Renée Mauperin

"Renée Mauperin" by Edmond de Goncourt is a story from the 1800s that examines what people expect from each other and what they really want. At the heart of the story is Renée Mauperin, a person who struggles with the strict rules of the time while dreaming of independence and being able to show who she truly is. The beginning of the story shows us Renée talking to a young man in a pretty place near the Seine River. Renée shares that she's not happy with the way society is and how young women are limited. She wants to feel more alive than what her good upbringing allows. As they talk, it's clear that Renée has a bright personality that doesn't match the boring world she sees around her. This makes us wonder about how she will grow as a person and how she deals with the pressures of society as the story goes on.