Woman on Her Own, False Gods and The Red Robe / Three Plays By Brieux

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

27201

Title

Woman on Her Own, False Gods and The Red Robe / Three Plays By Brieux

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Eugène Brieux presents three powerful plays exploring social and judicial crises. 'Woman on Her Own' critiques the economic pressures forcing women into the workforce and the collapse of the family unit. 'False Gods' exposes the corruption and arrogance of the French judicial system through a magistrate's flawed investigation. 'The Red Robe' delves into the psychological toll of wrongful accusation. Together, they offer a searing indictment of societal hypocrisy, legal injustice, and the struggle for human dignity.

Summary up to 500 words

In Eugène Brieux's collection *Woman on Her Own, False Gods and The Red Robe*, three distinct plays critique the social and legal structures of late 19th-century France. The first play, *Woman on Her Own*, depicts the Guéret family facing financial ruin while preparing a farewell theatrical performance. Their goddaughter, Lucienne, is forced to sign a power of attorney to sell her inheritance, illustrating the desperation of women compelled to work for survival. Brieux contrasts the idealized domestic life with a harsh reality where insufficient wages drive women into factories, eroding family solidarity. He argues that while women have a right to work, the current social structure creates deplorable outcomes for children and the family unit, suggesting that the education of men must change to address these complications. *False Gods* shifts to a courtroom drama centered on the Irissary murder. Magistrate Mouzon initially doubts his colleague Delorme's theory that a tramp committed the crime. Mouzon notices inconsistencies: the alleged tramp left no evidence of sustenance at the scene and did not take available footwear. Realizing the true culprit likely had a motive, such as being a relative or debtor, Mouzon takes the case. The tension escalates when he confronts the accused, Etchepare, whose wife, Yanetta, has been wrongly convicted of theft and adultery. Yanetta confesses she lied to protect him, but he is devastated by the shame and the loss of his children, who have been taken by his mother. The play culminates in a tragic confrontation where Yanetta, feeling the law has destroyed her life, stabs Mouzon, accusing the legal system of being wicked and irresponsible. The collection concludes with *The Red Robe*, described as a study of professional crookedness within the French judicial system. Brieux contrasts the public jury trials of England with the private, judge-led proceedings of France, warning that judges are prone to forming premature opinions and proving their own correctness rather than seeking the truth. The plays collectively serve as a critique of how legal procedures can lead to grave errors, punishing the innocent and destroying families, while challenging readers to consider the balance between individual rights and societal interests.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Classics
• Drama