Who Knows? by Guy de Maupassant
The story revolves around a young woman who has been abandoned by her lover and is struggling to come to terms with the rejection. She reflects on their past relationship and realizes that she was never truly loved by him, but rather used for his own gratification. The narrative explores themes of heartbreak, disillusionment, and the complexities of human relationships.
By Guy de Maupassant · First published 1883 · Genre: Horror, Psychological Fiction, Mystery · 5,882 words
Editions
First lines
My God! My God! I am going to write down at last what has happened to me. But how can I? How dare I? The thing is so bizarre, so inexplicable, so incomprehensible, so silly!
If I were not perfectly sure of what I have seen, sure that there was not in my reasoning any defect, any error in my declarations, any lacuna in the inflexible sequence of my observations, I should believe myself to be the dupe of a simple hallucination, the sport of a singular vision. After all, who knows?
What this Textopian page supports
Who Knows? is listed on Textopian as a short story by Guy de Maupassant, dated 1883 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: 1883 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Horror, Psychological Fiction, Mystery, Supernatural, Gothic
- Length: 5,882 words
- Structure: 1 section, 119 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Who Knows? 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 features eerie and inexplicable events, such as furniture moving on its own, creating a sense of dread and fear.
- Psychological Fiction — The narrative delves into the protagonist's mental state, exploring themes of isolation, paranoia, and the reliability of perception.
- Mystery — The plot revolves around the mysterious disappearance and reappearance of the protagonist's furniture, with no clear explanation provided.
- Supernatural — The inexplicable movement of inanimate objects suggests a supernatural element, challenging the boundaries of reality.
Tags
Psychological Fiction · Short Story Collection · French Literature · Realism · Existentialism · Philosophical Themes · Human Nature · Moral Ambiguity · Social Commentary · Satire · Dark Humor · Absurdity