A Vendetta
This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (July 2021) |
"A Vendetta" (French: Une vendetta) is a short story by French writer Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893), first published in 1883 in the newspaper Le Gaulois, and included in his 1885 collection (Tales of Day and Night).
Plot[]
The poor widow Saverini lives in Bonifacio, Corsica, with her only son, Antoine, and his hound, Sémillante (the name means vivacious or spry). Antoine is stabbed to death by a neighbour, who flees to Sardinia. The old woman has no male relative who could exact revenge (vendetta), but devises a plan. She half-starves the bitch, and trains her to attack the neck of a straw dummy on command, for a reward of boudin (black pudding). When she is ready, she dresses in man's clothing and crosses the strait to Sardinia. As they return, no-one pays any attention to the elderly peasant, or to what the dog might be chewing. She sleeps well that night.[1]
References[]
French Wikisource has original text related to this article: |
- ^ Boz (16 May 2020). ""A Vendetta" by Guy de Maupassant: An Analysis with an Existentialist Twist". justewords.com.
External links[]
- "Guy de Maupassamt "A vendetta - Une vendetta"". albalearning.com. A parallel text in French and English.
- Short stories by Guy de Maupassant
- 1883 short stories
- Horror short stories
- Story stubs