Marianne's Adventures. Book: Marivo "Life of Marianne
Pierre Carlet de Chamblain de Marivaux.
THE LIFE OF MARIANNA, OR THE ADVENTURES OF COUNSES DE***
Preface.
LIFE OF MARIANNA - A GAME OF LOVE AND CHANCE
In the comedy A Game of Love and Chance (1730), rightfully considered the best, famous comedy Marivo wrote for a troupe of Italian actors, young people, Dorant and Sylvia, are intended for each other by their parents. True, they are still unfamiliar. To watch the groom from the side, Sylvia embarks on a little trick: she changes into the dress of her maid Lisette.
But (here it is, the "play of chance"!) The same, apparently quite natural in such a situation, the thought comes to Dorant, who appears before Sylvia in the guise of Harlequin's servant. To her horror (comical for the viewer, who knows all the vicissitudes of intrigue), Sylvia finds that she cannot cope with an unknown force that attracts her to the "servant" Harlequin. Dorant also has an equally inexplicable inclination towards the "servant" Lisette. But the most remarkable thing is that the imaginary "gentlemen", Lisette and Harlequin, who exchanged dresses with their owners, are also imbued with mutual sympathy! It is in this unintentional inclination that the “game of love” manifests itself, indifferent to all the distinctions and conventions of class society.
Love is not mistaken - that's what Marivo wants to tell us, and we, viewers and readers, happily agree with him. Joyful not only because in his comedies Marivaux rehabilitates love, stigmatized by classicism as a passion that is destructive in relation to duty - family, vassal, state ... We with a light heart agree with the author also because in his comedies this noblest of feelings, there is no need to overcome the obstacles that have piled up before lovers for centuries since the time of the Celtic legend of Tristan and Iseult. Intuitively, this is how we always imagined everything: between love and the world in which we live, there must be harmony.
Such are Marivaux's comedies, in which, by the very logic of the genre, the natural order of things is destined to triumph over the "delusions of the mind." “Marivodage” reigns in them - a witty game of sophisticated tricks, which the confused consciousness resorts to in a vain attempt to get away from the inevitable, to resist the obvious - the passion that gripped the hero. According to Stendhal, “marivodage” is “the tricks of the mind, which does not want to recognize love as its inalienable rights.”
In fact, the obstacles encountered in the path of the characters in Marivo's comedies are of a psychological nature. They come down either to their personal qualities, such as timidity, indecision, jealousy, or to misinterpreted motives. “It is very rightly noted,” wrote the famous French critic Sainte-Beuve in “Conversations on Mondays” (1854), “that in Marivaux’s comedies, as a rule, there are no external obstacles, serious conflicts that would affect the deep interests of the characters; his characters sort things out, wage a psychological war. Since the lovers are initially located towards each other, and there are clearly no external dangers or obstacles, Marivaux builds the conflict on scrupulousness, curiosity, modesty, ignorance, and even on self-esteem or wounded dignity of the characters. Often he skillfully ties and develops an intrigue based only on a misunderstanding.
Yes, Marivaux plays with imaginary obstacles; there are no real obstacles in his comedies and cannot be. He is interested, for example, in the scale of Sylvia's personality, which, in violation of all class prescriptions, will have to admit to herself and others that she is in love with Harlequin. Despite sophisticated verbal tricks, she cannot hide the love that, as she thinks, will humiliate her in the eyes of her father and brother. This, according to Mariveaux, is the comic of her position.
In the comedy "Double Inconstancy" (1723), even the theme of infidelity does not get a dramatic resolution: Sylvia grows cold towards Harlequin and falls in love with the Prince just when Harlequin is fond of Flaminia.
In the comedy Another Surprise of Love (1727), the Marquise and Chevalier love each other. Marquise is a widow, Chevalier is free. Only Chevalier's indecision prevents their union. It seems to the jealous lover that the Marquise is not indifferent to the Count. The marquise expects more decisive actions from Chevalier, which the latter, tormented by unfounded suspicions and false guesses, cannot take. Then the Marquise herself confesses her love to him, happily dispelling the doubts of the unlucky boyfriend.
However, these are all comedies. "The Life of Marianne, or the Adventures of the Countess de * * *" (1731 -1741) is a "non-fictional story" that claims to be a reliable depiction of real events. “The fact is that before you is not a novel, but a true story,” reminds Marianna
to his friend, and with her to us, supportive readers. This reminder means that if in novels (precise in this case) the hero was supposed to remain faithful to his beloved, in the true story told by Marianne, the events are presented as “the way they happened, obeying the changing course of human existence, and not the will or whim of the author.”
The "changeable course of human existence" with which Marianne has to deal is, it seems to us, a novel version of the comedic "game of love and chance." Yes, unlike the comic characters of Marivo, Marianne has to defend in her brilliant monologues those values that in comedies were taken for granted - the right to love and happiness. However, although Marianne struggles with a hostile world, personified for her in the form of wealth and nobility, she is just as doomed to success, as all Marivaux's comedic characters were doomed to success. As Sylvia has to confess her love for Harlequin, so aristocratic society is destined to bow before the virtues of the heroine and accept her into their midst.
