Abstract: The strong impressions which the events of 1870 left on Maupassant are represented in his narratives in ways which abolish all boundaries between “goodies” and “baddies”. Frequently, the French hero, propelled by an absurd, vengeful impulse, undergoes a monstrous and murderous transformation. In the seven tales which we analyse here, the fantastic, the plot, and humour constitute the diverse areas in which the horrors of war can be expressed.
