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| Author = Guy de Maupassant
| Author = Guy de Maupassant
| Literary form = short story
| Literary form = short story
| Year of publication =  
| Year of publication = 1886
| Microsummary = A young boy fondly remembers an old bearded dressmaker who told him stories, and later learns about her tragic past and the secret love affair that led to her disfigurement.
| Microsummary = An elderly seamstress's tragic past was revealed after her death. In her youth, she had a secret affair with a teacher. When caught, she jumped from a hayloft to protect him, living alone thereafter.
}}
}}


{{Start of text}}
{{Start of text}}


A young boy fondly remembered an old dressmaker named Mother Clochette, who used to visit his parents' house every week to do the mending. She was a tall, thin woman with a beard that covered her entire face.
== Short Summary ==
 
France, late 19th century. A man recalled his childhood memories of Mother Clochette, an old seamstress who visited his family's country house weekly to mend linen.
 
{{Character
| Name = The Narrator
| Description = narrator, male, recalling events from when he was 10-12 years old, lived in a country house with his parents, curious and observant
| Emoji = 👦🏼
}}
 
The narrator, as a child, adored Mother Clochette and her stories. One day, he found her dead in the linen room.
 
{{Quote|
On opening the door of the linen-room, I saw the old seamstress lying on the ground by the side of her chair, with her face to the ground and her arms stretched out, but still holding her needle in one hand and one of my shirts in the other.
}}
 
Later, the narrator overheard a doctor revealing Mother Clochette's tragic past. As a young woman, she had a secret affair with an assistant teacher. When caught by the schoolmaster, she jumped from a hayloft to protect her lover, breaking her leg in three places.


{{Character
{{Character
| Name = Mother Clochette (Hortense)
| Name = Mother Clochette (Hortense)
| Description = old dressmaker; bearded, limping, kind-hearted, and a storyteller
| Description = elderly seamstress, tall, thin, hairy face with beard-like growth, limping, wore large white cap, kind-hearted, storyteller, tragic past
| Emoji = 👵🏻
| Emoji = 👵🏼
}}
}}


The boy adored her and would often spend time with her in the linen room, listening to her stories while she worked. She told me these simple stories in such a way that they assumed in my mind the stature of unforgettable dramas, of sublime and mysterious poems.
The doctor, who treated her injury, kept her secret. Mother Clochette lived the rest of her life with a limp, never marrying or having another love affair. The narrator, deeply moved by this revelation, realized the depth of Mother Clochette's character and the sacrifice she had made in her youth.
 
== Detailed Summary ==
 
''The division of the summary into chapters is conditional.''


{{Quote
=== Childhood Memories of Mother Clochette ===
| Text = She told me these simple stories in such a way that they assumed in my mind the stature of unforgettable dramas, of sublime and mysterious poems.
 
| Context = The narrator describes how Mother Clochette's stories captivated him as a child, making ordinary events seem extraordinary and memorable.
The narrator began by reflecting on the persistence of certain memories.
 
{{Quote|
How strange those old recollections are which haunt us, without our being able to get rid of them. This one is so very old that I cannot understand how it has clung so vividly and tenaciously to my memory.
}}
}}


One day, the boy found Mother Clochette lying dead on the floor of the linen room. He was devastated and hid in a dark corner of the drawing room, crying. I could not tell you what profound grief, poignant dreadful grief, seized my childish heart.
He recalled Mother Clochette, an old seamstress who visited his parents' country house every Thursday to mend linen. The narrator described her distinctive appearance, particularly her facial hair.


{{Quote
{{Quote|
| Text = I could not tell you what profound grief, poignant dreadful grief, seized my childish heart.
She had them on her nose, under her nose, round her nose, on her chin, on her cheeks; and her eyebrows, which were extraordinarily thick and long, and quite gray, bushy and bristling, looked exactly like a pair of mustaches...
| Context = The narrator expresses his deep sorrow upon discovering Mother Clochette's lifeless body in the linen room, showing the strong bond they shared.
}}
}}


As he hid, he overheard his parents talking to the doctor about the cause of her death. The doctor revealed that he had treated Mother Clochette when she was a young and beautiful girl of seventeen.
The narrator, as a child, was fond of Mother Clochette and enjoyed her company and stories.
 