In fact, the circumstances of the novel are malleable, appearing in the guise of "chance", which, if not always plays into the hands of the heroine, then allows her to reverse the unfavorable course of things in her favor. Endowed by nature with an analytical mind, every time she makes the most difficult, but the only right decision, refusing momentary gain in order to gain something much more valuable in return - the respect of others. Her love for life, "reasonable egoism" is manifested in the fact that in all, even the most difficult and seemingly hopeless situations, she chooses dignity, nobility and virtue and does not make mistakes, because they bring her good luck. Without these rare spiritual qualities, no one would ever appreciate and love her.
The game, in which the heroine is selflessly involved, fully reveals her Human essence. For, as Schiller would later say in his Letters on the Aesthetic Education of Man (1794), summing up the philosophy and aesthetics of the Enlightenment, "the concept of human essence is completed only through the unity of reality and form, chance and necessity, passivity and freedom," and completion is is achieved in the game, in the "urge to play" which is beauty.
Marianne's life is built according to the laws of beauty because, according to Mariveau's plan, it is called upon to bring the reality of the world around it in line with the moral content of the heroine. Here is how Marianne herself says about it: “I didn’t have anything that would make me treat me with respect. But for those who have neither nobility nor wealth that inspires respect, there remains one treasure - the soul, and it means a lot; sometimes it means more than nobility and wealth, it can overcome all trials "
The active love of life, which Marianne is endowed with in abundance, is guided by a special kind of sincerity - a new value conquered by the humanism of the Enlightenment, which we could call noble morality, noble not by birth, but by spirit. This noble morality, understood as the essence of Marianne, has to put on her proper clothes of nobility and wealth, since only nobility and wealth are a worthy outward expression of her royal humanity.
So, the game task of Marianne's life, as Mariveau imagines it, consists in gaining nobility and wealth thanks to spiritual courage aimed at restoring the identity of "reality" and "form" (in Schiller's terminology), violated due to the fault of "accident" (attacks of robbers on the carriage in which the noble parents of Marianna rode), dooming the heroine to poverty and orphanhood. From the comedies, a certain hint passes here, a certain undeveloped assumption that, if Marianne's high birth was confirmed, she could intermarry with the most noble noble families. This probability is assumed by the innate qualities of the heroine, the attitude towards her of impartially thinking characters, such as, for example, Madame de Miran or an influential minister, in precise, correctly found words addressed to Marianne, who formulated the very essence of the problem: “Your noble origin has not been proven, but the nobility of your heart is indisputable, and if I had to choose, I would prefer it to nobility. This possibility is verbally expressed in the passionate tirade of Valville, who defends his beloved from the attacks of people who boast of their nobility as an external form, and not an internal content.
However, all this is nothing more than assumptions and assumptions. In the reality that the author paints for us, Marianne makes her debut as the heroine of an adventurous everyday novel. This means that the “chance”, which embodies the fluid empiricism of life, constantly confronts the heroine with surprises that force her to reveal her essence.
However, the life that Marianne embarks on is not chaotic. It is natural in its own way, and this internal organization of it is manifested in the pendulum principle of plot development: ups and downs give way to falls, moments of hope - bouts of despair. The appearance of de Climal, a hypocritical benefactor, gives Marianne hope for the future, but his importunate advances make her understand that she will either have to accept the role of a kept woman, or again find herself on the street without a livelihood. The meeting with Valville gives rise to new inspiration, but the break with de Climal puts her in an almost hopeless situation. Acquaintance with Madame de Miran - a new take-off; harassment by Valville's relatives is another test. The brilliant victory won by Marianne in the minister's office restores the hope that the frivolity of Valville seems ready to take away forever ...
Unlike her predecessors, the heroines of an adventurous everyday novel, such as, for example, Moll Flanders or Lady Roxanne, Marianne does not swim at the behest of the waves. Thanks to her innate ability to delve into the motives that govern the actions of the people around her, she acquires a certain power over events. In turn, interest in psychological motivations pushes adventurous entertainment to the background, transfers Marivaux's novel to a different genre register - turns it into a psychological novel in which, according to the author, "reasoning" prevails over "a simple retelling of facts."
In fact, the novel is written in the form of a letter, in which Marianne, already a titled countess, tells her friend the marquise about the events of 20-30 years ago. The temporal, and therefore the value distance, allows her, in the best traditions of analytical prose, dating back to the work of French moralists - Pascal, La Rochefoucauld, La Bruyère and the novels of Madame de Lafayette, to recreate a bizarre pattern of interacting and intertwining motifs. This work would be simply beyond the power of the hero-narrator, who is directly involved in the events depicted. Marianne was to become a countess de *** in order to capture the whole panorama of events in their regularity through the prism of the acquired experience.
