Setting

Nearly all of Guy de Maupassant's short stories are set in rural Normandy, on the northeastern coast of
France. The village of Goderville, Maitre Hauchecorne's home in "A Piece of String," is an actual place,
located in Upper Normandy, between La Havre and Rouen, and not far from the River Seine. It is an
ancient village, established in the 9th century. (The population in 2006 was about 2,800). The town
market is located in the main square, and there is a tavern, Jourdain's, and a mayor's office. The story
itself is set in the 1880s.

The Piece of String Themes

Themes and Meanings (Comprehensive Guide to Short Stories, Critical Edition)

In “The Piece of String,” Maupassant is dramatizing at least two of his more familiar themes: his intense
dislike of the peasantry and the peasants’ abiding distrust of one another. Although Maupassant came
from a well-to-do Norman background, his disillusioning experiences as a private in the Franco-Prussian
War served to harden his soul against the lower class. In addition, his years of sharp scrutiny of their
Norman ways and mores—their everyday habits—strengthened his cynical attitude toward them. It is
generally agreed that he was misanthropic, but never more so than when he set his sights on those
Norman men and women. Their hardiness and endurance notwithstanding, Maupassant’s composite
portrait of them is almost without qualification unflattering, and often sardonic. So he often enumerates
their failings: They are greedy and deceitful, and they can be very treacherous.

Early in “The Piece of String,” he sets the tone for their behavior that will follow. Gathered in the
Goderville marketplace, they are ever trying to discover “the tricks of the man and the defect in the
beast.” Those two phrases, “the tricks of the man” and “the defect in the beast,” say it all. Indeed, the
trick in Hauchecorne is that he surely had a hand in the loss of the pocketbook; the defect in him is that
he foolishly and vainly persists in voicing his innocence long after anyone has even thought him to be
innocent, if ever anyone did.

Maupassant was no sociologist, and he did not expand on the fact that hundreds of years of
debasement caused the peasants to see themselves as individuals who, by their intrinsic nature, were
both unworthy and untrustworthy. Ironically, when Hauchecorne goes home after being mocked out of
town, he arrives at the same conclusion that Maupassant had held for years. That is, Hauchecorne’s
Norman simplicity readily understands that there is considerable justice in the peasants’ disbelief of his
story. The peasants’ ingrained suspiciousness has singled out this old man as a thief, even disregarding
the fact that the pocketbook had been recovered a day later; this, too, is how Maupassant treats his
peasant: as a man not to be trusted.

Theme

The theme of "A Piece of String" has to do with the meaness, cruelty, and injustice of humanity.
Maupassant often wrote stories about human selfishness, wickedness, envy, spite, greed, and other bad
qualities. Here are a few pertinent quotations:
"Everyone is perfidious, a liar and a phony. Everyone wears a false face."---Guy de Maupassant

Maupassant persuades us to accept his illusion that cunning, ferocity, greed, and coarseness are more
common among men than we hope they are.---Wallace Stegner

The thing that most tormented De Maupassant, to which he returns many times, is the painful state of
loneliness, spiritual loneliness, of man, of that bar which stands between man and his fellows; a bar
which, as he says, is the more painfully felt, the nearer the bodily connection.---Leo Tolstoy

Maupassant was deeply influenced by the pessimistic German philosopher Artur Schopenhauer, who
had an even lower opinion of human nature. In "A Piece of String" an entire village makes a simple,
humble man's life miserable by accusing him of theft. There is nothinig he can do to convince them that
he was only picking up a piece of striing. His accusers don't want to believe him because they enjoy
venting their spite on a defenseless man.

"A Piece of String" might be compared with Shirley Jackson's story "The Lottery" and with Maupassant's
famous story "Boule de Suif."

Moral Lesson

One theme that emerges from this story that could be considered a moral lesson is not to be ashamed
of who you are and what your values are. Hauchecome hides the fact that he picked up the piece of
string because he is embarrassed to admit that he saves little things like this.

Another theme that emerges from the story that definitely teaches the reader a lesson is to not judge
someone too harshly. Hauchecome is judged to be a thief, and a liar by the village because he is
wrongly accused of stealing a purse containing 500 francs.

The fact that M. Hauchecome deliberately behaves in an overstated manner when he stops to pick up
the piece of string does not help his case for innocence when accused. By behaving in this way, he
draws suspicion from others, particularly, Malandain, his arch enemy.

Hauchecome, once accused, cannot shake the perception of the town that he is a thief, even in the face
of proof. The purse is returned, people still believe that he was the culprit.