{{Quote|
I adored Mother Clochette. As soon as I was up I went into the linen- room where I found her installed at work, with a foot-warmer under her feet. As soon as I arrived, she made me take the foot-warmer and sit upon it...
}}
 
== The Tragic Discovery ==
 
One Tuesday, after spending the morning listening to Mother Clochette's stories, the narrator found her lying dead on the floor of the linen room. The sight deeply affected the young boy.
 
{{Quote|
I cannot describe the profound, poignant, terrible emotion which stirred my childish heart. I went slowly down into the drawing-room and hid myself in a dark corner, in the depths of an immense old armchair, where I knelt down and wept.
}}
 
Later that evening, the narrator overheard a conversation between his parents and the doctor, who began to reveal the tragic story of Mother Clochette's past.
 
{{Character
| Name = The Doctor
| Description = male, middle-aged or older, knowledgeable about Mother Clochette's past, compassionate, discreet
| Emoji = 👨🏼‍⚕️
}}
 
=== The Secret Past of Mother Clochette ===
 
The doctor recounted how, many years ago, a young and pretty seventeen-year-old Hortense (later known as Mother Clochette) had fallen in love with a handsome assistant teacher named Sigisbert. They arranged a secret meeting in the hay-loft, but were discovered by the strict schoolmaster, old Grabu.


{{Character
{{Character
| Name = The Narrator
| Name = Sigisbert
| Description = young boy; curious, emotional, and fond of Mother Clochette
| Description = young assistant teacher, handsome, well-built, cowardly, seduced young Hortense
| Emoji = 👦🏻
| Emoji = 👨🏼‍🏫
}}
 
{{Character
| Name = Old Grabu
| Description = male, elderly, schoolmaster, strict, intimidating to his assistant
| Emoji = 👴🏼
}}
}}


At that time, a handsome young assistant schoolmaster had come to town and all the girls were smitten with him. Mother Clochette, then known as Hortense, fell in love with him and they arranged a secret meeting in the school loft. However, they were discovered by the headmaster, who locked the door and went to fetch a candle. In a panic, Hortense jumped out of the loft window to avoid being caught, breaking her leg in the process.
In a moment of panic, Sigisbert hid, and Hortense, fearing discovery, jumped from the second-story window. The fall broke her leg in three places. The doctor, newly arrived in town, treated her injuries and kept her secret, inventing a story about a runaway carriage to explain her condition.


The doctor treated her injuries and told her parents that she had been hit by a runaway carriage. The police searched for the culprit, but the truth remained hidden. The doctor considered Hortense a heroine for her sacrifice and never revealed her secret until after her death. She is a martyr, a great soul, a sublime Vestal.
The doctor concluded his story, praising Hortense's bravery and sacrifice.


{{Quote
{{Quote|
| Text = She is a martyr, a great soul, a sublime Vestal.
'I am punished, well punished!' ... That is all! And I say that this woman was a heroine and belonged to the race of those who accomplish the grandest deeds of history. That was her only love affair, and she died a virgin.
| Context = The doctor speaks highly of Mother Clochette after revealing her tragic past, emphasizing her strength and nobility in keeping her secret love affair and its consequences hidden.
}}
}}


As the boy listened to the doctor's story, he continued to grieve for the loss of Mother Clochette, who had been a significant figure in his childhood.
As the story ended, the narrator, still hidden, heard the sound of Mother Clochette's body being carried away, forever changed by the revelation of her tragic past.


{{End of text}}
{{End of text}}

Revision as of 13:57, 22 October 2024

Disclaimer: This summary was generated by AI, so it may contain errors.
Guy de Maupassant
Clochette
1886
Summary of the Short Story
Microsummary: An elderly seamstress's tragic past was revealed after her death. In her youth, she had a secret affair with a teacher. When caught, she jumped from a hayloft to protect him, living alone thereafter.