The interaction of motives crystallizes into a more or less complex drawing, depending on the horizons and attitudes of the characters. Thus, the motives that determine the behavior of Madame Dutour, the mistress of a linen shop, are simple, almost primitive. She settles Marianne in her place, counting on the money with which de Klimal is going to pay for the maintenance of her ward. But now she finds out about his intention to relocate Marianne and the “benefactor” instantly turns into an “old madman”, “grunting with a lean mug”, “a real rogue”, who intends to cheat a decent woman.
A more complex picture of the role of de Klimal. He clearly goes beyond the traditional satirical portraits of Tartuffes of all times and stripes, hypocrisy covering up their reprehensible inclinations: he is capable of a spiritual crisis and moral rebirth. Yesterday's hypocrite turns into a penitent sinner, asking for forgiveness from his loved ones and bequeathing to Marianne a life annuity, twice as much as that which he read to her as his kept woman.
In many ways, Valville is also unpredictable, passionately and selflessly in love and at the same time recklessly carried away by Mademoiselle Warton. Wharton herself is also unpredictable, sometimes a sensitive and delicate friend, sometimes a selfish and unceremonious rival. These and many other images of the novel are innovative discoveries of Marivaux, reflecting a more complex image of a person that arose before the artistic consciousness of the 18th century.
However, the most controversial, dynamic, lively hero of the novel is, of course, Marianne. Being by nature an extraordinary person, she also evolves from the heroine of an adventurous everyday novel to the heroine of a test novel. At first, especially in the first two parts, Marianne not so much reveals as justifies the "selfish" motives of her aspirations, trying to give them the appearance of secular decency. Applying itself to circumstances (of course, to certain limits), it seeks morally acceptable justifications for its thirst for success, love, and happiness. The deep motive of her behavior remains the desire to achieve a secure and independent position - to marry for love a noble and wealthy young man, and in order to attract his attention, you need to look good, dress decently and tastefully, etc. etc. Marianne is not mistaken about the true intentions of de Climal, but at first she is forced to pretend that she trusts him. If she were to admit to herself that de Climal was giving her gifts on the basis of her favor, that he was simply buying her with his gifts, she would have to, faithful to her ideas of morality, immediately and most decisively part with him. But Marianne is young and beautiful, she does not give up the hope of marrying a young nobleman ... Therefore, throughout the entire episode, the reader repeatedly asks the question: how long will Marianne be able to pretend that her persistent "benefactor" wants her only such happiness, what could a well-meaning father wish for his daughter?
The culmination of this protracted uncertainty is the scene in the carriage, when de Climal tries to kiss Marianne like a lover, and she accepts affection from him like a patron.
In the tradition of an adventurous everyday novel, Marivaux poeticizes the efforts of a personality - bright, energetic, enterprising, cheerful. The writer's providential faith in the ultimate benevolence of the world determines the principle of the author's selection and correlation of compositional elements. Mariveau selects and arranges events in such a way that the obstacles that arise before Marianne are overcome by her without prejudice to her moral sense. With the magic of the artist, he corrects reality, prolonging the life of the literary genre - the adventurous everyday novel: when Marianne runs the risk of being on the street again without a livelihood, because the protracted game with de Climal is nearing a denouement, an accident in the image of the author will grant her a long-awaited meeting with Valville. In his mansion, Marianne demonstrates the skill of a born actress, without falling into exaggerations that would allow her to be convicted of a lie. The episode is built on omissions and thoughtful omissions, which, in essence, hide the true state of things from Valville, but are interpreted by him in the sense desirable for Marianne: Valville explains everything by her chaste modesty.
Prior to her meeting with Valville, Marianne considered de Climal “only a hypocrite” and thought: “Let him be anyone he wants, he won’t get anything from me anyway.” However, “after the gentle speeches of her nephew, a young, attractive and amiable gentleman,” Marianne can afford not to stand on ceremony with an importunate suitor and send him money and gifts through Valville: a noble gesture, carefully calibrated, will present her in a favorable light before Valville, whose opinion she now highly valued.
But starting from the third part, Marianne makes an important decision for herself. She chooses dignity, contrasting it with life - a game of chance, something vain, transient, relative: “Our life, one might say, is less dear to us than ourselves, that is, than our passions. One has only to look at what storms sometimes rage in our soul, and one might think that existence is one thing, and life is quite another.
The soul and the passions raging in it turn into an existential value, fill the life of the heroine with a difficult-to-define content called talent. This special kind of talent allows Marianne to take an independent position in relation to the ordinary consciousness, immersed in the "cares of the vain world." Talent goes hand in hand with honesty, truthfulness, nobility. He helps the heroine gain relative independence from circumstances.
However, in this turn of the plot, a contradiction between the author's intention and the independent meaning of the plot situation, which is essential for the novel of the 18th century, is outlined. The author sincerely wishes the heroine success and often comes to her aid, fortunately, so far without much damage to life's authenticity. “It is quite obvious,” Marcel Arlan, a modern researcher of Marivaux’s work, notes, “that while Marivaux analyzes and explains his heroine, revealing the hidden mechanism of her mental life, the psychologist and moralist are working to the detriment of the novelist, because under the term “novelist "I mean the writer of the Stendhal type, who never for a moment loses sight of what constitutes the unique originality of his characters."
