• Location: JSB 308
• Teacher: Kandy
• Teacher's Meetings

• Let's talk about “Boule de Suif”.
• 1. What does it mean?
  • Boule de Suif translated variously as Dumpling, Butterball, Ball of Fat, or Ball of Lard, is a famous short story by the late 19th-century French writer Guy de Maupassant, first published on or about April 15th, 1880. It is arguably his most famous short story and is the title story for his collection on the Franco-Prussian War, titled Boule de Suif et Autres Contes de la Guerre (Dumpling and Other Stories of the War).
• 2. What is the story about?
  • The story is set in the Franco-Prussian War and follows a group of French residents of Rouen, recently occupied by the Prussian army. The ten travellers decide for various reasons to leave Rouen and flee to Le Havre in a stagecoach. Sharing the carriage are Boule de Suif or “Butterball” (lit. suet dumpling, also translated as ball of fat), a prostitute whose real name is Elisabeth Rousset; the strict Democrat Cornudet; a shop-owning couple from the petty bourgeoisie, M. and Mme. Loiseau; a wealthy upper-bourgeoisie factory-owner and his wife, M. and Mme. Carré-Lamadon; the Comte and Comtesse of Bréville; and two nuns. Thus, the carriage constitutes a microcosm of French society, representing different parts of the French population during the late 19th century.
• 3. Who is Guy de Maupassant?
  • Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant was a 19th-century French author, remembered as a master of the short story form, and as a representative of the Naturalist school, who depicted human lives and destinies and social forces in disillusioned and often pessimistic terms.
  • Maupassant was a protégé of Gustave Flaubert and his stories are characterized by economy of style and efficient, seemingly effortless dénouements. Many are set during the Franco-Prussian War of the 1870s, describing the futility of war and the innocent civilians who, caught up in events beyond their control, are permanently changed by their experiences. He wrote 300 short stories, six novels, three travel books, and one volume of verse. His first published story, “Boule de Suif” (“The Dumpling”, 1880), is often considered his masterpiece.
• 4. What happpens in the story?
  • Due to the terrible weather, the coach moves very slowly and by midday has only covered a few miles. The occupants initially snub Boule de Suif, but their attitudes change when she produces a picnic basket full of lovely food and offers to share its contents with the hungry travellers.
  • At the village of Tôtes, the carriage stops at the local coaching inn, and the occupants, hearing a German voice, realise they have blundered into Prussian-held territory. A Prussian officer detains the party at the inn indefinitely without telling them why. Over the next two days, the travellers become increasingly impatient, and are finally told by Boule de Suif that they are being detained until she agrees to sleep with the officer. She is repeatedly called before the officer, and always returns in a heightened state of agitation. Initially, the travellers support her and are furious at the officer's arrogance, but their indignation soon disappears as they grow angry at Boule de Suif for not sleeping with the officer so that they can leave. Over the course of the next two days, the travelers use various examples of logic and morality to convince her it is the right thing to do; she finally gives in and sleeps with the officer, who allows them to leave the next morning.
  • As they continue on their way to Le Havre, these “representatives of Virtue” ignore Boule de Suif and turn to polite topics of conversation, glancing scathingly at the young woman while refusing to even acknowledge her, and refusing to share their food with her the way that she did with them earlier. As the coach travels on into the night, Cornudet starts whistling the Marseillaise while Boule de Suif seethes with rage against the other passengers, and finally weeps for her lost dignity.

• No class today due to test.
• As I recall the same last week.

• 20min Teacher will introduce the topic using video instruction in Chinese.
• 15min Appledog will teach in English on how to make a script.
  • Start with simple A and B script, “It's a conversation, but it is intended for acting”.
  • Next, how to do stage direction. Use italics in brackets.

There are TWO PARTS.

• Dialogue
  • This is the speaking.
• Stage direction
  • This is the actions and emotions.

A: Aha! I have finally caught you! Now I will take the gold!
B: I don't think so!
A: Oh no!
B: Oh Yes!

Question: WHat's going on? We need to fix the script! We need to add stage direction.

     [Speak slowly, as if to a child.]

A: Aha! I have finlly caught you! Now I will take the gold!



     [Pull out a gun. "Click!"]

B: I don't think so!



     [A is suddenly afraid. Shakes hands.]

A: Oh no!



     [Shakes the gun aggressively.]

B: Oh Yes!