Indiana (novel)
Encyclopedia
Indiana is the first novel of George Sand
, published in April 1832. It was Amandine Aurore Dupin's first novel published under the pseudonym George Sand. The novel blends the conventions of romanticism, realism, and idealism. The novel is about love and marriage.
The novel set partly in France, partly in the French colony of L'Ile Bourbon (L'Ile de la Réunion). Sand based her descriptions of the colony, where she had never been, on the travel writing of friend Jules Néraud.
The main character is Indiana, a young woman who is weak in body but strong in mind.
In the story an attractive, young Creole from Réunion
named Indiana is married to an older ex-army officer named Colonel Delmare. Indiana does not love him, and searches for someone who will love her passionately. She overlooks her cousin Ralph, who lives with her and the colonel and who has loved her steadfastly from a young age. When their young, handsome, and well-spoken neighbor, Raymon de Ramiere declares his interest to Indiana, she falls in love with him. Raymon has already seduced Indiana's maid, Noun, who is pregnant with his child. When Noun finds out what is going on, she drowns herself.
Indiana's husband decides that they will move to the Ile Bourbon. Indiana escapes the house to faithfully present herself in Raymon's apartments in the middle of the night, expecting him to accept her as his mistress in spite of society's inevitable condemnation. He at first attempts to seduce her but, on failing, rejects her once and for all. He cannot bear the thought that her will is stronger than his and writes her a letter intended to make her fall in love with him again, even though he has no intention of requiting it.
Indiana has moved to the Island with the Colonel by the time she reads the letter but does not fall under Raymon's spell again. She escapes once again to France, where the Trois Glorieuses Revolutions of 1830 is taking place. In the meantime, Raymon has made an advantageous marriage and bought Indiana's house. The stoic Sir Ralph, whom she has always seen as 'égoiste', comes to rescue her and tell her that Colonel Delmare is dead from illness. They decide to commit suicide together by jumping into a waterfall at the Ile de Reunion. But on the way home they fall in love. Just before the suicide, they declare their love for one another and believe they will be married in Heaven. At the end of the novel comes a conclusion, a young adventurer's account of finding a man and woman, Ralph and Indiana, living on an isolated plantation.
George Sand
Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin, later Baroness Dudevant , best known by her pseudonym George Sand , was a French novelist and memoirist.-Life:...
, published in April 1832. It was Amandine Aurore Dupin's first novel published under the pseudonym George Sand. The novel blends the conventions of romanticism, realism, and idealism. The novel is about love and marriage.
The novel set partly in France, partly in the French colony of L'Ile Bourbon (L'Ile de la Réunion). Sand based her descriptions of the colony, where she had never been, on the travel writing of friend Jules Néraud.
The main character is Indiana, a young woman who is weak in body but strong in mind.
In the story an attractive, young Creole from Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
named Indiana is married to an older ex-army officer named Colonel Delmare. Indiana does not love him, and searches for someone who will love her passionately. She overlooks her cousin Ralph, who lives with her and the colonel and who has loved her steadfastly from a young age. When their young, handsome, and well-spoken neighbor, Raymon de Ramiere declares his interest to Indiana, she falls in love with him. Raymon has already seduced Indiana's maid, Noun, who is pregnant with his child. When Noun finds out what is going on, she drowns herself.
Indiana's husband decides that they will move to the Ile Bourbon. Indiana escapes the house to faithfully present herself in Raymon's apartments in the middle of the night, expecting him to accept her as his mistress in spite of society's inevitable condemnation. He at first attempts to seduce her but, on failing, rejects her once and for all. He cannot bear the thought that her will is stronger than his and writes her a letter intended to make her fall in love with him again, even though he has no intention of requiting it.
Indiana has moved to the Island with the Colonel by the time she reads the letter but does not fall under Raymon's spell again. She escapes once again to France, where the Trois Glorieuses Revolutions of 1830 is taking place. In the meantime, Raymon has made an advantageous marriage and bought Indiana's house. The stoic Sir Ralph, whom she has always seen as 'égoiste', comes to rescue her and tell her that Colonel Delmare is dead from illness. They decide to commit suicide together by jumping into a waterfall at the Ile de Reunion. But on the way home they fall in love. Just before the suicide, they declare their love for one another and believe they will be married in Heaven. At the end of the novel comes a conclusion, a young adventurer's account of finding a man and woman, Ralph and Indiana, living on an isolated plantation.
Characters in Indiana
- Indiana Delmare- young, attractive Creole married to an older man. She doesn't love her husband.
- Sir Ralph- Indiana’s cousin who loved her from a young age.
- Raymon de Ramiere- young, handsome man who was Noun's lover, then fell in love with Indiana, but later marries another woman.
- Colonel Delmare- Indiana’s husband, an elderly ex-army officer.
- Noun- Indiana’s maid who grew up with her as a sister.
- Madame de Ramiere- Raymon’s mother who wanted him to marry Indiana.