The Olive Orchard by Guy De Maupassant
Abbé Vilbois, a robust and pious fifty-eight-year-old priest of the small Provençal village near the Bay of Pisca, returns from a satisfying fishing trip to his rented country cottage among the olive trees. Once Baron Vilbois of Picardy, he had abandoned a legal career after inheriting his parents' fortune, fallen violently in love with a young actress, made her his mistress for four years, and planned to marry her despite family tradition — until he discovered letters proving her infidelity. When he confronted her, pregnant and near term, and moved to kill her, she saved herself by declaring the child was not his but her other lover's; convinced by this argument, he spared her but banished her forever. Devastated, he retreated to a Provençal village, and through prayer and solitude rediscovered his faith, eventually giving away much of his fortune and becoming a priest, respected for his strength and discipline though still fearful of women. At his cottage, his servant Marguerite warns him a disreputable-looking tramp has come asking for him three times. The young man, ragged, bald prematurely, and about twenty-five, confronts the Abbé and produces an old photograph of him, insisting he recognize himself as his father. The priest is thrown into turmoil: he learns his former mistress had lied — the child was indeed his, disowned only to save her own life. The young man, who calls himself Philippe-Auguste (named to deceive her other lover, the Count de Pravallon, into believing the child was his), reveals his mother died three years earlier of lung disease, still living with Pravallon in comfort. Overcome with pity and guilt, the Abbé takes his son in and orders a proper dinner prepared, including the fish he caught. Over the meal, plied with wine, Philippe-Auguste recounts his degraded life: expelled from his mother's household as a teenager once Pravallon noticed the resemblance and repudiated him, sent to a reformatory where he fell in with criminals, and responsible for a drowning prank that killed a family. On her deathbed, his mother finally revealed the Abbé's identity and true relation to him, over Pravallon's furious objections; Pravallon acknowledged no obligation to the "blackguard" but offered him money afterward. In a chilling, drunken boast, Philippe-Auguste describes strangling and torturing Pravallon with a hot poker in revenge, stealing money, and serving three years in prison for it — the reason he could not seek out his father sooner. Horrified and enraged at his own child's monstrousness, the priest orders him to leave the next morning to live wherever he is sent, on a small allowance, under threat of consequences if he disobeys. The drunk young man, sensing his hold over the priest, threatens him with a knife; the Abbé shoves the table into him, knocking him down and extinguishing the lamp, plunging the room into darkness and silence. After a long, dead silence, the gong rings out with a single violent blow and a crash. Marguerite, terrified, finds the tramp seemingly asleep against the wall and discovers the Abbé's body under the table, throat cut, blood spreading across the floor. She flees screaming for the village. Villagers, gendarmes, and the mayor arrive to find Philippe-Auguste still drunk and asleep beside his father's corpse; he is arrested, uncomprehending, and no one suspects that Abbé Vilbois might have taken his own life.
By Guy De Maupassant · First published 1888 · Genre: Literary Fiction, Tragedy, Psychological Fiction · 3 chapters · 10,726 words
First lines
When the shore-loafers of the small Provencal port of Garandou on the Bay of Pisca, between Marseilles and Toulon, caught sight of Abbé Vilbois' boat coming back from fishing, they went down to the beach to help him draw it in.
The Abbé was alone in the boat, rowing like a seaman, with unusual energy, in spite of his fifty-eight years. His sleeves were turned up over his muscular arms, his cassock drawn up, gathered tightly between his knees and unbuttoned at the top, his shovel hat on the seat beside him and a pith helmet covered with white linen on his head, he looked like one of those solidly built, fantastic priests from the tropics, more suited for adventure than for saying Mass.
What this Textopian page supports
The Olive Orchard is listed on Textopian as a novel by Guy De Maupassant, dated 1888 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Guy De Maupassant
- Date: 1888 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Literary Fiction, Tragedy, Psychological Fiction, Drama, Historical Fiction
- Length: 10,726 words
- Structure: 3 chapters, 317 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Olive Orchard by Guy De Maupassant
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Similar titles
- Allouma by Guy De Maupassant
- The Olive Grove by Guy De Maupassant
- Chali by Guy De Maupassant
- A Million by Guy De Maupassant
- That Costly Ride by Guy De Maupassant
- An Artifice by Guy De Maupassant
Genres
- Literary Fiction — The work explores complex themes of identity, morality, and the human condition through rich character development and introspective narrative.
- Tragedy — The story involves profound personal and familial conflict, leading to a tragic conclusion that highlights the consequences of past actions.
- Psychological Fiction — The narrative delves into the psychological struggles of the protagonist, particularly regarding guilt, betrayal, and the search for redemption.
- Drama — The intense interpersonal conflicts and emotional exchanges between characters create a dramatic atmosphere throughout the story.
Tags
French Literature · Realism · Short Story Collection · 19th Century Fiction · Psychological Insight · Social Commentary · Morality Tale · Human Nature · Emotional Depth · Character Study · Satire · Dark Humor