The author illustrates the inherent distrust that people have for each other in this story. The
stereotyping of the lower classes as thieves and liars. Hauchecome is so stricken by the wrongful
accusation that it makes him sick. He dies uttering "it was only a piece of string."

The author illustrates stereotype in this story. The moral is not to judge others too harshly, and to not be
ashamed of who you are no matter what others are judging you for.

A Piece of String

The short story of A Piece of String was written by Guy de Maupassant in 1883. It is a short story
based on in my opinion the theory of “guilty until proven innocent”. The moral of the story is that you
must tell the truth to maintain a reputation of honesty and gain trust from others, because a reputation
of deceit and dishonesty will make people believe you are not trustworthy, so even when you're telling
the truth, it is hard for others to believe. The main characters in The Piece of Strings are Maître
Hauchecorne, M. Malandain and The Mayor of Goderville. Maître is a peasant, who picks up anything he
sees as useful off the ground. The story begins where he is walking through the market and comes
across a piece of string. He picks the string up and keeps it for himself. Later, in the Market, Maître
Hanchecornes enemy accuses him of stealing someone else's pocketbook. This soon gets around
Goderville, and people begin to distrust and dislike Maître Hauchecorne, despite his claim of innocence.
Maître Hauchecorne already had a bad reputation with the citizens of Goderville due to his previous
lying and over exaggerations and telling unbelievable stories. This is the main reason for the people's
reluctance to believe Maître Hauchecorne, although he is telling the truth. The pocketbook is eventually
returned, however the town still doesn’t believe his innocence. The pain and heartache that Maitre
Hauchecorne suffered because of the towns’ inability to believe his innocence caused his death at the
end of the story.

The Piece of String, written by Guy de Maupassant was published in 1883. The book is set in Normandy,
France. It is a short story based on social realism.

What does the story teach us?

The story teaches us that 'honestly is the best policy' in life and that lies and deceit will always come
back to you negatively. Maire Hauchecorne was still protesting his innocent till the day he died but no
one believed him. The story is very ironic as although he told the truth, the lies had made it so it would
not be believed. Even when the pocketbook was found, people still treated Maitre Hauchecorne
unpleasantly.

Maitre Hauchecorne is an old peasant and a bit of a scoundrel with a reputation for thriftiness and
untrustworthiness. He has few true friends or family (no family is mentioned in the story).
Hauchecorne's low self-esteem comes from both his hereditary status and his cheapness; and he is
ashamed when an adversary, Malandain, sees him bending in the dirt to pick up what would be for most
people a worthless piece of string. Although Hauchecorne has no connection with the missing purse,
which is eventually found, the fact that he was seen picking up something from the street makes him a
suspect. Hauchecorne is searched and cleared, and the purse is eventually found, but he has already
spread the story of his innocence about town. Because of his past reputation, no one believes him--
before or after the purse is recovered.

Hauchecorne also appears to be an outsider to the village, and he lives--probably alone--somewhere

beyond the town proper. After his repeated tales of the string are spread throughout the village, he
becomes even more of an outcast and, eventually, the butt of jokes. It is all too much for Hauchecorne,
who, at one point, prided himself on his business practicality. In the end, he cannot walk about the town
without feeling the stares and scornful laughter that he imagines coming from everyone he sees.

The string becomes the symbol of his downfall--a worthless, trivial thing that eventually becomes the
defining moment of his later life. He dies miserable and alone, all because of "a little bit of string."
THE PIECE OF STRING
GUY DE MAUPASSANT
A short story which was first established in 1883. This short story focuses on the subjects: criticism,
greed, and peasantry. The point of view given by the author is in the 3rd person limited perspective. It’s
tone is Busy and pessimistic. It was clearly shown by Maupassant that the conflict is on Man vs. Society.
The protagonist of the story is Maitre Mauchecorne: the one who picked up the string. He is much
conscious with his reputation. Maitre Malandain portrays to be the antagonist.
The Summary of the Plot
It is a market dy and everyone is busy. The square of Goderville is very crowded. Maitre
Hauchecorne saw a string and picked it up. In the meanwhile his rival, Maitre Malandain, saw him.
Hauchecornewas accused of the robbery of the wallet and was sent to the mayor’s office. He defended
himself although no one believed him.The wallet was returned by another guy. The people thought of
Hauchecorne was just trying to trick them through an accomplice. Hauchecorne died in grief.
Author's Background
Henri Rene Albert Guy de Maupassant was known for his prompt and natural style in writing a short
story. He was born on August 5, 1883 near Dieppe in Normandy. He joined his mother when his parents
were separated when he was 11. He does not the string have compassion on his characters. The near
end of his life was erratic. He was sent to a mental institution in Paris, France.

