The Gods Are Athirst: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Gods Are Athirst" delves into the complexities of its major characters against the tumultuous backdrop of the French Revolution. The central figure, Évariste Gamelin, is a passionate young painter whose unwavering belief in the Jacobin cause leads him to become an ardent revolutionary. However, his zeal morphs into a self-righteous quest for justice, culminating in the chilling execution of his closest friend, Maurice Brotteaux, symbolizing the moral corruption that can arise from ideological fervor. Brotteaux, an intellectual and atheist, represents the voice of integrity amidst the chaos, refusing to abandon his principles even when faced with death.
Other key characters include Élodie Blaise, who embodies a more hedonistic survival instinct, and Pére Longuemare, a monk wrongfully accused and executed, highlighting the indiscriminate violence of the time. Madame de Rochemaure and Henry add layers of opportunism and personal entanglement, while figures like Marat and Robespierre underscore the political climate. The interplay among these characters reveals the struggle between idealism and reality, making "The Gods Are Athirst" a poignant exploration of human motives during a period marked by revolutionary fervor and moral dilemmas.
The Gods Are Athirst: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Anatole France
First published: Les dieux ont soif, 1912 (English translation, 1913)
Genre: Novel
Locale: Paris, France
Plot: Historical
Time: 1793–1794
Évariste Gamelin (ay-vah-REEST gahm-LAHN), a young painter. Convinced that the success of the Jacobin cause will bring about a new day for France, he becomes an ardent revolutionary genuinely desiring justice for all. Blinded by his passion for the cause, he gradually assumes the role of self-righteous reformer, and finally, as a member of the Grand Tribunal, orders the execution of people in lots without trial. Among them is his closest friend, Maurice Brotteaux. He thus becomes a symbol of the romantic whose devotion to a cause corrupts his humanity.
Maurice Brotteaux (moh-REES broh-TOH), Évariste Gamelin's friend, an atheist and intellectual who lacks Gamelin's faith in the goodness of the masses. Executed without trial by the tribunal of which Évariste is a member, he becomes a symbol of the intellectual who will not abandon his integrity for a cause in which he does not believe.
Élodie Blaise (ay-loh-DEE blehz), the seducer of Évariste Gamelin. Purely physical, without ideals or fidelity to any cause, she survives the Reign of Terror to become the mistress of the non-political Philippe Desmahis.
Jean Blaise (zhahn), a printseller and Élodie's father.
Jacques David (zhahk dah-VEED), a painter and young Évariste Gamelin's teacher.
Pére Longuemare (pehr lohn-geh-MAHR), a monk falsely accused as a thief and given refuge by Maurice Brotteaux, with whom he is finally convicted without trial and executed.
Madame de Rochemaure (deh rohsh-MOHR), a revolutionary opportunist.
Henry (ahn-REE), a dragoon who is the lover of Madame de Rochemaure and Élodie Blaise.
Marat (mah-RAH) and Robespierre (rohbs-PYEHR), French revolutionaries.
Athenaïs (ah-tay-nah-EES), a prostitute once befriended by Maurice Brotteaux and executed with him.
Madame Gamelin, Évariste Gamelin's mother.
Julie Gamelin (zhew-LEE), Évariste's sister.
Jacques Maubel (moh-BEHL), a young man convicted by Évariste Gamelin for lack of faith in the people and executed.
Philippe Desmahis (fee-LEEP day-may-EES), a non-political engraver who survives the Reign of Terror to become the lover of Élodie Blaise.