I am now immersed mid-way through the second part of this book: Dolce. Irene Nemirovsky, this time, takes us into the small town of occupied Bussy and its neighbouring farms, where the townspeople are forced to live and work alongside the German conquerors. Coexisting awkwardly alongside the foreign troops, the villagers- ranging from stuck-up aristocrats to hard-working farmers -cope the best they can. As the polite and nervous German soldiers settle into the town, Nemirovsky portrays the scrambled feelings and raw emotions that run through the town. Torn between the duties to their nation and duties to their customs and culture, some choose defiance, while others choose to accept the men into their town. Largely, we see the young women of the town as the ones to first fall out of loathing and lust to a position of wait-and-see adoration. With the Angellier family centre stage to the storyline, along with a lesser story line concerning the Sabaries, Lucille Angellier and Madeleine Sabarie become the first to demonstrate this concept.
Lucille Angellier, an unhappy wife whose husband is taken prisoner-of-war, lives with her disproving, extremely patriotic mother-in-law in the best house in the village. When German Commander Bruno von Falk is billeted to their home, Lucile finds herself unable to decide how to accept this stranger into her life. With her mother-in-law- like many of the older women of the town -already having marked Bruno as an enemy, Lucile unwillingly finds herself falling in love with him. As we see on page 225, Lucile lays tirelessly awake in bed listening to the sounds of the German soldier in the adjacent room, unable to untangle her scrambled feelings. "It's such a shame!" she thinks. "A shame that the silence was so complete? A shame that the boy had stopped playing? A shame that he was here, he, the invader, the enemy, he and not someone else?" Lucile Angellier, the author shows us, is the first of many to explore the differences between friend and foe.
Another character we see undergo such a change is Madeleine Sabarie. Married to Benoit Sabarie, a prisoner-of-war who escaped from German captivity, Madeleine seems to still be in love with Jean-Marie Michaud, the French soldier she nursed back to health throughout Storm in June. However, at the arrival of German interpreter, Bonnet, there is a spark of possibility that her heart may be lost to the gentleman. The reader, throughout this period, watches her struggle with her emotions towards the man. At times, Madeleine finds herself attracted to Bonnet; at others, it is not so. "She didn't like this young man, he frightened her a bit, yet despite herself she was attracted by a certain resemblance to Jean-Marie- not to Jean-Marie as a man, but as a member of a higher social class, a gentleman." (229) Friend or foe? The reader follows as she searches for an answer.
While we see some characters, including the above, go through a period of indecision, there are also those that remain strong and resilient in their opinion. This disproving attitude is often held by the older women of France- notably those who had been alive for the war of 1914 as well. As Nemirovsky writes: "The mothers of prisoners or soldiers killed in the war looked at them and begged God to curse them, but the young women just looked at them." (239) However, whether it be the disproving view of some or the mix of indecision of others, the emotions of Nemirovsky's characters pour out of the pages, making them seem as real as can be, giving the reader an opportunity to step into their shoes and decide for themselves: friend or foe?
While we see some characters, including the above, go through a period of indecision, there are also those that remain strong and resilient in their opinion. This disproving attitude is often held by the older women of France- notably those who had been alive for the war of 1914 as well. As Nemirovsky writes: "The mothers of prisoners or soldiers killed in the war looked at them and begged God to curse them, but the young women just looked at them." (239) However, whether it be the disproving view of some or the mix of indecision of others, the emotions of Nemirovsky's characters pour out of the pages, making them seem as real as can be, giving the reader an opportunity to step into their shoes and decide for themselves: friend or foe?
I liked how Dolce focused a little more on love and compassion, and I found it almost refreshing to read. I have more sympathy for the characters in this part of the book because they actually seem to have feelings and aren't all selfish.
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