Bed No. 29 (Maupassant): Difference between revisions

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🛏️

Bed No. 29

Le Lit 29 · 1884

Summary of the Short Story

Microsummary: Officer had affair with woman. War came. She got disease from enemies and infected them back. He was disgusted. She accused him of cowardice before dying. His reputation was ruined among peers.

Short Summary

France, late 19th century. Captain Epivent, a handsome officer of hussars, was known for his conquests with women. He began a relationship with Irma, a beautiful young woman in Rouen.

👨‍✈️

Captain Epivent — handsome officer of hussars, around 30-40 years old, bald with heavy blond mustache, thin waist, muscular chest and legs, proud and vain, known for his conquests with women.

When war broke out, Epivent left for the front. Upon his return, he learned Irma was in the hospital. He visited her, discovering she had contracted syphilis from Prussian soldiers during the occupation. Irma claimed she had deliberately infected the Prussians as an act of revenge.

👩

Irma — young woman, Captain Epivent's mistress, initially beautiful and fresh, later ill and emaciated in hospital, passionate and vengeful towards Prussians.

Epivent, disgusted and ashamed, tried to distance himself from Irma. However, she continued to write to him. On her deathbed, Irma confronted Epivent about his cowardice and boasted about her actions against the Prussians.

Ah, yes, you are a pretty poser! I know you well. I know you. And I tell you that I have done more harm than you — I — and that I have killed more than all your regiment together. Come now, you coward.

Overwhelmed by her accusations and the situation, Epivent fled the hospital. The next day, he learned of Irma's death. The story ended with Epivent's reputation tarnished among his fellow officers, who mocked him for his association with Irma.

Detailed Summary

Division of the summary into chapters is conditional.

The Dashing Captain and His Conquests

In Rouen, Captain Epivent was known for his striking appearance and numerous romantic conquests.

Captain Epivent passed in the street all the ladies turned to look at him. He was the true type of a handsome officer of hussars. He was always on parade, always strutted a little and seemed preoccupied and proud of his leg

The Romance with Irma

Among his conquests was the beautiful Irma, who was reportedly the mistress of a wealthy manufacturer named M. Templier-Papon.

🧔

M. Templier-Papon — rich manufacturer, Irma's former lover.

Their affair became the talk of the town, and they openly displayed their relationship. When war was declared, their parting was dramatic and emotional. The captain went off to war, where he distinguished himself and earned the Cross of Honor.

The Tragic Discovery

Upon his return, the captain received a letter from Irma saying she was very ill in the hospital. When he visited, he discovered she was in the syphilis ward.

It was those beasts of Prussians. They took me almost by force and then poisoned me... I do not believe that I shall recover. The doctor says it is very serious.

Irma revealed that she had deliberately infected Prussian soldiers as an act of revenge. The captain, horrified and humiliated, especially after becoming the regiment's laughingstock, tried to distance himself from her.

No, the desire to avenge myself came to me when I should have broken away from it. And I poisoned them, too, all, all that I could. As long as there were any of them in Rouen, I had no thought for myself.

Despite her pleas, he avoided visiting her again until a chaplain informed him she was dying.

👨‍🦳

Hospital Chaplain — religious figure at the hospital, sends a note to Captain Epivent about Irma's condition.

During their final confrontation, Irma proudly declared that she had killed more Prussians than the captain had in battle. Unable to bear her accusations, he fled from the hospital. The next day, he learned of her death.

He went away; in fact, he fled, stretching his long legs as he passed between the two rows of beds where the syphilitic patients were becoming excited. And he heard the gasping, stifled voice of Irma pursuing him

