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She had no dowry, no expectations, no means of being known, understood, loved, wedded, by any rich and
distinguished man; and she had let herself be married to a little clerk in the Ministry of Public Instruction."
Notice "pretty and charming"--- "family of clerks." These two contrasted ideas (implied ideas, of course) are
gracefully linked by "as if by a mistake of destiny." Then the author goes on to mention what the girl did not
have in a way that implies that she ought to have had all these things. She could not be wedded to "any rich
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and distinguished man"; "she let herself be married to a little clerk."
The whole of the following description of Madam Loisel is one mass of clever contrasts of the things she
might have been, wanted to be, with what she was and had. A little farther on, however, we get a different sort
of contrast. Though poor, she has a rich friend. Then her husband brings home an invitation at which he is
perfectly delighted. Immediately she is shown wretched, a striking contrast. He is shown patient; she is
irritated. She is selfish in wishing a dress and finery; he is unselfish in giving up his gun and the shooting.
With the ball the author gives us a description of Madam Loisel having all she had dreamed of having. Her
hopes are satisfied completely, it appears, until suddenly, when she is about to go away, the fact of her lack of
wraps contrasts tellingly with her previous attractiveness. These two little descriptions---one of the success of
the ball, one of hurrying away in shame, the wretched cab and all---are a most forcible contrast, and most
skilfully and naturally represented. The previous happiness is further set into relief by the utter wretchedness
she experiences upon discovering the loss of the necklace.
Then we have her new life of hard work, which we contrast in mind not only with what she had really been
having, but with that which she had dreamed of having, had seemed about to realize, and had suddenly lost for
ever.
Then at last we have the contrast, elaborate, strongly drawn and telling, between Madam Loisel after ten years
and her friend, who represents in flesh and blood what she might have been. Then at the end comes the short,
sharp contrast of paste and diamonds.
In using contrast one does not have to search for something to set up against something else. Every situation
has a certain breadth, it has two sides, whether they are far apart or near together. To give the real effect of a
conception it is necessary to pass from one side to the other very rapidly and frequently, for only in so doing
can one keep the whole situation in mind. One must see the whole story, both sides and all in between, at the
same time. The more one sees at the same time, the more of life one grasps and the more invigorating is the
composition. The use of contrast is eminently a matter of acquired skill, and when one has become skilful he
uses contrast unconsciously and with the same effort that he makes his choice of words.
APPENDIX
Errors in the Use of Words.
All of. Omit the of.
Aggravate. Does not mean provoke or irritate.
Among one another. This phrase is illogical.
And who. Omit the and unless there is a preceding who to which this is an addition.
Another from. Should be another then.
Anyhow, meaning at any rate, is not to be used in literary composition.
Any place. Incorrect for anywhere.
At. We live at a small place, in a large one, and usually arrive at, not in.
Avocation. Not to be confused with vocation, a main calling, since avocation is a side calling.
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Awful does not mean very.
Back out. An Americanism for withdraw.
Balance. Not proper for remainder, but only for that which makes equal.
Beginner. Never say new beginner.
Beside; besides. The first means by the side of, the second in addition to.
Be that as it will. Say, be that as it may.
Blame on. We may lay the blame on, but we cannot blame it on any one.
But what. Should be but that.
Calculate. Do not use for intend.
Can. Do not use for may. "May I go with you?" not "Can I go with you?"
Clever. Does not mean good-natured, but talented.
Demean. Means to behave, not to debase or degrade.
Disremember. Now obsolete.
Don't. Not to be used for doesn't, after a singular subject such as he.
Else. Not follow by but; say, "nothing else than pride."
Expect. Do not use for think, as in "I expect it is so."
Fetch. Means to go and bring, hence go and fetch is wrong.
Fix. Not used for arrange or the like, as "fix the furniture."
From. Say, "He died of cholera," not from.
Got. Properly you "have got" what you made an effort to get, not what you merely "have."
Graduate. Say, "The man is graduated from college," and "The college graduates the man."
Had ought. Ought never requires any part of the verb to have.
Had rather, had better. Disputed, but used by good writers.
Handy. Does not mean near by.
In so far as. Omit the in.
Kind of. After these two words omit a, and say, "What kind of man," not "What kind of a man." Also, do not
say, "kind of tired."
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Lady. Feminine for lord, therefore do not speak of a "sales-lady," "a man and his lady," etc.
Last; latter. We say latter of two, in preference to last; but last of three.
Lay; lie. We lay a thing down, but we ourselves lie down; we say, "He laid the Bible on the table," but "He lay
down on the couch;" "The coat has been laid away," and "It has lain in the drawer." Lay, laid, laid--takes an
object; lie, lay, lain--does not.
Learn. Never used as an active verb with an object, a in "I learned him his letters." We say, "He learned his
letters," and "I taught him his letters."
Learned. "A learned man"--pronounce learn-ed with two syllables; but "He has learned his lesson"--one
syllable.
Like. Do not say, "Do like I do." Use as when a conjunction is required.
Lives. Do not say, "I had just as lives as not," but "I had just as Lief."
Lot. Does not mean many, as in "a lot of men," but one division, as, "in that lot."
Lovely. Do not overwork this word. A rose may be lovely, but hardly a plate of soup.
Mad. We prefer to say angry if we mean out of temper.
Mistaken. Some critics insist that it is wrong to say "I am mistaken" when we mean "I mistake."
Love. We like candy rather than love it. Save Love for something higher.
Most. In writing, do not use 'most for almost. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]