Bel Ami Foreshadowing Analysis

The Importance of Foreshadowing and Visual Imagery in Bel-Ami

Guy De Maupassant’s novel, Bel-Ami about a disheartened, poor former French soldier who becomes wealthy and powerful through corruption, coercion and most importantly exploitation of women presents the reader with a look in to the future from the very first chapters. Through close examination

Bored, discontented and feeling unfulfilled by his time as an NCO, Georges Duroy journeys to Paris in hopes of finding a better future. Although his parents wish for him to return to their countryside home, Georges has dreams of a fortune in Paris. He is not worried about how he will go about achieving such a fortune, for he knows that women are unable to resist him and it is evident in
a several key passages how he will achieve this fortune. Exploitation as a means of success is appealing to Georges and only becomes more so when women are used as a means of exploitation

On page 62 Maupassant writes, “He was full of vague ideas of success, even though he could dimly imagine how he would achieve it; but he felt certain he would be given an opportunity and show himself able to exploit it.” This passage foreshadows Georges’ future ad rise to power. The exploitation which is mentioned early on is entirely embraced by Georges by the end of the novel, as we see him corruptively coerce his way to the top of the socioeconomic ladder by nothing more than pure exploitation.

In addition to having his sights set on a fortune, Georges also has hopes and dreams of falling in love with a beautiful woman of importance. Maupassant writes on page 63, “He used to imagine having a splendid love affair which would realize all his hopes at once. He would marry some banker’s or nobleman’s daughter whom he would meet in the street and sweep her off her feet on the spot.” Once again, we see the notion of exploitation and a search for a mobile socioeconomic ladder from early the novel.

In addition to the importance of foreshadowing in the novel, visual imagery is a key factor in allowing the reader a clue as to what Georges’ future will consist of. Following his visit with the Forestiers, Georges is unsure of what to do and where to go. He considers his options, not wanting to return home for he is momentarily elated and hopeful from the pleasant visit with the wealthy and powerful. Upon his return home he begins to sink back down into a state of misery upon taking in the unpleasant view of his surroundings. On page 61 Maupassant writes, “And he was filled with exasperation at his poverty-stricken existence. He told himself that he must get out of there and put an end to his impecunious life the very next day.” After being surrounding the clean, lavish surroundings of Forestier’s home, Georges became extremely unsatisfied with his life. His visual disgust is what is highlighted more so than any other emotions following the visit. The visit left him embedded with visual images of grandeur. “On each side of the fireplace stood Indian figs with circular trunks like columns, bearing layer upon layer of long, dark-green leaves; and on the piano were two unknown plants, round in shape and covered in blossom, one pink and the other pure white, so improbable in appearance as to seem artificial, too beautiful to be true,” Maupassant describes the apartment on page 54. After being in the visually stimulating apartment, Georges is unable to see his living space in the same light anymore. Now that Georges has a mental picture which he associates with wealth and power, he is no longer able to see his living space in the same light and it is after this he begins to feel overwhelmed by his meager living conditions. Prior to seeing an alternative lifestyle, Georges had accepted the grim state of his life and had developed a systematic process to make due with his meager salary.
He had figured out how to make his salary last and allocate it accordingly until he got paid again. When Georges runs into Foresiter, he describes his lifestyle to him. Although Georges does so unhappily, it is without any real alternative. Georges says, “You’re right. But what else can I do? I’m alone, I don’t know anyone, there’s no one who I can go to for help. It’s not the will that’s lacking, I just haven’t got the means.” He then goes on to describe a possible future as a riding master at a school. It seems as if Georges has accepted his squalor and instead of being miserable and disgusted, he budgets both his time and money to make his life bearable and functional. This acceptance with his living conditions until one literally sees a better possibility is often the case with foreigners who immigrate to this country. Like Georges many immigrants come to America without a plan as to how, but with a dream of making a fortune and the clothes on their back. Upon arriving, they don’t lack a will to better their conditions, but a means like Georges. It is not until they venture out of the neighborhood and paltry
living conditions that they become unsatisfied with their lives and begin to look to alternative methods of upward mobilization. This was the case with my family upon arriving to America from Jordan. Arriving with a few provisions, some money and a few outfits, my family came to America with a vision to be prosperous and to create a better life than would have ever been possible overseas. With not much of a plan, except to go to college, my parents found a small apartment in Irvington, NJ. With no heat, we struggled through the winter by all sleeping in one room and one bed under an electric blanket. The run down, dirty apartment building we lived in became a community and we became comfortable there. My elderly neighbor babysat my cousins and I while our parents either went to school or worked and in exchange we helped them carry their groceries up the steps, feed their pets and anything other small things they were unable to do. This became our way of life, we didn’t enjoy it, but while my parents were sin college and without legitimate paperwork, we had no other options. Like Georges we didn’t know anyone and there was no one to go to for help. Also like Georges, we found ways to allocate the little money we had so that there was always food on the table for everyone. I began to like living there, I enjoyed the company of the elderly ladies in the building who babysat me and fed me cookies and became less afraid day by day of the gangs which sometimes congregated in the parking lot behind the building. While my parents and uncles and aunts always had a vision of something better for us after they finished school and got their citizenship papers, they temporarily accepted their fates as immigrants. It wasn’t until one evening, when one of my father’s professors invited us to his home for dinner, that my parents became fed up with our living conditions. I still remember going to the playroom to play with the children of the house. They had two televisions; we didn’t have any, one for watching shows and one for playing video games on. Additionally, they had dolls, electronic games, board games and their shelves were lined with more toys than I had ever seen. Although I knew we were poor, I never knew that there were Arab people in America who had such fun and lavish lifestyles. They had a backyard with a swing set and a sandbox with shovels and pails. Having never been to the beach, this was the closest thing to it that I had ever seen. That night I went home to our small, crammed apartment and for the first time since told my mom that I wanted to go back to Jordan to live with my grandparents. I told her I didn’t mind that I wouldn’t be able to see her or my father, but that I wanted to go back to my grandparents’ farm because I hated America. My mother was brought to tears and spoke to my father and uncles later that night about where we lived and possibly getting out. After seeing that other immigrants could make a much better lives for themselves my father began to look for jobs he didn’t think he could get. He asked his boss for a waiter position since he was such a devoted worker, one which paid much more than his busboy salary. After much begging, he got the position and one for my uncle as well. With both my father and my uncle making more, we were able to move to a townhouse in Clifton, a much better neighborhood. Although, it was shared with the neighbors, I had the backyard I had always dreamed of with a swing set. After my parents graduated college, they got their citizenship and we were able to move again to a house and with the help of my parents, my aunts and uncles were able to move to houses as well.

While, my family found a way to change their lives though hard work and Georges turned to exploitation and corruption, it was actually seeing a better life and better living conditions that they found the strength and willpower to change their lives for the better. Visual imagery, in turn is extremely important, for images act as a source of constant mental motivation.