Plot?
The exposition is the whole beginning when the author describes the market day and the two main
characters. The inciting incident was the part when  Maître Hauchecome picked up a piece of
string and was seen by Maître Malandain, his enemy. The rising action is when Maître
Hauchecome is accused of picking up the wallet. The climax is when the other man returned the
wallet, relieving Maître Hauchecome. The falling action is when rumors that Maître Hauchecome
gave the wallet the other man to turn in spread. The resolution is that Maître Hauchecome dies
trying to prove himself not guilty. 
 
Exposition
In the public square of Goderville there was a crowd, a throng of human beings and animals mixed
together. The horns of the cattle, the tall hats, with long nap, of the rich peasant and the
headgear of the peasant women rose above the surface of the assembly. And the clamorous,
shrill, screaming voices made a continuous and savage din which sometimes was dominated by
the robust lungs of some countryman's laugh or the long lowing of a cow tied to the wall of a
house.

All that smacked of the stable, the dairy and the dirt heap, hay and sweat, giving forth that
unpleasant odor, human and animal, peculiar to the people of the field.

Maître Hauchecome of Breaute had just arrived at Goderville, and he was directing his steps
toward the public square when he perceived upon the ground a little piece of string. Maître
Hauchecome, economical like a true Norman, thought that everything useful ought to be picked
up, and he bent painfully, for he suffered from rheumatism. He took the bit of thin cord from
the ground and began to roll it carefully when he noticed Maître Malandain, the harness maker,
on the threshold of his door, looking at him. They had heretofore had business together on the
 subject of a halter, and they were on bad terms, both being good haters. Maître Hauchecome
was seized with a sort of shame to be seen thus by his enemy, picking a bit of a head. two arms
and string out of the dirt. He concealed his "find" quickly under his blouse, then in his trousers'
pocket; then he pretended to be still looking on the ground for something which he did not find,
and he went toward the market, his head forward, bent double by his pains.
The author gives details about the time location and time period. He also introduces the two
main characters.
Inciting incident:
Maître Hauchecome of Breaute had just arrived at Goderville, and he was directing his steps toward the
public square when he perceived upon the ground a little piece of string. Maître Hauchecome,
economical like a true Norman, thought that everything useful ought to be picked up, and he
bent painfully, for he suffered from rheumatism. He took the bit of thin cord from the ground
and began to roll it carefully when he noticed Maître Malandain, the harness maker, on the
threshold of his door, looking at him. They had heretofore had business together on the subject
of a halter, and they were on bad terms, both being good haters. Maître Hauchecome was
seized with a sort of shame to be seen thus by his enemy, picking a bit of a head. two arms and
string out of the dirt. He concealed his "find" quickly under his blouse, then in his trousers'
pocket; then he pretended to be still looking on the ground for something which he did not find,
and he went toward the market, his head forward, bent double by his pains.
Maitre Hauchecome finds the string, beginning his troubles in the plot.
Rising action:
"Maître Hauchecome," said he, "you were seen this morning to pick up, on the road to Benzeville, the
pocketbook lost by Maître Houlbreque of Manneville."

The countryman, astounded, looked at the mayor, already terrified by this suspicion resting on
him without his knowing why.

"Me? Me? Me pick up the pocketbook?"

"Yes, you yourself."

"Word of honor, I never heard of it."

"But you were seen."

"I was seen, me? Who says he saw me?"

"Monsieur Malandain, the harness maker."

The old man remembered, understood and flushed with anger.

"Ah, he saw me, the clodhopper, he saw me pick up this string here, M'sieu the Mayor." And
rummaging in his pocket, he drew out the little piece of string.

But the mayor, incredulous, shook his head.

"You will not make me believe, Maître Hauchecome, that Monsieur Malandain, who is a man
worthy of credence, mistook this cord for a pocketbook."
 Maitre Hauchecome is blamed for having a wallet he does not have.
Climax:
 
The next day about one o'clock in the afternoon Marius Paumelle, a hired man in the employ of Maître
Breton, husbandman at Ymanville, returned the pocketbook and its contents to Maître
Houlbreque of Manneville.
The wallet is returned by someone else.
Falling action:
The peasant stood choking. He understood. They accused him of having had the pocketbook
returned by a confederate, by an accomplice.
Now Maitre Hauchecome is blamed for having given up the wallet to someone else.
Resolution:
He died in the first days of January, and in the delirium of his death struggles he kept claiming his
innocence, reiterating:

"A piece of string, a piece of string--look--here it is, M'sieu the Mayor."

