The Sick Child (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Colette
- First Published: 1942
- Type of Plot: Psychological
- Time of Work: Unspecified
- Setting: Paris
- Principal Characters: Jean, Madame Mamma
- Genres: Psychological fiction, Short fiction
- Subjects: Mothers, Parents and children, Reality, Imagination, Sick persons, Boys, Happiness
- Locales: Paris, France
The Story
The sick child of the title is ten-year-old Jean. His legs are semiparalyzed, and he is extremely weak and emaciated, but pallor has given him an ethereal beauty. From the beginning of the story, the reader is led to expect that he will die. The description of the sickroom suggests a prosperous and cultured background.
The first part of the story establishes a delicate relationship between the sick child and his widowed mother, whom he calls “Madame Mamma.” He tries to conceal his pain from her; she tries to conceal her anxiety from him. They both know that...
[The entire page is 1529 words long]
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