The Wife Of Martin Guerre Sparknotes

Janet Lewis masterfully entwines and relies on the context in which The Wife of Martin Guerre is written. Lewis writes the setting intentionally to contribute to the story through giving the readers details and information to create a framework of the society without extending the novella with burdensome descriptions. The author shows the reader where authority is placed, how characters identify themselves, and whether humanity is in control or powerless to the forces of nature. These aspects move the story along in effort to give the reader a sense of what sort of people the characters might encounter and what sort of social climate they may be subject to; this is done for showing the reader the transformation that takes place in Bertrande

and her comrades throughout the novella. The reader sees Artigues as a traditionalist town characterized by strong family identity and submission to circumstances, whereas Toulouse is a modern city with control over nature, a submission to logic, and individual identities. Throughout the story, Bertrande not only pursues the truth of her husband, but the elements of the city society that Lewis describes in the city setting.
At the very beginning of Lewis’ novella, the reader is immediately confronted with the importance of tradition in Artigues. The very fact that two children lay in bed together after being “espoused to one another” speaks of a great deal of importance and authority in the hands of tradition (Lewis 3). Bertrande and Martin were both eleven years old, and subject to not only the authority of family, but also the authority of the ancient feudal system within which they resided. The authority resided with the tradition they had built up over so many years; the family was the local king, specifically, the cap d’hostal whom which “the safety and prosperity of all his household depended largely upon” (11). The reader is told that it is surprising how well the feudal system has maintained in place among these peasants – no doubt largely due to the geographical isolation. In this sort of society, familial trust and honor was above all else; all the children would learn to respect the ultimate authority of the cap d’hostal rather than persuing their own sense of what ought be done. Ultimately, this aspect of the setting teaches the reader what kind of characters to expect in Artigues: loyal, somewhat submissive subjects, with an extremely high value on family.
In opposition, when Lewis describes life in Toulouse the reader gets a powerful sense this is a modern city, with much more modern values. The very fact that the main characters leave their home in Artigues for the trial shows that this city is a place for reason and innovation. The court is a relatively modern invention, and a much more contemporary system of justice than familial hierarchy. This is especially exhibited in the methods used to gather evidence, as Lewis describes a system not unlike a modern court (88). In contrast, the court in small Rieux was largely based off relations and connections rather than physical evidence. Furthermore, the foreign idea of rebellion is present and possible in Toulouse, whereas in Artigues rebellion would be completely unheard of, and in the case of Martin’s rebellion he simply left instead of dealing with the potential repercussions (83, 22). The contrast between these two locales is distinctly to exhibit the kind of justice, truth, and actions citizens seek. In Toulouse, objective truth is sought above all, whereas in Artigues tradition rules and the happiness of relationships is the goal. Pierre reacts to city folk by exclaiming he does not know what is wrong with the world as it is breaking apart, and the city folk react to him as a country bumpkin who knows little about modernity (84, 87).
Artigues is also largely subject to nature. In the opening paragraph the reader gets a very literal description of how nature, through the power of snow, quite literally shuts down all travel in and out of the region. No matter who’s flag one flies, no matter what one’s occupation is, the winter made the mountain range an “impassable wall” (3). Not only was this the case, but the village used this to their advantage: “the mountain villages were closed in enforced idleness and isolation. It was a season of leisure in which weddings might well be celebrated” (3-4). For the people of Artigues, the power of nature was something they submitted to, even flourished under, and to some degree were also protected by nature. The natural seasons, mountains, and rivers enabled them to be the very town they were, with the various traditions and authorities that they held dear. Lewis writes that “no one visited Artigues who had not business there…Artigues enjoyed its isolation and its lack of fame” which exposes that they liked being a lonely mountain town, subject to nature and able to do as they pleased (12).
Toulouse, on the other hand, was in the process of trying to defeat nature as a power. As the characters move toward Toulouse, one reads that the rugged terrain of the mountains gradually gives way to more closely clustered houses and an increasingly diverse array of crops and fruit (79). These plumbs and cherries, among other things, would not be possible to grow in the mountain region the main characters come from, and so were a surprising sight to behold – the people here were able to cultivate whatever fruit they wanted to grow, rather than the fruit that would survive. Furthermore, Lewis makes special mention of the bridges in this novella. On the journey to Toulouse, the river slows down from a rushing mountain river to more of a muddy prairie rive that meanders through the countryside; the characters cross over the river by way of a wooden bridge, but they also see the beginning construction efforts of a much larger stone bridge that still remains to this day (82). These bridges symbolize and change in power: in the mountains, nature rules the people; here in this city, people control and harness the power of nature for their benefit rather than as an obstacle.
Lewis does not associate the people of Artigues with a national flag in the first paragraph like she does to the Spaniards and French men, rather, her lack of identification outside of family is almost to say that the people in this village are the ones who stay; these people are the ones who remain who they are despite political or religious battles of the era.

They are identified by their association with their family, and nothing more. They don’t even understand the division in the Church, and are Catholic simply because that is the only option. Furthermore, on page eleven we read of the offences in the past and the allegiances of families. This reinforces the emphasis on identity by way of family relation and nothing more. Lewis writes that “the deed of one man became immediately the deed of his family” (11). These people were not seen as individuals in a village, but rather perceived as whole family units, carrying last names with pride before first names were even

mentioned.
Toulouse is to be understood as a bustling modern city that has submitted to reason and has resisted the power of nature, therefore it is no surprise that the people of Toulouse identify themselves as individuals in a modern city, rather than members of family houses.

If one was to say that the family name was most important in Artigues, the personal, first name would be the most important in Toulouse. In Toulouse, differences in people are appreciated as well as argued over; one reads of the toleration between Protestants and Catholics by a hostess, as well as the talk of potential rebellion (83). Citizens of Toulouse are identified by the various causes or loyalties they have, not to families but rather to ideas. These citizens claim themselves to be modern, sophisticated people in contrary to the simple mountain folk that visit for the court case. It is important to note the terminology Lewis uses to describe the main characters; the Guerre family name is replaced with more generic terms of mountaineer and peasant (84, 87). Further, this is compounded by the feeling of being lost expressed by both Bertrande and Pierre; Bertrand asks, “what am I doing here?” and Pierre states, “we are lost” (84, 87). These characters no longer have the identity associated with their family name; they are alone in the city, not used to being individuals but rather used to being a part of a whole

family.
In conclusion, Lewis paints a literary picture of two locales: each with a distinct purpose and several associations. Artigues is a town under the authority of tradition, subject to the power of nature, and identified through family structure; here we find people that are supposed to keep their head down and do as they are told, keep the peace, and deal with the circumstances in their life. Toulouse is a city built on the principles of innovation and reason, clearly shown through how they try to control the power of nature, and identify themselves as individuals with ideas; here we find people that are subject to a modern legal system, but willing to rebel and change circumstances if they deem it necessary, and have adapted to a modern life. Lewis paints these distinct contexts to explain that as the people travel from Artigues to Toulouse, they are not only pursuing truth, but rather these aspects of life. Bertrand is taking the circumstances of her life and changing them, isolating herself from family, and seeking out the court system.