This internal, merely emerging violation of the lawfulness of the logic of character and the logic of life places Marivaux's novel at the origins of two novelistic traditions. One of them, which could be called the tradition of the test novel, develops the theme of the hero's resilience, who opposes the accumulated content of his inner world to leveling and depersonalizing circumstances. Such is the problematic of Charles Duclos' History of Madame de Luz, Antoine Prevost's History of a Modern Greek Woman, Denis Diderot's The Nuns, novels by Julia Krudener and Cotten Sophie Risto, Chateaubriand's Atala.
Another, anti-educational tradition, on the contrary, recreates the stages of the moral degradation of the hero, who entrusted himself to the demonism of "life as it is." Such are the novels of Crébillon the son of Delusions of Heart and Mind, Pierre Jean Baptiste Nougare's The Depraved Peasant, Retief de La Breton's The Seduced Peasant and The Seduced Peasant, the novels of the Marquis de Sade, some samples of the "Gothic" and also the "demonic »Romanticism novel.
Like The Fortunate Peasant, The Life of Marianne remained unfinished. Is it because the ending would not add anything to the character of the heroine and would only pay tribute to the adventurous everyday tradition, allowing the reader to rejoice for the “orphan”, who finally found her place in life? Is it because, for the type of love-psychological novel that Marivaux is rightly credited with creating, any positive ending turns into a parody of super-expectations that surpass even the most dizzying career? One way or another, but among the few continuations that have come down to us, what belongs to the pen of Marie Jeanne Riccoboni (1714-1792) is the best. And not only because, fully published in 1765, it evoked a positive response from contemporaries. Madame Riccoboni, writing not the end, but the continuation of the Life of Marianne, which breaks off in mid-sentence, reproduced not so much the narrative manner as the very spirit of Marivaux's novel, which poeticizes the hero's continuous struggle for a value much more worthy than that glorified by previous novel traditions - the formation of the human personality.
To a reader brought up on "realistic" works depicting the omnipotence of circumstances, "The Life of Marianne" should seem like a noble tale told by a person filled with a naive faith in the persuasive power of a word that can change fate, because it upholds all the best that it has managed to see and appreciate so far believing in himself and proud of himself XVIII century.
A. P. Bondarev
THE LIFE OF MARIANNA, OR THE ADVENTURES OF THE COUNSES DE ***
TO THE READER
Since suspicions may arise that this story is deliberately composed for the entertainment of readers, I consider it my duty to inform that I myself learned it from my friend, who actually found the manuscript, as will be said below, but I, for my part, only corrected it. some places, too vague and carelessly written. It is obvious that, if it were a fictitious work, it would undoubtedly have had a different form. Marianne would not indulge in such long and frequent reflections; there would be more events in the narrative and less morality - in a word, the author would adapt to the now usual taste of the public, which in books of this kind does not like reflection and reasoning. If we are talking about adventures, then give adventures, and Marianne, describing her adventures, did not take this into account at all. She did not give up any reflections that came to her mind about the events of her life, and her reasoning is sometimes short, and sometimes very lengthy - as she pleases. She intended the story of her life to some friend, who, apparently, liked to think; besides, by the time of her narration, Marianne had retired from the world, and such a circumstance gives rise to serious and philosophical thoughts in her mind. In a word, here is Marianne's work in its purest form, with the exception of the corrections we made in some words. We are releasing the first part of it, wanting to know what they will say about it. If you like it, the rest of the parts will appear one after the other, because they are all ready.
PART ONE
Before publishing this narrative, it is necessary to tell the public how a found it.
Half a year ago I bought a country house a few leagues from Rennes, which for thirty years has changed hands and been owned by five or six owners. I ordered some changes in the arrangement of the rooms on the lower floor, and during the alterations I found in a closet, arranged in a recess in the wall, a manuscript consisting of several notebooks, which tells the story that we offer to the reader - it was all written in a woman's handwriting. These notebooks were brought to me; I read the manuscript together with two friends who were visiting me, and since then they have constantly told me that this story should be printed; and I agree with that, especially since it does not affect anyone personally. From the date we discovered at the end of the manuscript, it is clear that this history was compiled forty years ago; we have changed the names of two persons mentioned in it, who are now deceased. Although nothing offensive was said about them, it was still better to remove their names.
That's all I wanted to say; a short preface seemed necessary to me, and I tried to write it as best I could, because I am not a writer at all, and these two dozen lines that came out from my pen will be my only published work.
Let's move on to the story itself. Some woman recounts the events of her life in it; we don't know who she is. Before us is the "Life of Marianne" - this is how this lady calls herself at the beginning of the story; then she titles herself a countess; the story is addressed to one of her friends, whose name is not indicated - that's all.
When I told you some incidents from my life, I did not expect, my dear friend, that you would ask me to tell you the whole story, to make a book out of it and print it. True, my life is rather unusual, but I will ruin everything if I begin to describe it - because where, pray tell, can I get a good style?
