The Piece of String
Summary
The Piece of String tells the story of a man who is wrongly accused of stealing a wallet. It shows how society’s distrust and disapproval make an innocent person suffer.
It is market day in Goderville. Many peasants come to sell crops and animals. Maitre Hauchecome of Breaute also comes. He walks to the market square. On the road, he sees a piece of string. He usually picks up anything useful. He thinks the string may be useful later. He bends to pick it up. At that moment, his enemy Malandain, the harness-maker, sees him. Feeling ashamed, Hauchecome hides the string in his clothes. He then pretends to look for something else on the ground and walks away.
Later, at Jourdain’s tavern, the town crier announces that someone lost a black leather wallet with five hundred francs and papers. An officer calls Hauchecome to the mayor’s office. Malandain has told the mayor that he saw Hauchecome picking up something. Hauchecome is accused of stealing the purse.
Hauchecome explains that he only picked up a piece of string. He has no wallet, but no one believes him. The wallet is later returned, but people still think he had an accomplice who gave it back. Hauchecome hopes his name will be cleared, but the townspeople continue to suspect him. This makes him sick and weak. On his deathbed, his last words are, “It was only a piece of string.”
Questions and Answers
1. Why does Hauchecome pick up the piece of string?
Hauchecome picks up the piece of string because he has the habit of collecting useful things from the ground. He thinks the string may come in handy in the future. He bends down to take it without knowing it will cause him trouble later.
2. How does Malandain cause trouble for Hauchecome?
Malandain sees Hauchecome bending to pick up the string. He tells the mayor that Hauchecome picked up the lost wallet. Because of this, Hauchecome is accused of stealing, even though he is innocent.
3. Why do people still suspect Hauchecome even after the wallet is found?
People still suspect Hauchecome because they believe he had an accomplice who returned the wallet. They think this was done to clear his name. As a result, no one believes his truth about the piece of string.
4. Why is The Piece of String a naturalist story?
The Piece of String is a naturalist story because it shows life in a realistic and detailed way. It presents ordinary peasants, their habits, and their harsh judgments. The story also shows how social forces and human weakness lead to suffering beyond the character’s control.
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