The Return of Martin Guerre Essay -- Natalie Zemon Davis French Histor

The Return of Martin Guerre Historian Natalie Zemon Davis wrote an informative novelabout the lives of peasants in the sixteenth century. EntitledThe Return of Martin Guerre, Davis tells a true story about a lawsuit against a man claiming to be someone he is not. Shefamiliarizes the reader with peasantry, laws, and moral attitudesof the time. The story begins in 1527 with a family move from the FrenchBasque hoidenish to the village of Artigat. There the Daguerrefamily settled and started a tileworks business a prosperousbusiness in the sixteenth century. They eventually startedbusinesses in wheat, millet, vines, and sheep. To be accepted inthe new town the family had to make some changes such as speakinga different dialect, dropping the Da from their name thuspronouncing and spelling it Guerre, and also in style of dress.As for the Guerre women, life in the village of Artigat was adrastic change. No longer could they push ahead of the men tomake their offerings at parish tr ade or go about the church tocollect for the vestry. The Guerres seemed to like their newlives, their family grew, and they became successful in theirtrade. In 1538 the only son of the Guerre family, Martin, gotmarried to Bertrande de Rols, the beautiful young woman of awell-off family. After much trying they have one son. In 1548 therich peasant disappeared from the village of Artigat after afamily dispute everyplace his stealing some grain from h...