True, in the world they found that I was not stupid, but I think, dear, that my mind is one of those that are good only in conversation and are not at all suitable for writing.
With us, pretty women - and I was not bad-looking - the situation is such that if we have a little intelligence, then we become first-rate smart girls in the eyes of our interlocutors; men praise our every word; listening to our speeches, they admire us, and what is beautiful is sweet.
I knew one beautiful woman who enchanted everyone, no one in the world knew how to express herself like she did; such an interlocutor seemed to be the personification of liveliness and wit: experts were beside themselves with delight. But then she fell ill with smallpox and, although she recovered, became pockmarked; and when the poor thing reappeared in the world, she was already considered there as an intolerable chatterbox. You see how her pretty face used to make her crazy! Perhaps beauty gave it to me in those days when I was called the smartest person. I remember what my eyes looked like back then. I think they were more intelligent than I was.
How many times have I caught myself in a conversation on such absurdities that an ugly girl would not say goodbye! If the play of a sly face had not accompanied them, they would not have showered me with compliments, as they used to; and if smallpox, by disfiguring me, would reveal the true value of my speeches, they, to tell the truth, would lose a lot.
Not more than a month ago, for example, you reminded me of a certain day (twelve years have passed since then) when, in table conversation, everyone so admired my liveliness - and well! - To be honest, I was just frivolous. Believe me, sometimes I deliberately chatted all sorts of nonsense, wanting to see to what extent the innocence of men reaches in relation to us women. I succeeded admirably in everything, I assure you that in the mouth of an ugly person my extravagant speeches would have seemed worthy of the inhabitants of a lunatic asylum: and, perhaps, only my attractiveness gave a special charm to my most successful jokes. Now, when my beauty has faded, as I see, they do not find a special mind in me, but meanwhile I am now more pleased with myself than before. But since you want me to write the story of my life, since you ask me to do it in the name of our friendship, I must fulfill your desire; I'd rather bore you than refuse your request.
By the way, I was just talking about a good style, but I don’t know what it is. How is it achieved? Are all books written in a good style? Why do I dislike them most of the time? Do you find the style of my letters to you tolerable? So I will write exactly the same.
Don't forget your promise not to tell anyone who I am; I want it to be known only to you.
Fifteen years ago, I did not yet know whether I was of noble birth or not, and whether I was illegitimate or legitimate offspring. Such a beginning, perhaps, befits a novel, but I am not telling a novel at all, I am telling the truth, which I learned from those who raised me.
One day, robbers attacked a mail coach en route to Bordeaux; two men riding in it decided to resist and wounded one of their attackers, but were then killed along with the other three riders. The coachman and the postilion also paid with their lives, and only the canon from Sens and I, who was then at most two or three years old, remained in the carriage. The canon fled, and I, lying on the open door, uttered frantic screams, choking under the body of a woman who, being wounded, nevertheless tried to escape and, falling on the door, died, crushing me with her. The horses stood motionless, and I remained in this position for a good quarter of an hour, without ceasing to scream and unable to free myself.
Note that among the dead were two women: one, beautiful, about twenty years old, and the other - about forty; the first is magnificently dressed, and the second is in such clothes as the maids wear.
If one of these women was my mother, then she must have been young and better dressed, for they say I looked a little like her - at least that's what those who saw her dead and saw me also assured. and they remarked, moreover, that I was dressed too finely for a maid's daughter.
I forgot to tell you that the footman of one of the cavaliers riding in the carriage, wounded, rushed to run across the field and, weakened, fell near the outskirts of the nearest village, where he died without saying who he served; all they could get from him before he breathed his last was that his master and mistress had been killed, but that didn't reveal anything.
While I was screaming, pinned down by the corpse of the younger of the two women, five or six officers drove past in a coach; seeing that several dead bodies were lying on the ground near the motionless carriage, hearing the cry of a child heard in the carriage, they stopped, stunned by such a terrible sight, or perhaps chained by curiosity, which often causes something terrible in us, or by a desire to know, why the child is crying, and help him. They looked into the carriage, saw there another dead man and a dead woman who had fallen on the open door, where, judging by my screams, I was also.
One of the passers-by, as was later said, insisted on driving on, but another, moved by a feeling of compassion for me, stopped the companions and, being the first to get out of the stagecoach, opened the door of the carriage; others followed him. A new and terrible sight struck them: with one side of her face, the dead woman crushed my childish face and covered it with her blood. Pushing the dead woman away, they took me, all bloody, from under the corpse.
