Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 352 Our Chief Engineer! (Bonus Chapter 2 in October)

On May 6, 1881, the morning in Paris still seemed to be shrouded in the thunder of the previous night on Rue Richelieu.

The newsstands along the Seine were more crowded than usual, with people vying to buy the newly printed newspapers.

The same name occupied the front page or literary review section of almost every major newspaper—"Thunderstorm".

This play, as its name suggests, ignited a real storm in the Parisian media.

Each newspaper offered a comprehensive analysis and evaluation of the work from its own perspective.

Of course, it was almost entirely praise.

The tabloid, representing the popular and republican stance, published an editorial: "A Thunderclap on Stage! 'Thunderstorm' Tears Apart the Hypocritical Veil of Upper-Class Families."
Last night, what unfolded at the Comédie-Française was not just a play, but an earthquake!
Lionel Sorel used a bright electric light to shine a beam into the darkest corner of the most respectable home of our time.

Lord Laverne is a microcosm of many hypocrites in our society.

His despotism, ruthlessness, and the collapse of the "perfect family order" are a resounding slap in the face to all hypocritical "decent people"!

The Comedy Theatre's brand-new electrified stage makes this destruction feel so real, as if it were happening right in each of our living rooms.

Meanwhile, *La Repubblica*, which has always served as the mouthpiece of the government, focused on the collapse of the old-fashioned family and the emergence of the modern spirit—

Prime Minister Ferry's advocacy of secular education reform stemmed from the fact that under the oppressive pressure of the old-style authority, human nature would inevitably be distorted, inevitably leading to tragedy.

Marcel, a character in the play "Thunderstorm," is an educated and courageous young worker who represents the future of France.

Although he was ultimately ousted by conspiracy, his voice, his cry that "there is no such thing as a young master in the world," will surely resonate in the hearts of the younger generation.

This play serves as a warning that educational reform is urgently needed; only by breaking free from ideological shackles can we avoid tragedies like those at La Verne's estate.

The anti-clerical newspaper *Liberty Times* naturally turned its criticism towards the church.

When Laverne forces his wife to drink the medicine that symbolizes control, we see not only a domestic tyrant, but also all forms of despotic politics in the world!
The greatness of this play lies in the fact that it does not seek answers from any illusory salvation—especially the confessional of a church.

Fate, that “unfair fate,” is the inevitable consequence of the despotic violence supported by religious authority over thousands of years!
This is a tragic song dedicated to worldly freedom; it tells us that to liberate humanity, we must first break the shackles.

Most remarkably, even the church's newspapers found viewpoints favorable to themselves in "Thunderstorm."

The newspaper La Croix published an invited commentary entitled "A Warning of Divine Punishment: Thunderstorm Reveals the Inevitable Consequences of Turning Away from Faith."

Last night, the Comédie-Française staged a vivid moral allegory.

It shows what a terrible abyss a family or a society will fall into when they abandon the Lord's guidance!

La Verne, a nouveau riche who amassed his fortune through speculation and marriage, is a representative of the successful person admired by modern secular society.

His family, outwardly adhering to "order," was inwardly filled with debauchery, adultery, and deception!
This is precisely because their souls lack true faith and repentance.

The lightning that destroys everything in the play is not a coincidence of fate, but the wrath of God and divine punishment!
Thunderstorm, with its astonishing artistic power, precisely confirms our assertion:
France must return to the embrace of the Church and rebuild family ethics and social order centered on faith!

Otherwise, the destruction of the La Verne estate would be a prelude to the future of our entire nation.

This play serves as a cautionary tale for all those who have lost their way!

The workers' Voice, also present, focused entirely on Marcel and his father, a member of the upper bourgeoisie.

Workers, look! Thunderstorm reveals to us how the capitalist La Verne built his luxurious 'cage' by exploiting the blood and sweat of the miners.

Inside this cage, he and his family are rotting and collapsing.

Marcel represents our working class, but his existence and resistance reveal that there are also irreconcilable class contradictions within this family.

Edward, Fanny, and Antoine were all victims of this evil system.

Their deaths were not a cruel twist of fate, but an inevitable tragedy resulting from bourgeois family private ownership! Mr. Sorel's play is a blood-and-tears indictment of the capitalist system!

……

Regardless of any disagreement on the themes expressed in "Thunderstorm," all the newspapers unanimously praised the stage renovation of the Comédie-Française.

Le Figaro simply avoided lengthy discussions of the play's content, instead focusing on the stage electrification—

[...Even more astonishing is the stage itself! The real lightning and thunder did not come from the canvas, but from the power of science—electric lights!]
The electrification of the comedy theater, like Mr. Sorel's play, bravely strides into the future.

This is a victory for art, and a victory for progressive ideas!

The storm sparked by "Thunderstorm" extended far beyond the printed words in the newspapers; it reached countless families who had seen the premiere...

------

In a luxury apartment on Boulevard Saint-Germain, eighteen-year-old Edmond Lefebvre had a heated argument with his father, a textile factory owner.

Edmund's voice trembled: "You can't always decide what I should study and who I should associate with!"

What came to mind was Antoine's stifled innocence and Edward's desperate resistance.

"I am not your worker, much less your property! I have the right to choose my own future!"

Old Lefebvre stared in astonishment at his usually obedient son, the light in his son's eyes making him feel unfamiliar and uneasy.

"What...what's gotten into you? Did you watch that dirty show? It was all made up!"

“You know perfectly well whether it’s true or not!” Edmund roared.

At one moment, Lord Laverne's cold face overlapped with his father's.

The argument ended with Edmund slamming the door and leaving, leaving his shocked father alone to savor the taste of his authority being challenged for the first time.

------

In a conservative banker's family, at dinner time, the usually quiet and docile banker's wife suddenly put down her knife and fork.

She looked calmly at her husband: "Charles, did you read the reviews of last night's 'Thunderstorm'?"

The banker frowned, trying to brush it off lightly: "Oh, that? It's just sensationalism, not worth paying attention to."

The lady continued, "The story of Madeleine inside, when she was young, reminded me of some... old news."

Regarding your distant cousin, Miss Claire, who lives in the Passy area and is 'sponsored' by you.

I think it's time to revisit her placement issue before you bring my 'hysteria' out of control."

The banker's face flushed instantly. He tried to argue, but crumbled under his wife's fearless gaze.

That play seemed to give this woman unprecedented courage to question those secrets that had been kept unspoken for many years.

------

While the social impact of "Thunderstorm" continued to grow, Lionel did not continue to bask in the joy of success.

Immediately after the successful premiere, he met with Nikola Tesla.

In the café, Lionel pushed a letter of appointment in front of the young engineer: "Nikola, sign this, and you'll be our chief engineer!"

Nikola Tesla was facing an unprecedented struggle...

(End of this chapter)