There is not mention if his mother was widowed, but his family's fortune was destroyed by the outbreak of the war. Could this possibly been what Maupassant desired for his own family that they had money? .
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, 1870-71, a conflict between France and Prussia that signaled the rise of German military power and imperialism. (Franco-Prussian War Encarta Encyclopedia 2001. CD-ROM. Microsoft Electronic Publishing, 2001) .
We enter further into the story as the Prussians arrived, and they were billeted with the people of the area, according to their wealth and resources of each family. Because Mother Savage was known to "have money- she would be assigned four Prussian soldiers to come into her home. These soldiers would help out around the house, and "could be seen cleaning up the kitchen, washing dishes, chopping wood, peeling potatoes, washing linen-in short, doing all the chores like four good boys working for their own mother."" (Fiction A Pocket Anthology R.S. Gwyn Page 65 paragraph 3) These soldiers appeared to be like second sons to Mother Savage, doing what her son would be doing if he were there. The author inserts an interesting thought "She liked them well enough, too, those four enemies of hers; for country people do not feel patriotic hatred-those feelings are reserved for the upper classes."" (Fiction A Pocket Anthology R.S. Gwyn page 66 paragraph 1) She liked the four soldiers as sons of her own as well, yet she saw them also as the enemy. It wasn't until she received information of her son's death that her behavior changed dramatically. At first it describes her as being overwhelmed by the news. No real emotion at first, as if she is letting reality set in, and then her emotions take over and she begins to cry as she tries to visualize her son's death .
She then hears the voices of the four Prussian soldiers coming and she quickly hides the letter in her pocket and met them very calmly.
