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Excerpt

Excerpt from George Sand: Some Aspects of Her Life and Writings, by René Doumic

The only drawback was that it was most difficult to live there. There
was no way of getting warm. The stove was a kind of iron furnace which
gave out a terrible odour, and did not prevent the rooms from being so
damp that clothes mildewed while they were being worn. There was no way
of getting proper food either. They had to eat the most indigestible
things. There were five sorts of meat certainly, but these were pig,
pork, bacon, ham and pickled pork. This was all cooked in dripping,
pork-dripping, of course, or in rancid oil. Still more than this, the
natives refused, not only to serve the unfortunate travellers, but
to sell them the actual necessaries of life. The fact was, they had
scandalized the Majorcan people. All Majorca was indignant because
Solange, who at that time was nine years old, roamed about the mountains
disguised as a man. Added to this, when the horn sounded which called
people to their devotions in the churches, these strange inhabitants
of the old Valdemosa monastery never took any more notice than pagans.
People kept clear of them. Chopin suffered with the cold, the cooking
made him sick, and he used to have fits of terror in the cloisters. They
had to leave hastily. The only steamboat from the island was used to
transport the pigs which are the pride and wealth of Majorca. People
were only taken as an extra. It was, therefore, in the company of these
squealing, ill-smelling creatures that the invalid crossed the water.
When he arrived at Barcelona, he looked like a spectre and was spitting
blood. George Sand was quite right in saying that this journey was an
"awful fiasco."

Art and literature did not gain much either by this expedition. George
Sand finished her novel entitled Spiridion at Valdemosa. She had
commenced it before starting for Spain. In a volume on Un hiver a
Majorque she gave some fine descriptions, and also a harsh accusation
of the monks, whom she held responsible for all the mishaps of the
Sand caravan. She considered that the Majorcans had been brutalized and
fanaticized, thanks to their influence. As to Chopin, he was scarcely in
a state to derive any benefit from such a journey, and he certainly did
not get any. He did not thoroughly appreciate the beauties of nature,
particularly of Majorcan nature. In a letter to one of his friends he
gives the following description of their habitation:--

"Between rocks and sea, in a great deserted monastery, in a cell, the
doors of which are bigger than the carriage entrances to the houses in
Paris, you can imagine me, without white gloves, and no curl in my hair,
as pale as usual. My cell is the shape of a large-sized bier. . . ."

Explanation

This excerpt from René Doumic’s George Sand: Some Aspects of Her Life and Writings (1909) recounts the disastrous winter sojourn of George Sand (Aurore Dupin) and Frédéric Chopin in Majorca (1838–39), a trip intended as a restorative escape but which instead became a nightmarish ordeal. The passage is rich in vivid imagery, irony, social critique, and biographical insight, offering a window into the physical and emotional suffering of the two artists, as well as the cultural clashes that defined their stay. Below is a detailed breakdown of the text, focusing on its literal meaning, thematic depth, literary devices, and historical significance.

1. Context of the Excerpt

Historical Background: In late 1838, George Sand (a prolific French novelist and feminist icon) and Chopin (the ailing Polish composer) traveled to Majorca to escape Parisian gossip (Sand was separated from her husband and involved in a scandalous affair with Chopin) and to improve Chopin’s deteriorating health (he likely had early-stage tuberculosis).
Valdemosa Monastery: They rented a disused Cartesian monastery in the mountain village of Valdemosa, hoping for solitude and inspiration. Instead, they faced hostility from the locals, extreme deprivation, and Chopin’s worsening illness.
Source: Doumic, a French literary critic, writes with a mix of sympathy and wry detachment, blending biographical fact with Sand’s own accounts (notably her 1842 travelogue Un hiver à Majorque [A Winter in Majorca]).

2. Thematic Analysis

A. Physical and Psychological Suffering

The passage is a catalog of miseries, emphasizing the harshness of the environment and its toll on the artists:

Cold and Dampness: The stove is a "terrible odour"-emitting "iron furnace" that fails to heat the rooms, leading to mildewed clothes—a symbol of decay and futility. The dampness mirrors Chopin’s consumptive (tuberculosis-ridden) body, which was particularly sensitive to cold.
Starvation and Disgusting Food: The diet is monotonous and revolting—nothing but pork in various forms, cooked in "rancid oil" or "pork-dripping." This reflects both the island’s culinary limitations and the body’s rejection of sustenance (Chopin, already ill, is made sicker by the food).
Social Ostracism: The Majorcans refuse to serve or even sell to them, scandalized by:
- Solange’s "disguise as a man" (Sand’s daughter, then nine, dressed in boys’ clothes—a gender transgression that horrified the conservative Catholic locals).
- Their irreligiosity (ignoring church calls, behaving like "pagans").
- Chopin’s "fits of terror" in the cloisters suggest psychological unraveling, possibly linked to his fear of death and the monastery’s ghostly, abandoned atmosphere.

