Mad? (Maupassant)
A man was deeply in love with a woman who owned him body and soul. He was obsessed with her physical appearance, but despised her personality. Their initial months together were filled with passion, but eventually, the woman grew tired of him.
The man became jealous and suspicious, watching her every move and waiting for her to betray him. The narrator is reflecting on his feelings for his lover, questioning whether he truly loves her or if he is just obsessed with her physical appearance.
I have loved this woman to madness—and yet, is it true? Did I love her? No, no!
One day, the man noticed that the woman seemed happy and full of desire again, but he couldn't figure out the reason. He observed her closely for months, until he finally realized that her happiness came from her daily horseback rides. The man became jealous of the horse and everything that brought her joy during her rides.
Seeking revenge, the man set a trap for the woman and her horse. He tied a rope across her favorite path and hid in the grass, waiting for her to come galloping by. When she did, the horse tripped on the rope and fell. The man caught the woman in his arms and then shot the horse dead.
Enraged, the woman attacked the man with her riding whip, striking him twice across the face. In response, the man shot her as well. The narrator describes the overwhelming physical effect his lover has on him when she undresses, revealing the depth of his obsession with her body.
I felt in all my limbs, in my legs and arms, in my panting chest, an infinite and cowardly weakness.
Despite his actions, the man insisted that he was not insane. This is the final line of the story, where the narrator reveals that he has killed his lover after shooting her horse, and questions his own sanity.