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 {{Summary
 | Title = Bed No. 29
+| Subtitle =
+| Original Title = Le Lit 29
 | Author = Guy de Maupassant
 | Literary form = short story
-| Year of publication =
+| Year of publication = 1884
-| Microsummary = A handsome officer visited his former lover in a hospital, only to discover she had contracted syphilis from Prussian soldiers and sought revenge by infecting them in return.
+| Microsummary = Officer had affair with woman. War came. She got disease from enemies and infected them back. He was disgusted. She accused him of cowardice before dying. His reputation was ruined among peers.
+| Emoji = 🛏️
 }}
 {{Start of text}}
-Captain Épivent was a handsome hussar officer who was admired by many women. He had a reputation for being a ladies' man and was envied by his fellow officers. One day, he met a beautiful woman named Irma, who was the mistress of a rich manufacturer.
+== Short Summary ==
+France, late 19th century. Captain Epivent, a handsome officer of hussars, was known for his conquests with women. He began a relationship with Irma, a beautiful young woman in Rouen.
 {{Character
-| Name = Captain Épivent
+| Name = Captain Epivent
-| Description = narrator; handsome hussar officer; proud, scornful, and successful with women
+| Description = handsome officer of hussars, around 30-40 years old, bald with heavy blond mustache, thin waist, muscular chest and legs, proud and vain, known for his conquests with women
-| Emoji = 💂🏻‍♂️
+| Emoji = 👨‍✈️
 }}
+When war broke out, Epivent left for the front. Upon his return, he learned Irma was in the hospital. He visited her, discovering she had contracted syphilis from Prussian soldiers during the occupation. Irma claimed she had deliberately infected the Prussians as an act of revenge.
 {{Character
-| Name = Irma Pavolin
+| Name = Irma
-| Description = Captain Épivent's former lover; once beautiful, now ill with syphilis; vengeful, determined
+| Description = young woman, Captain Epivent's mistress, initially beautiful and fresh, later ill and emaciated in hospital, passionate and vengeful towards Prussians
-| Emoji = 👩🏻‍🦰
+| Emoji = 👩
+}}
+Epivent, disgusted and ashamed, tried to distance himself from Irma. However, she continued to write to him. On her deathbed, Irma confronted Epivent about his cowardice and boasted about her actions against the Prussians.
+{{Quote|
+Ah, yes, you are a pretty poser! I know you well. I know you. And I tell you that I have done more harm than you — I — and that I have killed more than all your regiment together. Come now, you coward.
 }}
-They quickly became lovers and were inseparable for a year until war broke out and Captain Épivent's regiment was sent to the front.
+Overwhelmed by her accusations and the situation, Epivent fled the hospital. The next day, he learned of Irma's death. The story ended with Epivent's reputation tarnished among his fellow officers, who mocked him for his association with Irma.
+== Detailed Summary ==
+''Division of the summary into chapters is conditional.''
-During the war, Captain Épivent fought bravely and was awarded a medal for his heroism. When he returned to Rouen, he sought out Irma but could not find her. Eventually, he received a letter from her saying that she was in the hospital and very ill. He visited her and found her in the syphilis ward, looking thin and pale. She told him that she had contracted the disease from the Prussian soldiers who had occupied Rouen during the war.
+=== The Dashing Captain and His Conquests ===
-{{Quote
+In Rouen, Captain Epivent was known for his striking appearance and numerous romantic conquests.
-| Text = It was those beasts of Prussians. They took me almost by force and then poisoned me.
-| Context = Irma explains to Captain Épivent how she contracted syphilis, blaming the Prussian soldiers for her condition and revealing her desire for revenge.
+{{Quote|
+Captain Epivent passed in the street all the ladies turned to look at him. He was the true type of a handsome officer of hussars. He was always on parade, always strutted a little and seemed preoccupied and proud of his leg
 }}
-Captain Épivent was disgusted and ashamed, but he promised to visit her again. However, when he returned to his regiment, his fellow officers mocked him for his relationship with Irma. He received another letter from her, but he ignored it. Finally, he received a letter from a chaplain at the hospital, saying that Irma was on her deathbed and begging him to come.
+=== The Romance with Irma ===
-He reluctantly went to the hospital and found Irma still alive but very weak. She told him that she had purposely infected the Prussian soldiers with syphilis as a form of revenge.
+Among his conquests was the beautiful Irma, who was reportedly the mistress of a wealthy manufacturer named M. Templier-Papon.
-{{Quote
+{{Character
-| Text = Ah! yes, you are a pretty poser! I know you well. I know you. And I tell you that I have done them more harm than you, I, yes, more harm to them than you, and I am going to die for it, while you are singing songs and making yourself fine to inveigle women.
+| Name = M. Templier-Papon
-| Context = This quote is from Irma, as she confronts Captain Épivent in the hospital. She argues that she has done more harm to the Prussians than he has, and she is going to die for her actions.
+| Description = rich manufacturer, Irma's former lover
+| Emoji = 🧔
 }}
-Captain Épivent was horrified and left the hospital, never to see Irma again. The next day, he learned that she had died.
+Their affair became the talk of the town, and they openly displayed their relationship. When war was declared, their parting was dramatic and emotional. The captain went off to war, where he distinguished himself and earned the Cross of Honor.
+=== The Tragic Discovery ===
+Upon his return, the captain received a letter from Irma saying she was very ill in the hospital. When he visited, he discovered she was in the syphilis ward.
+{{Quote|
+It was those beasts of Prussians. They took me almost by force and then poisoned me... I do not believe that I shall recover. The doctor says it is very serious.
+}}
+Irma revealed that she had deliberately infected Prussian soldiers as an act of revenge. The captain, horrified and humiliated, especially after becoming the regiment's laughingstock, tried to distance himself from her.
+{{Quote|
+No, the desire to avenge myself came to me when I should have broken away from it. And I poisoned them, too, all, all that I could. As long as there were any of them in Rouen, I had no thought for myself.
+}}
+Despite her pleas, he avoided visiting her again until a chaplain informed him she was dying.
+{{Character
+| Name = Hospital Chaplain
+| Description = religious figure at the hospital, sends a note to Captain Epivent about Irma's condition
+| Emoji = 👨‍🦳
+}}
+During their final confrontation, Irma proudly declared that she had killed more Prussians than the captain had in battle. Unable to bear her accusations, he fled from the hospital. The next day, he learned of her death.
+{{Quote|
+He went away; in fact, he fled, stretching his long legs as he passed between the two rows of beds where the syphilitic patients were becoming excited. And he heard the gasping, stifled voice of Irma pursuing him
+}}
 {{End of text}}