La Petite Fadette
Encyclopedia
La Petite Fadette is an 1849
novel by French
novelist George Sand
. Sand wrote the rural story together with Francois le Champi in the 1840s as she settled in Châteauroux
from Paris
. The novel was first officially published in 1900
by Henry Holt and Company
. The novel has been adapted into a 2004 French
Television movie
by Michaëla Watteaux.
The parents of Landry and Sylvinet, identical twins, who are respectable and relatively rich farmers, do not follow the advice that was given at their birth to keep separating and differentiating them while they are still young. Consequently, they grow up always together and loving each other more than anything else. They are actually quite different, Landry being stronger both physically and mentally. But when they are 14 years old, one has to leave to work in a neighbouring farm. While the separation is also very hard for Landry, his pride makes him try to hide it, contrary to Sylvain who cries and is very demonstrative. Sylvain does not understand and therefore is hurt by Landry's cold attitude and regularly sulks.
When looking for his brother, Landry must deal with Fadette. Fadette lives with her disabled and mentally slow brother and her grandmother who is very hard on them. They are despised by the other villagers because they are considered as witches and are always very dirty. This day, Fadette helps Landry to find his brother but he had to promise her that if she has to help him a second time, she could ask him to do anything she wants. And it happens that Landry needs her advice again to cross a river.
Consequently, Fadette asks him to dance with her and only with her at the next village celebration. Landry is very annoyed since she has a bad reputation and besides, he wanted to dance with Madelon, a popular girl he is interested in. However, he reluctantly keeps his promise and even defends Fadette against boys who were bothering her. Touched and ashamed, she tells Landry to dance with whomever he wants and leaves the party. However, Landry goes after her and hears her crying. They then have a deep discussion for a long time in the dark and Landry realises that she is a very kind, sensible, intelligent and respectable person. He even wants to kiss her but she refuses, telling him that he will regret it the next day.
And she was right. The day after, Landry, remembering her dirty face, does not understand how he could have felt such an attraction for her. But soon after, he overhears a conversation between Fadette and Madelon that shows how the first one is kind and humble and the other girl is vain and proud, which revives his feelings for her.
Fadette and Landry later are engaged in a secret relationship. Sylvain is aware that something is different with his brother and suffers a lot. He discovers their secret but keeps it to himself. But when Madelon finds out, she spreads the news in the village. Everyone including Landry's parents are shocked and urges him to end the relationship. Landry refuses but Fadette decides to leave to stop the scandal. Some time after, Landry also has to leave since he thinks that being separated would do his brother good.
When Fadette comes back, she has become a respectable, clean and good-looking person. Thanks to her grandmother's death, she inherits a large amount of money and is able to look after herself and her brother properly. Everyone in the village finally acknowledges her merits and Landry's parents approve of their engagement. But jealousy again makes Sylvain ill. Although he initially refuses to see Fadette, she actually manages to cure him and he finally accepts her... and even more since he decides at the end of the book to enlist, after his brother marries Fadette. Although Landry is unaware of it, their mother and probably Fadette realised that Sylvain had fallen in love with her and did not want to obscure Landry's happiness.
1849 in literature
The year 1849 in literature involved some significant new books.-Events:*La Tribune des Peuples, a pan-European romantic nationalist periodical, is published between March and November by Adam Mickiewicz.*Who's Who is published for the first time....
novel by French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
novelist George Sand
George Sand
Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin, later Baroness Dudevant , best known by her pseudonym George Sand , was a French novelist and memoirist.-Life:...
. Sand wrote the rural story together with Francois le Champi in the 1840s as she settled in Châteauroux
Châteauroux
Châteauroux is the capital of the Indre department in central France and the second-largest town in the province of Berry, after Bourges. Its residents are called Castelroussines or Castelroussins....
from Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. The novel was first officially published in 1900
1900 in literature
The year 1900 in literature involved some significant new books and publications, as well as the deaths of several highly prominent writers, including among them the late Irish poet Oscar Wilde and the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche....
by Henry Holt and Company
Henry Holt and Company
Henry Holt and Company is an American book publishing company. One of the oldest publishers in the United States, it was founded in 1866 by Henry Holt and Frederick Leypoldt...
. The novel has been adapted into a 2004 French
Cinema of France
The Cinema of France comprises the art of film and creative movies made within the nation of France or by French filmmakers abroad.France is the birthplace of cinema and was responsible for many of its early significant contributions. Several important cinematic movements, including the Nouvelle...
Television movie
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
by Michaëla Watteaux.
Plot
The novel takes place in the French 19th century countryside.The parents of Landry and Sylvinet, identical twins, who are respectable and relatively rich farmers, do not follow the advice that was given at their birth to keep separating and differentiating them while they are still young. Consequently, they grow up always together and loving each other more than anything else. They are actually quite different, Landry being stronger both physically and mentally. But when they are 14 years old, one has to leave to work in a neighbouring farm. While the separation is also very hard for Landry, his pride makes him try to hide it, contrary to Sylvain who cries and is very demonstrative. Sylvain does not understand and therefore is hurt by Landry's cold attitude and regularly sulks.
When looking for his brother, Landry must deal with Fadette. Fadette lives with her disabled and mentally slow brother and her grandmother who is very hard on them. They are despised by the other villagers because they are considered as witches and are always very dirty. This day, Fadette helps Landry to find his brother but he had to promise her that if she has to help him a second time, she could ask him to do anything she wants. And it happens that Landry needs her advice again to cross a river.
Consequently, Fadette asks him to dance with her and only with her at the next village celebration. Landry is very annoyed since she has a bad reputation and besides, he wanted to dance with Madelon, a popular girl he is interested in. However, he reluctantly keeps his promise and even defends Fadette against boys who were bothering her. Touched and ashamed, she tells Landry to dance with whomever he wants and leaves the party. However, Landry goes after her and hears her crying. They then have a deep discussion for a long time in the dark and Landry realises that she is a very kind, sensible, intelligent and respectable person. He even wants to kiss her but she refuses, telling him that he will regret it the next day.
And she was right. The day after, Landry, remembering her dirty face, does not understand how he could have felt such an attraction for her. But soon after, he overhears a conversation between Fadette and Madelon that shows how the first one is kind and humble and the other girl is vain and proud, which revives his feelings for her.
Fadette and Landry later are engaged in a secret relationship. Sylvain is aware that something is different with his brother and suffers a lot. He discovers their secret but keeps it to himself. But when Madelon finds out, she spreads the news in the village. Everyone including Landry's parents are shocked and urges him to end the relationship. Landry refuses but Fadette decides to leave to stop the scandal. Some time after, Landry also has to leave since he thinks that being separated would do his brother good.
When Fadette comes back, she has become a respectable, clean and good-looking person. Thanks to her grandmother's death, she inherits a large amount of money and is able to look after herself and her brother properly. Everyone in the village finally acknowledges her merits and Landry's parents approve of their engagement. But jealousy again makes Sylvain ill. Although he initially refuses to see Fadette, she actually manages to cure him and he finally accepts her... and even more since he decides at the end of the book to enlist, after his brother marries Fadette. Although Landry is unaware of it, their mother and probably Fadette realised that Sylvain had fallen in love with her and did not want to obscure Landry's happiness.