(Pierre Carlet de Chamblain de Marivaux) - famous French playwright (1688-1763), belonged to the Norman judicial aristocracy. He received a rather rough education. Lo's scattered life and paper loss in bankruptcy soon made him a pauper. This prompted him to indulge in literature; he took an ardent part in the dispute about the advantages of ancient and modern literature, arguing that it is necessary to follow the spirit of the times and do without authorities. M. frankly admitted that Fontenelle personally was incomparably closer to him than Virgil, and he would gladly exchange old Homer for La Motte. Introduced into the literary circle of Ms. de Tansen, M. presented to the court his humorous poems written to ridicule the ancient classics ("L" Hom ère travesti, ou l "Iliade en vers burlesque", 1716; "Télé maque travesti", 1736 ). These works were not successful in the public, as were the tragedies "The Death of Annibal" and the comedy "L" amour et la v érité "(1720). These unsuccessful attempts convinced M. that it was impossible to build creativity on fiction alone, without risking mixing with crowd of ordinary hacks, but one should seek inspiration in observation.In anticipation of the accumulation of vital material, M. collaborates in Mercury, signing his articles with a pseudonym: "modern Theophrastus," model of the English "Spectator"), which soon ceased, in 1727 resumed briefly under the title "L" Indigent philosophe ", and in 1734 reappeared under a new name:" Le Cabinet du philosophe "and finally terminated on the 11th sheet . Despite the fragmentary and aphoristic nature of the articles, M.'s journals are, in general, witty and contain many original thoughts. The true vocation of M. was, however, the theater. The Com édie Franç aise adhered at that time to a serious repertoire, predominantly tragic, and gave plays by Crébillon Fr., Dufresni, Detouche and Voltaire. In one of the suburbs huddled so-called. "Fair Theatre", which was supplied with funny comedies with couplets, even such authors as Lesage and Piron. The Italian Theater occupied the middle between the two stages. Initially, the Italians gave performances in French and Italian, half-improvising them according to a predetermined plan; but the public treated Comedia dell "art e (see) coldly, and the Italians left Paris. Regent, in 1715, called them again, and they began to play pre-written French plays, while unchanged nicknames were kept from the former Comedia dell "arte for different typical roles - Harlequin, Columbine, etc. M. owed his first successes to this Italian theater. The first comedy of M. in its original kind is called "Surprise de l "amour" (1722). The author still gropes for a long time before he reaches perfection in creating small elegant works. At first, Théâtre Franç ais stubbornly refused to stage the prose comedies of M on his stage ., since, according to ancient precepts, he allowed only high comedy in his repertoire, always in 3 acts and in verse; nevertheless, he was forced to yield to public opinion. "Le triomphe de l "amour", "Les serments indiscrets", "L" école des moeurs", "L" heureux stratagème", "La Mé priser "Le Leg", "Les fausses confidences" and "L" é preuve" showed in full splendor the grace of M.'s talent and are recognized for exemplary creations in the literary genre created by M. M. himself defines his peculiar creativity as “vanity (né ant), more or less witty,” and Voltaire says that M. amuses himself by weighing the weightless on scales woven from cobwebs. Indeed, in contrast to Molière, M. notes in detail the subtlest shades of feelings of his characters; at the same time, he constantly dominates the same syllable, extremely unusual. If in Molière every scene embodies nature itself, then M. is, as it were, a commentator on nature. With such devices, of course, in his comedies there is little room for action and feeling. According to the correct definition of Sainte-Beuve, “in M.’s comedies, everything often revolves on a simple misunderstanding, deftly tightened and complicated. The knot with which the author plays, pulling him in all directions, in fact, could be untied at any moment if just get down to business thoroughly, but this is not included in the calculation of M. - and now, this is precisely the game, studded with elegant episodes, that sophisticated minds like. The same critic noted that M. is especially willing to study the effect of pride on love. Occasionally, M. rebels against privileges, ridicules the nobility and money aces, but his best and most numerous comedies are devoted to the study of "heartfelt anxieties." In Regnard, Detouche and Molière, the woman rarely appears in the foreground; M., on the contrary, focuses his study precisely on the woman, as on the center to which all the interests of the vain and refined life of the salons of the 18th century gravitated. M. knows the kingdom of coquetry well and illuminates the smallest nooks and crannies in it. Hence the excess in characteristics, descriptions, reflections, style; hence the endless windings through which M. conducts all his thought. The skill of painstakingly examining the little things makes M. short-sighted. Comprehending the subtleties and sophistication, he turns into a Khemnitzerian metaphysician: it is as if he does not know the true poetic feeling, grandeur, sublimity. In fact, M.'s heart life developed very modestly: he married a girl from a respectable family, lost her after two years of a happy marriage, grieved greatly, and subsequently, having difficulty in raising and distributing his only dowry daughter, agreed to her entry into a monastery, where for it was donated by the Duke of Orleans. In addition to M.'s friendly relations with the salons of Ms. de Tansen, Geoffrin, Helvetius, the scandalous chronicle does not mark him with a single intrigue or serious connection. Not without success acted M. and in the field of the novel. In "Marianne ou les aventures de la Comtesse ***" (1731-36) social life is accurately and subtly depicted. "Le Pay s an parvenu" (1735) was a major public success. "Le Don Quicliotte Moderne" (1737) - an adaptation of the immortal work of Cervantes to modern customs. - Despite the unforgivable innovations from the point of view of the purists and the particular intolerance in this regard of the French Academy, M. fell into the "immortals" in 1743, patronized by the circle of Madame de Tansin. The introductory speech of the new academician was answered by the Sansk archbishop Languet de Gergy, who said among other things: "Those who have read your writings claim that they are excellent; as for me, I do not want and should not get acquainted with them." This clerical trick was all the less appropriate because M., being an exception among contemporary writers, nowhere in his writings does he show sensuality and cynicism. Joining the Academy coincided for M. with a complete almost cessation of literary activity. - A man unconditionally honest and scrupulously truthful, at the beginning of his life timid, proud and experienced a number of failures, M. closed himself in his shell. Indifferent to the public interest, he sought neither honor nor wealth, and was content with the pensions provided to him by Louis XV and the farmer Helvetius. M.'s works are now mostly forgotten, but the best of his salon comedies are still on the French stages and look, with good performers, with pleasure; they found elegant imitations in some of the works of Alfred de Musset and Octave Feuillet. "Oeuvres compl è tes" M. appeared in 1781; were republished in fuller form by Duviquet in 1827-30; selected works were repeated in 1862-65.