B. Cultural and Religious Conflict

Majorcan Piety vs. Bohemian Irreligion: The locals’ fanatical Catholicism clashes with Sand and Chopin’s secular, artistic lifestyles. Their refusal to attend mass is seen as heretical, reinforcing their outsider status.
Anti-Clerical Critique: Sand, a republican and free-thinker, blames the monks for the islanders’ "brutalization" and "fanaticism." This reflects her broader critique of the Church’s oppressive influence (a theme in her works like Spiridion, which attacks monastic hypocrisy).

C. Artistic Failure and Disillusionment

"Art and literature did not gain much": The trip was supposed to inspire creativity, but instead:
- Sand finished Spiridion (a Gothic-tinged novel critiquing the Church), but the experience deepened her cynicism.
- Chopin, too ill to compose, wrote almost nothing in Majorca (though he later drew on the trip’s melancholy and isolation for his Preludes, Op. 28).
Nature’s Lost Beauty: Chopin, in his letter, describes the monastery as a "large-sized bier" (coffin), suggesting death’s omnipresence. The sublime Majorcan landscape (which Sand later praised in Un hiver à Majorque) is overshadowed by suffering—he is too weak to appreciate it.

D. The "Awful Fiasco"

The journey’s failure is total:
- Physical: Chopin’s health collapses; he spits blood upon reaching Barcelona.
- Logistical: Their humiliating departure—crowded onto a pig-transport steamboat—is a grotesque metaphor for their degradation.
- Artistic: No masterpieces emerge; only bitterness and exhaustion.

3. Literary Devices and Stylistic Features

A. Sensory Imagery

Olfactory (Smell): The "terrible odour" of the stove, the "rancid oil," the "ill-smelling" pigs—disgust dominates.
Tactile (Touch): The dampness (mildewed clothes), the cold (Chopin’s suffering), the hardness of the monastery (like a "bier").
Auditory (Sound): The horn calling to devotions (ignored), the squealing pigs on the boat—chaotic, unpleasant noises.

B. Irony and Dark Humor

"The pride and wealth of Majorca": The pigs, not the people, are prioritized—a satirical jab at Majorcan values.
"People were only taken as an extra": The dehumanization of the travelers, reduced to less than livestock.
"Without white gloves, and no curl in my hair": Chopin’s self-deprecating wit—he’s stripped of his Parisian elegance, reduced to a pale, sickly ghost.

C. Symbolism

The Monastery as a Coffin: Chopin’s cell is "the shape of a large-sized bier"—foreshadowing his early death (he died in 1849 at 39).
Pigs: Represent filth, gluttony, and the locals’ priorities (they care more for swine than starving artists).
The Sea and Rocks: The isolation of the monastery between "rocks and sea" mirrors their emotional and social exile.

D. Juxtaposition

Romantic Ideal vs. Harsh Reality: The trip was meant to be idyllic (a winter retreat for artists), but becomes a nightmare.
Beauty vs. Decay: Majorca’s natural beauty (which Sand later described lyrically) is overshadowed by suffering.

4. Significance of the Passage

A. Biographical Insight

Chopin’s Health: The excerpt documents the severity of his tuberculosis, which would kill him a decade later.
Sand’s Defiance: Her unapologetic feminism (letting Solange dress as a boy) and anti-clericalism are on full display.
Their Relationship: The shared hardship both bonded and strained them—Chopin resented Sand’s dominance, while she was frustrated by his fragility.

B. Literary and Historical Impact

Sand’s Un hiver à Majorque: The passage references her travelogue, which mythologized their suffering while attacking the Church—a key text in her oeuvre.
Chopin’s Music: Though he composed little in Majorca, the isolation and melancholy influenced his later works, particularly the Preludes (e.g., the "Raindrop" Prelude, inspired by the monastery’s dripping water).
Romantic Mythology: The failed artistic pilgrimage became a legendary tale of Romantic suffering, reinforcing the myth of the doomed artist.

C. Cultural Critique

Clash of Civilizations: The excerpt highlights the tension between liberal European artists and conservative Catholic Spain—a microcosm of 19th-century cultural conflicts.
Class and Privilege: Despite their bohemian ideals, Sand and Chopin expect comfort—their shock at the conditions reveals their Parisian privilege.

5. Chopin’s Letter: A Closer Look

Chopin’s self-description in the quoted letter is darkly poetic:

"Between rocks and sea, in a great deserted monastery, in a cell, the doors of which are bigger than the carriage entrances to the houses in Paris, you can imagine me, without white gloves, and no curl in my hair, as pale as usual. My cell is the shape of a large-sized bier..."

