As I complete the first volume of Suite Francaise, many of the loose strings of 'Storm in June' come together to bring a sense of completion to the novel. This, however, is not done through a series of chapters which make up the falling action and denoument, but instead stuffed into a single chapter: Chapter 31. While Chapter 31, the last of 'Storm in June,' may be only a few pages in length, a lot is accomplished by the author. The lives of the characters, which the reader has been following throughout the novel, are gradually brought to a close in these pages. The atmosphere, which was one of a desperation and a struggle to survive, now changes to an atmosphere of surrendered tranquility that follows the German victory. The fighting and violence of war, as we learn, has seized, but the war still remains at large, effecting each character in a different manner. Most of the characters have managed to survive the war, but an unfortunate few do not. One of these characters who stuck out to me was Charles Langelet.
Charles Langelet managed to survive the horrors of the war, but he was killed while he settled back into his life in Paris. He was not, however, killed by the German enemy, but by a woman he had befriended earlier that day. His death was very odd as he was run over by a car. I found this very random. I also found it odd that the woman, Arlette Corail, who had run him over felt no lingering feeling of sympathy or remorse for taking a life, even after she discovered she had known the man. She was shaken, but "Nevertheless, she remembered that her insurance, licence, pass, were al in order, and she knew someone influential who would fix everything for her. Somewhat reassured..." (188). This self-centered nature, however, is not uncommmon for this novel.
While the characters we have met thus far settle down, a new character is introduced. While this character remains nameless, she ultimately brings a change in atmosphere and mood. A mother of three young children and a wife to a husband captured as a prisoner of war, she must alone bear all the burdens and work on the farm. While we see the other characters finish their battle against the war, this woman's battle remains ongoing. Exhausted, all she wants to do is give up. However, after a long moment of realization, her despair changes to hope and optimism. As a result, so does the tone of the novel. While the reader spent the most part of the novel absorbed in terror and a desperate need for survival, they end the novel with a silent hope for the future; a light at the end of the tunnel.
I also found Charles Langelet's death random and Arlette Corail's unsympathetic reaction disturbing. You'd think that after taking someone's life - regardless of who they are or what they've done, you'd feel like a monster to some degree. I assume that most people would, however, the novel itself doesn't necessarily show us the bright side of humanity either.
ReplyDeleteI was glad to read about a new character as well. She and her children were in an even more severe situation and I wondered where they'd end up next.