“The Return of Martin Guerre” is an excellent work by Professor Zemon Davis. The book was first published in year 1983. For any academic historian, restating the actual and authentic story of the Martin Guerre is certainly a deceitful exercise. The book talks about the major events that took place in rural France around four hundred years back. During that time only few participants or actors were capable to write their stories. Therefore, accurate and direct information about the case is available only few modern sources, and those sources drive the story. The sources form a base for traditional story that emphasizes on astuteness of the deceiver, Arnaud du Tilh, and his “splendid deception”. Davis in the book “The Return of Martin Guerre” provides a new and fresh outlook to the story by linking the impostor’s deception with formation of unique personal identity. While developing this new outlook, the author decreased the gap between French elite class and peasants that existed during 16th century. Davis utilized legal records from south-western France in order to develop a true intense picture of the era that created and shaped its main characters. Davis observation of family relationships, traditions, property rights, and legal workings collectively created an excellent piece of literature that will keep informing readers about the 16th century France for several coming years.
Davis in her book informs more about Bertrande de Rols, wife of Martin Guerre than Arnaud duTilh. The author says that Bertrande willingly participated in the deception after knowing that it will benefit her financially and socially. The participation of Bertrande was driven by the astute calculations of benefits. When deceiver brought to the legal trial in the court, Bertrande had no option but to testify against the imposter. Bertrande never abandoned the imposter and played her twofold role perfectly throughout the story. Bertrande role shows that she maintained her perilous position while validating the testimony of Tilh. When real Martine reappears in the story, the clever Bertrande was forced to change her strategy, and acting that she just realize her mistake. Bertrande started begging the forgiveness form actual Martine. In the story, Tilh finally confesses his crime, however, Tilh in his testament and evidence never says that Bertrande was also participated in committing the crime. Tilh’s testament helped Bertrande to easily escape from the whole situation and punishment that could have resulted in her death. Davis shows Bertrande as a great actress who can manipulate the whole system in best possible manner. However, she at the end, has returned to her old life, as wife of Martine and as an unknown and unimportant person. Davis supports her thesis and arguments made regarding the trial and characters involved in the story by citing “registers of parliamentary rulings”. The story emphasizes on the lives of the poor peasants, who were neglected by the elite society. The authors through the story efficiently presented the women history in the form of Bertrande, who is a hero in the story.
The story is based on two authentic sources “Arrest Memorable du Parlement de Tholose” and “Admiranda Historia de Pseudi Martino Tholosae Damnato Idib”, which is one of the major strength of the story. The sources depict the credibility of the information used by the author. These sources prove that story talks about the real history. Another strength of the story is that it provides a completely different outlook of life the peasants, who struggle to improve their economic situation and to develop their self-identity. The book presents real circumstances faced by the peasants in their lives along with the history of women and their role in sustaining marriage and maintaining husband –wife relationship.
Along with various strengths, there are a number of weaknesses in the novel, “The Return of Martin Guerre”. Davis appears very speculative in the novel and keeps speculating about mindsets or attitudes of people in her novel. Author’s use of words like “perhaps”, “it may be” and “it is possible” suggest the level and amount of speculation in the book. The language that she uses in the novel is not literary and the book lacks literary skills. Davis’s diction appears to be vague at various occasions and her prose appears to be old-fashioned. Use of unnecessary rhetorical make it more complicated and boring for readers. At times, the author appears describing her imagination in the book instead of citing historical facts and incidents. The author also appears biased towards certain characters and it makes situation unpleasant for readers who love other characters for different reasons.
Reference
Davis, Natalie Zemon. 1983. The Return of Martin Guerre. USA: Harvard University Press.