Wed Marivodage. See "Esprit de M. ou Analectes de ses ouvrages" (Par., 1769); d "Alembert, "Eloge de M." (in "H. des membres de l" Ac. Fr., vol. VI); De Barante, "La littérature fr. pend. le XVIII s."; Duviquet, "Notice s. M." (in his edition of "Oeuvres de M."); S.-Beuve, "Causeries du lundi" (vol. IX); G. Larroumet, "Marivaux, sa vie et ses oeuvres" (1882); J. Fleury, "Marivaux et le marivaudage" (1881); Brunett ère, "L" Evolution des genres dans l "histoire de la littérature" (1890); Faguet, "Dixhuitième siècle, études littéraires" (1890).
On the advice of her friend, Marianne quickly moves away from the best light and begins to write. Although she has some fear that she is not yet sufficiently prepared for compositions. Her style is very mediocre, but the reader should forgive her coquetry and modesty.
Marianne's entire life is marked by tragic events when she was only two years old. She was riding a mail coach when robbers attacked and all the passengers were killed. Everyone except herself. Judging by the expensive attire, she belonged to a family of very noble and influential people. Perhaps this is all the information that can be found about Marianne's past. The mystery of the origin of the girl has not yet been solved by anyone. Further, she is assigned to the house of a village clergyman, where his sister, a quiet, respectable and reasonable woman, takes up her upbringing. She adopted Marianne as her own daughter. The girl reciprocates such kindness and becomes attached with all her heart to a noble woman. The girl grows up in an atmosphere of love and comfort and soon becomes a beautiful, slender girl who has become an example for many. And then she makes a promise to herself to become a real beauty! When Marianne reaches the age of fifteen, the priest's sister is forced to go to Paris. The girl goes with her. Soon they will receive a message that the priest is sick. Then the one who completely replaced her mother suddenly dies. Marianne remembered her instructions for life for the rest of her life. Of course, life is complicated. As time goes on, Marianne will not always be considered prudent in her actions, but her heart will always be filled with nobility and honesty.
The girl, who is only fifteen years old, is left alone not only in great Paris, but in the whole wide world. She has no home, no money, no friends. In a fit of despair, Marianne begins to persuade a familiar monk to become her mentor. The monk, I don’t think long, turns for help to one influential person who has earned himself great fame for his noble deeds. He was called Mr. Klimal. He was a fifty-year-old man, and for his age he looked quite handsome. As soon as Klimal learns the story of the unfortunate Marianne, he goes to the rescue without hesitation. The girl goes to study tailoring, and the master himself will pay for the maintenance. Marianne feels like an object of mercy, she is very grateful for this help, but she can hardly bear the shame in her soul. As soon as they say goodbye to the monk, she becomes even more noble, although very inexperienced for her age. Despite this, she had a premonition that something not very good was sure to follow these kindest deeds. And it didn't let Marianne down. Soon she begins to realize that de Klimal has loving feelings for her. She accepts all his gifts, although she considers it dishonorable towards this gentleman. By nature, she is endowed with a unique coquetry and the desire to please others. It is quite natural for a beautiful woman. She decides to let everything take its course and pretend that she does not notice the feelings of her boyfriend at all.
