In-class Writing: Duality

Duality refers to a contrast or difference between two concepts. In the novel, My Love, My Love, Désirée and Monsieur Biennconnu are a pair of duality. As a centenarian, Monsieur Biennconnu is a calm and rational person who believes in fate, whereas the peasant girl is more idealistic and irrational. In the book, when Désirée comes to talk to the old man, she confidently thinks "But I now belong in the big city. Daniel Beauxhomme is there waiting--his heart is beating for me" (pg.60). What M. Biennconnu replies, however, is that "one must hang one's hat when one can reach it. Keep one's heart where can feel its beat" (pg.60). He means that Désirée's life has been "written down" already, and she can't be with Daniel because she does not belong to the rich or the Beauxhomme family.

M. Biennconnu's words definitely annoyed Désirée. The peasant girl doubts that the vague fate and future. She thinks "what nonsense. An orphan out of the storm, what did she have but dreams to sustain her? A future when...Such talk!" (pg.60). This shows that Désirée believes that there is nothing related to the fate, and she thinks that she and Daniel can do nothing but love each other because she saved his life once. M. Biennconnu's words does not even eliminate the desire the peasant girl has, but reinforce her determination that she must leave the village and find Daniel. The old man and the young girl are a distinct contrast in the book.