The end of the sad story … he dies in anxiety because everyone believes he had the wallet.

In "The Piece of String," written by Guy de Maupassant, Maitre Hauchecorne picks up a piece of string
that get him into a world of trouble. Maitre Hauchecorne is criticized unrelentingly for having picked up
a piece of string. Hauchecorne is blamed for picking up a wallet instead of his small innocent piece of
string, which eventually leads to his death. Hauchecorne dies from the injustice pressure of society, and
also his enemy. His non-ability to handle not being forgiven, also contributes to his death.

The society was a big part in Hauchecorne's death because they did not believe him. Maitre Malandain,
Hauchecorne's rival, told the authorities that Hauchecorne had picked up a lost wallet. The mayor
questioned Hauchecorne but did not believe that he had picked up a piece of string out of the mud. The
mayor said, " You'll never persuade me, Maitre Hauchecorne, that Monsieur Malandain, who is a man
who can be trusted, mistook that piece of string for a wallet" . From what the mayor said it is clear that
Hauchecorne was not trusted by society. It is as if Hauchecorne was not trusted by society before the
incident with the piece of string. This may indicate that Hauchecorne is poor. Hauchecorne could have
been trying to gain the societies trust by repeating the story over and over again. Checkov afflicts most
of his characters with such flaws as laziness, hypocrisy, pretentiousness, and seld-destructivness which is
apparent through the behaviors of both Hauchecorne and Maladain

Maitre Hauchecorne personally killed himself by insisting that society forgives him. Hauchecorne is living
a lie and he cannot stand it. “Checkov’s stories frequently illustrate situations of hardship,
boredom, and mundane suffering” two of which are illustarted through Maitre Hauchecorne’s
behavior. He tells his story to make himself feel better and to tell everybody he did not do it. Nobody
believes Hauchecorne and that make….?

Characters and others xD

Guy de Maupassant
Author of The Piece of String
It was Market Day
Why were the peasants on their way to town?
Goderville
What is the town where the story takes place?
Normandy, France
Where is Goderville?
Norman peasants
Who were the people on their way to market?
animals, fruit and vegetables
What were the people on their way to market to sell or trade?
Maitre Hauchecorne
The main character of the story
Maitre Malandain
Maitre Hauchecorne's enemy
saddles
What did M. Malandain make?
A piece of string
What did M. Hauchecorne pick up off of the ground?
Because he might find a use for it one day
Why did M. Hauchecorne pick up the piece of string?
suspicious, quickly hiding the piece of string under his tunic
How did M. Hauchecorne behave while he was picking up the piece of string?
embarrassed and ashamed because M. Maladain, his enemy, was watching
him
Why did M. Hauchecorne behave suspiciously, hiding the piece of string
under his tunic?
A black leather wallet
What did M. Malandain report that he saw M. Hauchecorne pick up?
The inn
Where did the peasants eat lunch?
the town crier
Who announced that a black leather wallet was missing?
The police sargent
Who removed M. Hauchecorne from the inn?
The Mayor
Who was waiting for M. Hauchecorne outside the inn?
That he was seen picking up the wallet
What did the Mayor tell M. Hauchecorne?
Upset and Frightened
What was M. Hauchecorne's reaction to being falsely accused?
Searched his pockets
What did the police do to M. Hauchecorne?
Marius Paumelle
A man who actually found the wallet, and turned it in the next day
Because he couldn't read, so he did not know who to give it to
Why didn't Marius turn in the wallet on the same day he found it?
"Old Rogue" and "Old Rascal"
What did the peasants call M. Hauchecorne on the next market day?
That he picked up the wallet but got someone else to return it
What did the peasants think M. Hauchcorne had done?
It was impossible to prove his innocence
What did M. Hauchecorne realize?
Becoming obsessed with the story and telling it to everyone
What did M. Hauchcorne start doing when it was all over?
His mind started to go, and he got sick
What happened to M. Hauchecorne as a result of picking up the piece of
string?
He died, delirious, talking about the piece of string
What happened to M. Hauchecorne in the very end of the story?
That something as small as picking up a piece of string can have such
disastrous consequences as death
What is the IRONY of the story?
The peasants don't believe or trust M. Hauchecorne because they are
tough people and hard bargainers, and know they would have picked up
the wallet themselves (conflict between Hauchcorne and society)
What is the EXTERNAL CONFLICT of the story?
Hauchcorne knows that he would have picked up the wallet if he had
actually seen it (conflict between Hauchecorne and himself)
What is the INTERNAL CONFLICT of the story?