One fine day, when Marianne was returning home from church, it happens that the girl twists her leg. She visits the home of a wealthy young man whom they had previously met at that church. They seemed to just stare at each other for a few moments, but a mysterious spark flew between them. Valville must in no way learn of her acquaintance with de Climal, nor of her unfortunate situation. De Climal, in turn, turns out to be the uncle of this young man. The gentleman pretends that they do not know Marianne, although, at the sight of his nephew, along with this beautiful girl, a tremor runs through his knees from jealous feelings. Upon Marianne's return to the house, Monsieur de Climal comes up to her and speaks directly to her about his great love for her. He also warns the girl against the harmful hobby of a young womanizer. His proposal follows in the form of a small contract for five hundred liters of rent. During this conversation, a nephew enters the room. Now he also contemplates his own uncle kneeling in front of a beautiful girlfriend. There is only one thing in the young man's thoughts: as soon as he leaves Marianne, his cunning uncle begins to harass her and, moreover, she reciprocates. He immediately loses his decent appearance and begins to reproach Marianne for a complete lack of gratitude and forever stops all meetings with her. The offended girl, tormented by love for Valville, is already deprived of any prudence. She strives to make the young man repent as soon as possible and take all his words back. In the morning, she realizes in what distress she is now. She told her problems to one of the abbesses of the monastery. The whole conversation is listened to by one lady, who imbues the girl with all the greatness of her sympathy. She proposes to formalize the adoption of Marianne in a boarding school at the monastery. The woman, among other things, took upon herself the obligation to pay for her stay in this place. Marina starts crying with delight. Her tender and grateful tears fall on the hand of this kindest woman.
Thus, Mariana managed to find a new good patroness. She became the second mother for the girl. The fifty-year-old lady possessed great kindness, generosity and naturalness, which Marianne undoubtedly liked. The patroness is simply delighted with the girl. Their relationship becomes like that sacred relationship between mother and daughter. Soon Marianne learns shocking news about her benefactor. It turns out that she is none other than the mother of Valville himself. He learns about the complete innocence of the girl and inflames her with even greater heat of love. He gives her his letter directly to the monastery. When a mother complains to Marianne that her son is no longer interested in a rich bride, and he is infatuated with a random adventurer, Marianne quickly finds herself in this description. The girl confesses to Madame de Miran that she loves Valville with sincere and tender love. De Miran explains to Marianne that she is worthy of pure love, as no one else is worthy. But society will never forgive her noble son that he entered into a family alliance with a commoner. She has beauty, a kind heart, but without origin and title, Marianne has no chance to get along in a rich society. Because of the wonderful relationship between the girl and Madame de Miran, Marianne agrees to give up love and asks Valville to forget her forever. His mother hears this conversation. She is struck by the depth of Marianne's nobility and agrees to marriage. For the sake of love, she is ready with courage to endure all the attacks of her relatives and at all costs to protect her children.
Soon the brother of Madame de Miran, de Klimal, dies. On his deathbed, he repents for all his impious deeds in the presence of his nephew and sister. He fully admits his guilt for causing trouble for Marianne. She inherits a small fortune from him. As before, the girl lives in a boarding house, and Madame de Miran introduces her as her daughter to one of her friends. Gradually, rumors about the upcoming wedding spread around the district. A bride with a dubious past is both intriguing and alarming at the same time. After some time, Marianne is suddenly kidnapped by intruders and taken to a completely different monastery. The abbess did not find any other explanation, except for the order of the Lord. A girl should take a haircut as a nun or just marry another man. That evening, Marianne is taken in a carriage to an unknown house, where she is immediately provided with a man who will be the man she should marry. He is the foster brother of the minister's wife. There was nothing remarkable about this young man. In the minister's office, Marianne is going through a real stream of condemnation and interrogations, and yet she did nothing wrong. Her crime is a unique beauty combined with a kind heart. It attracted the attention of a young man of noble family. The minister proves to the girl with all his might that a wedding with Valville is completely unacceptable. Of course, she can marry that "good guy" with whom she recently talked in the garden. But Maranna steadily refuses these demands and handouts. A moment later, Valville appears in the room with his mother. The nobility of the girl and the whole sincerity do their job. All the relatives of Madame de Miran are completely delighted with the courage and honesty of the girl. The Minister convinces everyone that he will never again interfere in the affairs of the young.
The only pity is that Marianne's troubles are not over. A new boarder decides to move to the monastery. A very dubious girl, although of noble birth. Her name was Mademoiselle Warton. Everything happens in such a way that this girl faints from an excess of feelings at Valville. The windy young man immediately finds in her the ideal of beauty. His visits to the ill Marianne are coming to an end, but secret dates with Warton are in full swing. Upon learning of such a betrayal, Marianne falls into complete despair. Madame de Miran consoles her, hoping that her son will still gain prudence. Marianne begins to understand that there is no particular fault of her lover in this story. He simply refers to those people for whom obstacles have an attractive power. Marrying her just ruins everything. Marianne is already quite a famous girl. Many admire her beauty and rich inner world. She received two offers. One is from an aged count, and the other is from a young marquis. Her pride makes her behave with Valville as if she was not at all upset by his act. This is how she won. Valville again opened his loving embrace to her, but Marianne decides to stop all meetings with him, although the love in her heart for him continues to burn.
On this, the notes of a noble girl come to an end. From individual essays, it became clear that she had experienced many adventures in her life, but we, apparently, are not supposed to know about this.
The summary of the novel “The Life of Marianne or the Adventure of the Countess de” was retold by Osipova A.S.
Please note that this is only a summary of the literary work "The Life of Marianne or the Adventure of the Countess de". This summary omits many important points and quotations.
