Hugo* had published Le Dernier Jour d’un condamné in the same year as a fragment of this story (1832), a journalistic account of a recent beheading that failed five times, the hangman’s servant finally finishing the task. Hugo staunchly opposed capital punishment, but he did not live in our U.S. where kids take guns and kill second-grade children, or movie-goers.
Admittedly, we sympathize with Claude Geuex, a big guy who though illiterate is a natural leader: he is “very badly treated by education, but very well treated by nature.” He goes to prison for theft to support his wife, as he calls her, and their child. Hugo says, “I don’t know what he stole, or where he stole it,” but “je sais que ce vol résulta trois jours de pain et de feu pour la femme et pour l’enfant, et cinque ans de prison pour l’homme.”(38)
Geuex seldom spoke, had a serious, pensive air that invited followers. On the other hand, the manager of his prison, Monsieur Directeur (M.D.) is short, tyrannical, holding his authority tightly, and cruel. Yes, sometimes he jokes, but beware if you don’t laugh.
Hugo writes it’s no small accomplishment for Claude to be obeyed “par toutes ces natures désobéissantes”(42), by all these disobedient types. He might even doubt whether he was “roi ou prissonier. C’était une sorte de pape captif avec ses cardinaux.”
And Claude helped the little prison manager, “dix paroles de Claude valaient dix gendarmes”(45), so the manager detested and envied Claude, his hatred that of the ruler in law versus the ruler in fact, or even the temporal power versus the spiritual power.
The big guy was habitually starved by the small daily ration of bread, but his hunger is relieved by a pale young man, Albin, who begs him to share his portion. Friends for a few weeks, the cruel manager removes Albin from Claude’s workroom. When Claude asks why M.D. separated them, he answers, “Parce-que….”(48)
Once Claude avenges M.D., who mocked Claude that his femme was working the streets for cash, and that his daughter is lost, he is put on trial, for capital punishment.
This big man, the natural leader who speaks little, is downright eloquent in his own defense, on p.66.
Claude is even witty. Like Thomas More’s last words on Henry VIII’s scaffold, Claude Geuex going to his end, coldly says, “J’ai bien dormi cette nuit sans me douter que je dormirais encore mieux la prochaine”(71), I've slept well last night, and expect to sleep better tonight.
* We visited Victor Hugo’s house in Paris decades ago, like Manzoni’s in Milano, mainly on what they call the first floor, we, the second. Hugo’s house looked out onto a
back garden as I recall, unlike Manzoni’s in the fashion center of Milan.
I read this in Le Livre de Poche/ LGF: 1995 edition, bought in Sherbrooke, Quebec, 2013.