The Orderly by Guy de Maupassant
The story revolves around a young man who becomes infatuated with an older woman and begins to obsess over her. He starts by sending her gifts and letters, but his behavior escalates into stalking and harassment. The woman's husband discovers the situation and confronts the young man, leading to a violent confrontation.
By Guy de Maupassant · First published 1882 · Genre: Drama, Tragedy, Psychological Fiction · 1,679 words
Editions
First lines
The cemetery, filled with officers, looked like a field covered with flowers. The kepis and the red trousers, the stripes and the gold buttons, the shoulder-knots of the staff, the braid of the chasseurs and the hussars, passed through the midst of the tombs, whose crosses, white or black, opened their mournful arms -- their arms of iron, marble, or wood -- over the vanished race of the dead.
What this Textopian page supports
The Orderly is listed on Textopian as a short story by Guy de Maupassant, dated 1882 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: 1882 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Drama, Tragedy, Psychological Fiction, Military Fiction, Romance
- Length: 1,679 words
- Structure: 1 section, 37 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Orderly by Guy de Maupassant
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Similar titles
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Genres
- Drama — The story revolves around intense emotional conflicts, personal tragedy, and moral dilemmas, which are central to the dramatic genre.
- Tragedy — The narrative involves the downfall of characters due to personal flaws and circumstances, culminating in death and despair.
- Psychological Fiction — The plot delves deeply into the psychological states and motivations of the characters, particularly the colonel and his wife.
- Military Fiction — The setting and characters are closely tied to a military environment, influencing the story's events and dynamics.
Tags
Psychological Fiction · Realism · French Literature · Short Story Collection · 19th Century Literature · Social Commentary · Satire · Dark Humor · Morbid Fascination · Obsessive Behavior · Isolation · Loneliness