A CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF FRENCH SOCIETY IN BEL-AMI
Keywords:
Bel-Ami, Guy de Maupassant, Third Republic, Journalism, Corruption, Venality, Male prostitution, Georges Duroy, Ambition, Press, Politics, Bourgeoisie, Institutional decay, Tolstoy, Lenin, Moral compromise, Social critique, Power prostitution, Manipulation, Social ascent.Abstract
This essay analyses Bel-Ami by Guy de Maupassant as a scathing indictment of the French Third Republic, emphasising the institutional corruption in the media, politics, and church as well as the moral decline of bourgeois society. Georges Duroy, the main character of the essay, is the quintessential “male prostitute”—a man motivated by opportunism and prepared to sacrifice morals in order to further his career. The systemic venality of the time is revealed by Maupassant through Duroy’s quick ascent in Parisian society. The text offers an interdisciplinary approach to the novel’s issues by incorporating significant quotes from Maupassant along with Leo Tolstoy and Vladimir Lenin’s critical viewpoints. In the end, Bel-Ami is shown as a timeless critique of a culture where deceit and corruption are prevalent in both public and private spheres.
