"...as long as it pleases God Almighty to let you live"

Maupassant's "The Little Cask" employs a pretty good deal of details to describe everyday life in combination with ironic and, at the same time, unexpected situations. From the start, the first paragraph seems to invite the reader to focus on the character that is being described (Jules Chicot), as he can be the key element that might turn things around. Throughout the story Chicot is shown as manipulative and greedy person willing to use a friendly attitude to disguise his true intentions. What could possibly be represented through such ruthless and avaricious man capable of referring to the Almighty for the purpose of persuading, who would later use alcohol and food to distract you from what matters, to finally be the one taking (over) your life? If the story were written within our contemporary time, I'd be inclined to say the banks (right?). However, taking into account that the author died towards the end of the 19th century (1893), the story may actually be referring to the expansion of industrialization and its effects on people (what most naturalists represented in their work).

Maupassant was, perhaps, seeking to awaken people's awareness on this issue by presenting his concerns regarding this situation through literary techniques such as the absurd, and irony to get the reader's attention. The author presents Chicot as a man "with a red face and a round stomach," which may suggest that this character is accustomed to a certain lifestyle related to consumerism (over-drinking and over-eating), which it is later revealed in the same sentence by emphasizing that he was "a very knowing customer ". However, later in the story Chicot is not only shown and a simple customer, but also as a businessperson who owns a hotel, land and, clearly, knows how to make profit (it is not explained how he acquired the properties he owns). Another particular detail that made me wonder about the male character was the fact that Chicot seems to drink almost as much alcohol as Mother Magloire, but he seems to be able to handle the effects pretty well, unlike the 72 year-old woman. It seems to me the alcohol in the story represents the capitalist system (as alcohol is a type of commodity) and that the reason why Chicot is able to handle it better it is because he is not only being exploited through certain commodities, but he is also part of the game by exploiting others, which makes him more resistant to survive within this dynamic.

At the end of the story, she dies due to over-drinking. The story ends with Chicot reflecting on her death and says: “It was very stupid of her; if she had not taken to drink she might very well have lived for ten years longer.” This conclusion seems to be used to warn the reader, in a didactic way, by suggesting that Chicot, aware of the effects of alcoholism, offered the woman the drink. The author, through Chicot, employs the word "stupid" to describe her action for not realizing the intentions behind the drink given to her, maybe, hoping to educate people on the issue by reflecting on the tragic ending of Mother Magloire.