Short Summary

France, late 19th century. A man recalled his childhood memories of Mother Clochette, an old seamstress who visited his family's country house weekly to mend linen.

👦🏼
The Narrator — narrator, male, recalling events from when he was 10-12 years old, lived in a country house with his parents, curious and observant.

The narrator, as a child, adored Mother Clochette and her stories. One day, he found her dead in the linen room.

On opening the door of the linen-room, I saw the old seamstress lying on the ground by the side of her chair, with her face to the ground and her arms stretched out, but still holding her needle in one hand and one of my shirts in the other.

Later, the narrator overheard a doctor revealing Mother Clochette's tragic past. As a young woman, she had a secret affair with an assistant teacher. When caught by the schoolmaster, she jumped from a hayloft to protect her lover, breaking her leg in three places.

👵🏼
Mother Clochette (Hortense) — elderly seamstress, tall, thin, hairy face with beard-like growth, limping, wore large white cap, kind-hearted, storyteller, tragic past.

The doctor, who treated her injury, kept her secret. Mother Clochette lived the rest of her life with a limp, never marrying or having another love affair. The narrator, deeply moved by this revelation, realized the depth of Mother Clochette's character and the sacrifice she had made in her youth.

Detailed Summary

The division of the summary into chapters is conditional.

Childhood Memories of Mother Clochette

The narrator began by reflecting on the persistence of certain memories.

How strange those old recollections are which haunt us, without our being able to get rid of them. This one is so very old that I cannot understand how it has clung so vividly and tenaciously to my memory.

He recalled Mother Clochette, an old seamstress who visited his parents' country house every Thursday to mend linen. The narrator described her distinctive appearance, particularly her facial hair.

She had them on her nose, under her nose, round her nose, on her chin, on her cheeks; and her eyebrows, which were extraordinarily thick and long, and quite gray, bushy and bristling, looked exactly like a pair of mustaches...

The narrator, as a child, was fond of Mother Clochette and enjoyed her company and stories.

I adored Mother Clochette. As soon as I was up I went into the linen- room where I found her installed at work, with a foot-warmer under her feet. As soon as I arrived, she made me take the foot-warmer and sit upon it...

The Tragic Discovery

One Tuesday, after spending the morning listening to Mother Clochette's stories, the narrator found her lying dead on the floor of the linen room. The sight deeply affected the young boy.

I cannot describe the profound, poignant, terrible emotion which stirred my childish heart. I went slowly down into the drawing-room and hid myself in a dark corner, in the depths of an immense old armchair, where I knelt down and wept.

Later that evening, the narrator overheard a conversation between his parents and the doctor, who began to reveal the tragic story of Mother Clochette's past.

👨🏼‍⚕️
The Doctor — male, middle-aged or older, knowledgeable about Mother Clochette's past, compassionate, discreet.

The Secret Past of Mother Clochette

The doctor recounted how, many years ago, a young and pretty seventeen-year-old Hortense (later known as Mother Clochette) had fallen in love with a handsome assistant teacher named Sigisbert. They arranged a secret meeting in the hay-loft, but were discovered by the strict schoolmaster, old Grabu.

👨🏼‍🏫
Sigisbert — young assistant teacher, handsome, well-built, cowardly, seduced young Hortense.
👴🏼
Old Grabu — male, elderly, schoolmaster, strict, intimidating to his assistant.

In a moment of panic, Sigisbert hid, and Hortense, fearing discovery, jumped from the second-story window. The fall broke her leg in three places. The doctor, newly arrived in town, treated her injuries and kept her secret, inventing a story about a runaway carriage to explain her condition.

The doctor concluded his story, praising Hortense's bravery and sacrifice.

'I am punished, well punished!' ... That is all! And I say that this woman was a heroine and belonged to the race of those who accomplish the grandest deeds of history. That was her only love affair, and she died a virgin.

As the story ended, the narrator, still hidden, heard the sound of Mother Clochette's body being carried away, forever changed by the revelation of her tragic past.

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