Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 343 An unprecedented new drama!

The initial shock of the audience gradually subsided as the two characters on stage began to converse, and their attention shifted to the plot unfolding on stage.

The soft lighting illuminated the magnificent living room, where a young maid was picking up a medicine pot and pouring medicine into a cup.

A middle-aged man in a butler's uniform was wiping the furniture in the living room, but his movements were very frivolous, clearly just going through the motions.

The maid kept fanning herself with a towel and wiping her forehead, making the room feel very stuffy.

Guillaume: Fanny, listen to me, I'll say it again, when you see your mother, don't forget to show her the new dress that the lady gave you.

Fanny (impatiently): I heard you.

Guillaume (in a proud tone): Tell her to think about it, is it your father who has good judgment while working for the La Verne family, or is it she who has good judgment?

Fanny (with a hint of disdain): Of course you have good judgment!

Guillaume: And don't forget to tell your mother that you're eating and drinking well at this La Verne estate.

During the day, we serve the wife and son, but at night we still listen to her and go back to our own house to sleep.

Fanny: No need to tell, Mom will ask.

Guillaume (laughing greedily): And there's money too, you have plenty of money in your hands!
Fanny (in a panic): Money!?

Guillaume: My wages, bonuses, and other odds and ends over the past two years...

Fanny: Didn't you say you were going to leave with just one or two dollars? You drank! You gambled!

Guillaume: Look, look, you're doing that again. What's the rush? I'm not asking you for money.

Hey, I'm talking about—he—doesn't he keep giving you money to spend?
Fanny (surprised): Him? Who is he?

Guillaume: Eldest son, Edward.

Fanny (blushing): Who said the young master gave me money? Dad, don't be so poor again, talking nonsense.

...]

When Guillaume mentioned "Edward the eldest son gave Fanny money," his meaningful pause and greedy smile were immediately noticed by the audience.

A low chuckle, tinged with understanding, rang out from the audience.

In France during that era, the romantic affairs between young masters and young maids were almost an open secret among aristocratic and bourgeois families.

Some even whispered to their companions in an ambiguous tone: "Thunderstorm? Judging from the opening, could it be a 'sexy play'?"

Fanny's blushing and eagerness to deny it only confirmed the speculation in the eyes of the audience.

However, as the father and daughter's conversation deepened, the audience's smiles gradually faded.

This is not just a simple romantic anecdote; the dialogue contains a wealth of information, quickly outlining the complex interpersonal relationships within this family.

Guillaume's greed, shamelessness, and exploitation of his daughter; Fanny's naivety, insecurity, and the pain hidden beneath her innocent charm...

All of this is clearly conveyed through the actors' almost "natural" performances.

Without the exaggerated gestures and recitation style common in past dramas, their dialogue is like an everyday scene that really takes place in a corner of a mansion in Paris.

This sense of "realism" captivated the audience; they never imagined that drama could be performed in such a way.

In particular, the cleverly arranged various light sources on the stage—both visible and invisible—bring every detail of the actors' performance to the audience.

This completely revolutionized the way actors performed.

Then, Guillaume began to complain about his wife, Fanny's mother, and mentioned his son, "Marcel":
[Guillaume (talking non-stop): Humph! Let me tell you, I married your mother, and I still have the eldest son's grievances...]

Fanny (unwilling to listen): Dad.

Guillaume (in high spirits): Humph, who knows which sewer rat I raised as my son.

The audience frowned.

Guillaume's vulgarity was repulsive, and his insults towards his son "Marcel" further deepened the shadow of conflict within the family.

At the same time, it also makes the audience realize that "Marcel" and his mother, who have not yet appeared, seem to have a complicated past.

Fanny: What did my brother do to offend you? Why are you scolding him like this?
Guillaume: In what way has he done right by me? He served in the army, hauled goods, worked as a mechanic in a factory, and went to school. In which of these jobs has he ever done anything properly?

I finally recommended him to Monsieur Laverne's mine, but he got into a fight with the foreman and beat him up. Fanny (cautiously): I heard that our master had the mine guards fire first before he led the workers to attack.

Guillaume: Anyway, this kid is a scoundrel. He eats other people's money and food, so he has to listen to them. He wanted to go on strike, and now I have to plead with the master again!
Fanny: You must have misheard; my brother said he wants to see the master today, not to ask you for help.

Guillaume (smugly): But what can I do? I'm his father, I can't just ignore him.

The moment the word "strike" was uttered, the expressions of the French people present became quite interesting.

In the second half of the 19th century in France, various workers' movements were on the rise, especially after the Commune, and strikes were a very popular topic in society.

Syndicalism, trade unionism, and various workers' parties... were very fashionable in Paris.

Some conservative gentlemen looked indifferent, while the audience who sympathized with the lower classes straightened their backs and became very interested in "Marcel".

Guillaume, on the employer's side, berates his son's "bastard" behavior, immediately making him a "scab" in the eyes of some viewers, who despise him even more.

Sure enough, a short while later, a tall young man in overalls walked onto the stage; he was "Marcel".

The arrival of "Marcel" immediately brought an atmosphere that was out of place in this luxurious living room.

After a conversation with his "father" and "sister," Marcel's emotions began to erupt—

Marcel: I hate them.

Fanny: Huh?! Why?
Marcel (bitterly): Most of the Laverne family members are no good. I've seen what they've done in the mines these past two years. I hate them!

Fanny: What did you see?
Marcel: Fanny, don't be fooled by this luxurious manor. It's full of death here. Every brick was bought with the money of miners who died in the mine!

Fanny: Don't talk nonsense, this house is said to be haunted...

Marcel: I just saw a young man lying in the garden, pale-faced, with his eyes closed, looking like he was about to die—

I heard this is the eldest son of the Laverne family, our boss's son. Ah, he brought this on himself, he brought it on himself.

Fanny: You... he's a very nice person, you know that?
Marcel: His father did all sorts of bad things to make money, so naturally he can do good.

Fanny: Marcel, you've changed in the two years we've been apart.

Marcel: I worked in the mine for two years, and I haven't changed. I think you have.

Fanny: I don't quite understand what you're saying. What you're saying sounds a bit like Master Antoine...

Marcel: Are you trying to insult me? Young Master? Hmph, that word doesn't exist in the world!

Marcel's lines are full of class hatred and a spirit of resistance.

He bluntly revealed that the mansion's wealth was built on the blood and tears of miners, a stark contrast to Guillaume's servile attitude.

Many audience members were moved by this straightforward protest, especially those who felt deeply about social injustice.

They held their breath, sensing the power emanating from this young worker.

When Marcel declared with conviction, "There is no such word (young master) in the world!", some young audience members even applauded and cheered for him.

The audience is completely captivated by the plot.

The initial speculation about "erotic scenes" has long since vanished, replaced by a completely immersive viewing experience.

They felt as if they were in the living room of the La Verne mansion, experiencing its luxurious yet oppressive atmosphere.

Through the dialogue of these ordinary people, the audience glimpses the deep-seated contradictions within this large bourgeois family.

Master and servant, class, family ties, love... and the restlessness that hangs over everyone.

"Thunderstorm" is fast-paced with almost no wasted scenes; the dialogue is concise yet packed with information; and there is no music to interrupt the plot...

In particular, the actors' performances, thanks to the much brighter and more layered stage lighting than in the past, allow them to portray characters in a more restrained way.

All of this left the Parisian audience feeling both novel and awestruck.

They realized that this was by no means a traditional comedy, tragedy, historical drama, or family drama...

It was a new kind of drama they had never seen before!

(End of this chapter)