The Wife of Martin Guerre, by Janet Lewis

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Recommended: Strength and weakness of research studies of attachment

In Janet Lewis’s “The Wife of Martin Guerre”, Bertrande, the protagonist, is a sixteenth century woman who is thrown into a loveless marriage at the age of eleven, at the age of fourteen her mother dies, and once she has finally started developing feelings for this man whom she has been forced to marry, he leaves her in order to save himself from his angry father who he stole seed from. Several years after Martin leaves, Bertrande is introduced to a man who claims to be Martin Guerre, who is really an imposter. While socially and spiritually committed to her husband, she is physically committed and attached to the imposter. The imposter looks remarkably similar to Martin Guerre, but with a much sweeter, more kind disposition. (TEXT EVIDENCE HERE) The imposter is accused, by Bertrande, of not being the real Martin and thus once the real Martin Guerre comes back Bertrande leaves the man she loves and asks for forgiveness of the man who left her. At no point does Bertrande truly question any of it, it is the way customs work and she accepts this. She is a victim of her upbringing, a victim of circumstance, and a victim of social customs
Unfortunately due to the social latter, which Bertrande sits lower then Martin (Tappet), once the real Martin Guerre comes home Bertrande is morally forced to say that the man she loves is an imposter and that the soldier is her cold husband. Thus Bertrande is a victim of social rules and customs. Bertrande is, however, not a heroine because she betrays herself in her act of revealing the imposter. Bertrande is a victim of customs at an incredibly young age. At eleven Bertrande is Married to Martin Guerre, who at the first moment of them being alone together attacks her. Bertrande does not love the m...

... middle of paper ...

...life for the sullen one is a poor decision, which is what society would have her do. She is already in the eye of the public for accusing the man she has been living with for more than a year of not being her husband. Thus while Bertrande is not a heroine she is still a victim of social and spiritual circumstances.

Works Cited

Asarnow, Herman PH.D.."The Great Chain of Being." University of Portland, Oregon.
Spring 2009. 24 Mar 2009
Jack, Tappet. "The Great Chain of Being." renaissance web reference. Tripod. 10 Mar
2009.
Saltau, Mrgaret. "Text Talk: the Wife of Martin Guerre." The Age. 04 May 2006. The
Age Educational Recourse Center. 22 Mar 2009
.

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