I truly believe that there are ups and downs to Natalie Zemon Davis' Martin Guerre, including the unbelievably of Bertrande not knowing the difference between Martin and Pansette, but what Davis does accomplish is a birds eye view of what life was like in a very small village in the 16th century.
While it seems obvious that Bertrande should have known that Pansette was not Martin, I for one can not fault her for denying the the truth or even being an accomplice to the impostor. From what Davis writes the first years with Martin were grim and unfulfilled. When he leaves she is forced to revert to living back with her family and must give up the independence that she had experienced as a married woman living in her own home. So that when Martin/Pansette returns to the village she can once again enjoy the freedom of her own home. What Pansette provides for Bertrande is a sense of freedom not to mention a better married life than the one she had experienced before. Perhaps that is the reason that Martins sisters also jump on the band wagon of being supporters of Martin/Pansette.
Even though the story seems like something right out of a telenovella it is supported by the testimonies provided to the court in the trial of Pansette. One can assume and Davis does make the assumption that if the real Martin had not suddenly appeared at the court Pansette would have continued to live Martin's life and Bertrande would have been happy with that decision.
What Davis does accomplish with this book is to explore the many aspects of peasant life, property laws and the sexuality of
peasant women. She is successful in presenting a relatively well
known court case and reconfiguring it as a love story that ultimately ends in
disappointment, but she also creates an interesting narrative from some rather
dry court records.
No comments:
Post a Comment