Old Judas by Guy de Maupassant
The story revolves around a young man who returns to his hometown after many years away and becomes embroiled in a complex web of relationships with the local people, particularly an older woman named Madame Grivot. As he navigates these relationships, he grapples with feelings of guilt, shame, and redemption related to a past event that has haunted him since childhood.
By Guy de Maupassant · First published 1886 · Genre: Horror, Gothic, Folklore · 1,466 words
First lines
This entire stretch of country was amazing; it was characterized by a grandeur that was almost religious, and yet it had an air of sinister desolation.
A great, wild lake, filled with stagnant, black water, in which thousands of reeds were waving to and fro, lay in the midst of a vast circle of naked hills, where nothing grew but broom, or here and there an oak curiously twisted by the wind.
Just one house stood on the banks of that dark lake, a small, low house inhabited by Uncle Joseph, an old boatman, who lived on what he could make by his fishing. Once a week he carried the fish he caught into the surrounding villages, returning with the few provisions that he needed for his sustenance.
What this Textopian page supports
Old Judas is listed on Textopian as a short story by Guy de Maupassant, dated 1886 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Guy de Maupassant
- Date: 1886 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Horror, Gothic, Folklore, Psychological, Religious
- Length: 1,466 words
- Structure: 1 section, 45 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Old Judas by Guy de Maupassant
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Genres
- Horror — The story contains elements of fear, death, and the macabre, particularly with the gruesome fate of the protagonist and the sinister atmosphere.
- Gothic — The setting is desolate and eerie, with a mysterious ruin and a dark legend, typical of Gothic literature.
- Folklore — The narrative incorporates the legend of the Wandering Jew, blending myth with the story's events.
- Psychological — The story explores themes of isolation, suspicion, and the human psyche through the characters' interactions and beliefs.
Tags
Psychological Fiction · Realism · French Literature · Short Story · Moral Ambiguity · Social Commentary · Human Nature · Deception · Betrayal · Jealousy · Obsession · Marriage