Joy of Man's Desiring: Analysis of Major Characters
"Joy of Man's Desiring" explores the lives of characters on a plateau, focusing on their interactions and emotional journeys. Central to the narrative is Bobi, a charismatic acrobat who arrives as a symbol of healing and joy, awakening the isolated farmers to the beauty of their surroundings. His presence brings hope, particularly to Jourdan, an old and lonely man who longs for connection and fulfillment. Marthe, Jourdan's wife, experiences personal growth through her husband's renewed spirit, showcasing transformation through nature's joys.
Aurore, a young woman burdened by her family's tragic past, finds solace and love in Bobi, but her despair leads to a heartbreaking end. Zulma, another character marked by solitude, discovers her place as a shepherdess, reflecting a blossoming from isolation to community engagement. The story also features a contrasting farmer who represents a pragmatic viewpoint, warning against the unchecked idealism of Bobi's joy. As the narrative unfolds, it emphasizes themes of connection, despair, and the search for joy in life, underscoring the diverse responses of characters to both beauty and tragedy.
Joy of Man's Desiring: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Jean Giono
First published: Que ma joie demeure, 1935 (English translation, 1940)
Genre: Novel
Locale: The Grémone Plateau, a French farming region
Plot: Pastoral
Time: The 1930's
Bobi, an acrobat, a stranger to the plateau and a bearer of healing and joy. Roughly thirty-five years old, he is tan and strong, with gentle, delicate hands and the language of a poet. He sees the joy of nature in plants and animals and awakens the farmers of the plateau to the beauty and joy around them. Bobi appears in the middle of the night, stays with Jourdan and Marthe (a lonely farming couple of the plateau), and speaks to them of the beauty of the stars, of the flowers and forest, of the song of birds, and of the wonder of wildlife. He represents the healer for whom Jourdan has been waiting. Jourdan takes him to visit all the other families of the plateau, and Bobi tries to transmit his joy to all. Although he loves the young Aurore, he is attracted by the womanly Josephine. When Aurore kills herself in despair, Bobi believes that all of his efforts have failed but refuses to believe that people can live without hope or joy. Leaving in the midst of a terrible storm, he is struck by lightning.
Jourdan, the first person to welcome Bobi and to respond to his love of nature. Jourdan, old before his time and lonely in spite of his loving wife, has been expecting a man to come and save them from their dreary loneliness; he fully accepts Bobi as the healer whom he has awaited so long. Jourdan plants periwinkles and narcissi and gives Bobi money to buy a stag. He scatters wheat to attract birds, and he builds a loom for Marthe and carves it lovingly with stags, does, stars, a forest, and a house—all that now brings him happiness.
Marthe, Jourdan's fifty-seven-year-old wife. She is a tall, heavy woman who seems to grow in stature and wisdom as she opens to the joys of nature and becomes a comfort to others. Her greatest joy is in seeing Jourdan grow young in his newfound joy.
Aurore, the daughter of Madame Hélène. Her father had shot himself after having opened fire on his wife and daughter in a rage of insanity. She is young, gentle, lovely, and lonely, spending much time with her mare, on horseback or with the carriage, wandering field and woods. She falls in love with Bobi when he speaks kindly to her but, succumbing to despair after seeing him with Josephine, she shoots herself in the mouth and dies.
Zulma, the daughter of Randoulet and Honorine, simple, sad, and mostly silent. She is a worry to her parents because of her lonely wanderings. Greatly attracted to the stag brought to the plateau, she comes a little closer to people, becoming less shy of their approach. Although she claims that she does not understand their language, she likes to hear them singing. When Randoulet buys five hundred sheep, Zulma finds her place as shepherdess, exults in her new role, and grows beautiful, especially in the white cloth woven from the wool of the sheep that she so happily tends.
Madame Hélène's farmer, who does not appear often but is a pivotal character in his alter-ego role. Like Bobi, he is thin, muscular, and in his mid-thirties. Unlike Bobi, he keeps to himself, reads much, and believes in the virtue of hard work. When Bobi visits him, the farmer warns Bobi that his joy is too emotional, not tempered with reason, and reflects an idyllic past rather than a realistic future. He fears that the weak will perish in Bobi's joy, and he believes that, as with his plants, a sturdier hybrid needs to be developed, one more resistant to disease. As Bobi flees the plateau, he speaks to the farmer and asks him to be the new shepherd for the people of the plateau, though one more reasonable and less passionate, ascetic rather than aesthetic.