"Between rocks and sea": Liminal space—neither land nor water, trapped in purgatory.
"Deserted monastery": Abandonment, silence, death.
"Doors bigger than carriage entrances": Grandeur in decay—the monastery’s former glory contrasts with its current ruin.
"Without white gloves, no curl in my hair": Loss of aristocratic refinement—he is stripped of his identity.
"As pale as usual": Tuberculosis’s pallor—his body is already a corpse.
"Shape of a large-sized bier": Premonition of death—his room is a coffin.

This self-portrait is haunting, blending Gothic imagery with personal despair.

6. Conclusion: Why This Passage Matters

Doumic’s excerpt is more than a biographical anecdote—it’s a microcosm of Romantic idealism colliding with harsh reality. The physical suffering (cold, hunger, illness) mirrors the emotional and artistic frustration of two geniuses failed by their surroundings. The passage also serves as:

A critique of religious dogmatism (Sand’s anti-clericalism).
A meditation on mortality (Chopin’s "bier"-like cell).
A darkly comic tale of misadventure (the pig boat, the rancid food).

Ultimately, the failed Majorcan winter became a defining myth in the legacies of both Sand and Chopin—a testament to the cost of artistic life and the fragility of human ambition.

Key Takeaways

Physical Hardship: The cold, food, and hostility nearly break them.
Cultural Conflict: Liberal artists vs. conservative Catholics.
Artistic Failure: No masterpieces emerge—only bitterness and illness.
Symbolism: The monastery as a coffin, the pigs as degradation.
Legacy: The trip haunted both artists, shaping their later works and Romantic mythology.

This excerpt is a masterclass in turning personal misery into literary gold, blending biography, social critique, and Gothic imagery into a memorable narrative of artistic struggle.

Questions

Question 1

The passage’s depiction of Chopin’s physical and psychological state serves primarily to:

A. illustrate the universal suffering of artists in exile, transcending the specific historical moment.
B. underscore the irreconcilable tension between Romantic idealism and the material conditions of survival.
C. critique the Majorcan people’s religious fanaticism as the sole cause of the artists’ misfortunes.
D. highlight the absurdity of Chopin’s Parisian affectations in the face of rural deprivation.
E. demonstrate how environmental hardship can paradoxically stimulate creative breakthroughs.

Question 2

The author’s inclusion of Solange’s "disguise as a man" functions most significantly as:

A. a feminist celebration of Sand’s progressive parenting in defiance of gender norms.
B. an anecdotal detail to humanize the narrative, diverting from the passage’s darker themes.
C. a metaphor for the family’s broader rejection of Majorcan cultural and religious identity.
D. a catalyst for the locals’ hostility, exposing the fragility of the artists’ social contract.
E. evidence of Sand’s reckless disregard for the sensibilities of conservative societies.

Question 3

The passage’s tone when describing the Majorcans’ refusal to sell necessities to the travelers is best characterized as:

A. indignant moral outrage at the inhospitality of the islanders.
B. wry detachment, framing the conflict as an inevitable clash of irreconcilable worldviews.
C. sympathetic toward the locals’ religious convictions, despite their harshness.
D. satirical, portraying the Majorcans as comically backward in their priorities.
E. resigned acceptance of the artists’ fate as a consequence of their own hubris.

Question 4

The image of Chopin crossing the water "in the company of these squealing, ill-smelling creatures" is most effectively interpreted as:

A. a literal account of the logistical challenges of 19th-century travel.
B. a grotesque metaphor for the degradation of the artist’s dignity under adversity.
C. an indictment of Majorcan economic priorities, privileging livestock over human suffering.
D. a darkly humorous exaggeration to emphasize the absurdity of their plight.
E. a biblical allusion to the unclean, reinforcing the theme of spiritual corruption.

Question 5

The passage’s final assertion that "art and literature did not gain much either by this expedition" is primarily intended to:

A. dismiss the value of suffering as a catalyst for artistic production.
B. contrast the Romantic myth of transformative hardship with its prosaic reality.
C. suggest that Sand’s literary output from the trip was artistically inferior to her other works.
D. imply that Chopin’s lack of productivity was a personal failing rather than a circumstance.
E. argue that true art requires stability and comfort, not deprivation.

Solutions and Explanations

1) Correct answer: B

Why B is most correct: The passage contrasts the Romantic ideal of artistic retreat with the harsh material reality Chopin and Sand endure. Chopin’s suffering—his physical collapse, his inability to find inspiration—highlights the tension between idealism and survival. The text does not universalize the experience but instead focuses on the specific conflict between artistic aspirations and the brutal conditions they face.