ten thousand francs of a rent (dividends) I am ready to work as a hangman!"
And where the "hangman"? Married the attractive widow the Englishwoman? Well ... Not an "hangman".
The implicit reproach in ignorance, addressed to "Bombard of 1884", of course has some moral grounds. But, however, many people seek their vocation for many years, decades, sometimes during all their lives. Moreover, education (formal) is not the only key prerequisite for a usefulness of human. Many prominent people did not and do not have formal education.
The idleness it's also a relative disadvantage. And what, strictly speaking, are the "idleness" criteria? In many spheres of activity - politics, entrepreneurship, literature, filmmaking and others - are natural and well-known the long periods of fading, of attenuation of apparent explicit creative activity.
Married a widow with money... everyone has their own line in life. He'd marry the girl without money, - the same would be grounds for a joke.
Cheating on his wife... And if he was not cheating, so biased observer, especially French, could see some strangeness in it ...
He "under a heel" of wife...
Financial security at the expense of the wife ...
First, it family affairs, for the external observer are not clear. Secondly, even if he became "under the heel", then in such situation is also a some positive effect: the family is stronger ...
There are also questions of more substantial. So, Guy de Maupassant can not to convict Bombard in mental disorder or a syphilis disease. (On the contrary, the health of Bombard is emphasized). But the lack of such "reproaches" is natural. Both the mental disorder, and syphilis were inherent not Bombard, - whatever "bad" he was, - but to Guy de Maupassant.
And if to be exempted from "the power of a joke" (when both the situation, and skill of the story-teller force to laugh or at least to smile for politeness), then it turns out - that Bombard if is with what to reproach, so with his imperfection. And who is perfect?
You can go to a different level of generalization. The so-called "idleness", "inaction" is a form of implementation, the consequence of freedom.
And "idleness" and freedom are essences, which are obeying their own energies and desires.