Analysis: The Return Of Martin Guerre

Which Truth is Right? Natalie Davis, a modern historian, studies French peasants during the sixteenth century such as Martin Guerre. After exposure to multiple sources and stories about Martin Guerre’s life, Davis yearned to portray his story more accurately. She then expertly crafted an array of sources together to create the story, but she was also forced to invent portions due to a lack of evidence. Eventually, she created the novel, The Return of Martin Guerre, which painted a new and deeply thorough perspective about Martin Guerre’s life. Another respected historian, Robert Finlay, authorized a rebuttal against the invented sections within the novel. He believed that Davis’ fabricated sections were historically inaccurate, claiming

In Finlay’s rebuttal, “The Refashioning of Martin Guerre”, one element he challenged was Davis’ lack of historical sources; according to him, Davis uses her insight, not evidence to falsely infer that Bertrande

Finlay strikes a claim that Davis’ statements about Bertrande’s recognition does not derive from “an interpretation based on sources” but from her “unsubstantiated insight.” (“The Refashioning of Martin Guerre”, p559). Finlay believes that Davis thinks there is “inevitable sexual recognition” because the touch of each man is different (“The Refashioning of Martin Guerre”, p559). Davis then counteracts this statement by showing us her source, Jean d’Arras, a fifteenth century author about marriage faithfulness through the protagonists Raimondin and Melusine. Jean d’Arras, describes the unique touch, trust, and look of two lovers when their marriage bed was blessed; for the ceremony, they were naked save their headdresses. With the use of this information, Davis applied Jean d’Arras’ words to Bertrande and Arnaud’s physical relationship, “she[Bertrande] was feeling a body unlike the one she had lain next to...clothed or unclothed.”(“On the Lame”, 578). Davis utilizes Jean d’Arras as a respectable source to prove that a woman would know the difference of touch between men despite being clothed or not. Davis did not outrightly call out Finlay, but she does provide evidence against his claim proving that she fabricated an accurate account with the use of Jean d’Arras’ source. Ultimately, Davis indirectly proves that Bertrande