Infamous Woman: The life of George Sand (77-126)

<--- George Sand

Summary

In the Beginning of Chapter 9, the author begins to refer to the narrator as Aurore instead of George; however this is still taken place during her earlier life about when she was 21 years of age. From chapter 9-16 it describes Aurore's dealing with new environment and the moving from France to Gascony with the Dudevant's husband, wife and child with nurse and valet. At this point the author takes us forward a few years later into her life when she is married to Casimir and is pregnant with his child. In these chapters George reveals her insecurity, because of the way she expresses about her husband, she only says "he's a good husband,” when talking to her friends about him. There is no close and tender relationship between them. She’s always depending on her husband for anything. For instance, on page 89, George experiences a childlike behavior with her husband, "Oh, my good friend, how the memory of it pains me!... I sincerely curse my grouchy character... I beg of your forgiveness...how sad to be alone!... from now on I only wish to make you happy" (Barry). George has this insecurity towards her husband that she acts childishly, and instead of talking to her husband about the situation and confronts it, she write her feelings and everything she desires to say into her personal journal she has kept ever since her grandmother died when she was only 5 years old. While reading these chapters, many dialects start to come up. Perceptively, the dialect sounds very Shakespearean. Overall, throughout these seven chapters, it's basically about Aurore's and Casimir's Relationship and their downfall. Aurore is fighting with herself to make her husband happy, but to act and be mature about it as well; she is still a child and hasn’t yet grown into an adult.

Quote

"Less than all satisfies no man" (Barry 83).

---> This quote was orginally said by William Blake.

Reaction

When starting a new chapter, the author, Joseph Barry always opens the chapter with a quote which always summarizes the whole chapter. However, even though here were other quotes that began each chapter I read, I specifically think that this particular quote summarizes the whole four chapters I read. Throughout the chapters, George is struggling to satisfy her husband and keep him happy. Opinionated, this quote means that if a woman is no putting her best in a relationship, is very unorganized, and overall childish, it does not satisfy any man. Less is a very powerful connotation because it's describing a woman as an insect, as something worthless, you really feel what the quote is trying to say; " If a woman is less (still a child) she will not satisfy any man, because she yet still has much to learn." Because the quote is a small phrase; it doesn't specifically has the word "woman" and "child" it give out a stronger feeling of George and her husband. The quote has more strength and more meaning by just using the word less, instead of just saying if a woman is still a child.

Source/William Blake

William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker.

Biogaphy: http://www.online-literature.com/blake/