The Return of Martin Guerre Summary

10 questions on the main ideas. Each answer comes with a short explanation.

Take it one question at a time

1. Question 1

   Which of the following was NOT one of the reasons the community initially accepted Arnaud du Tilh as the returned Martin Guerre?

   1. His detailed knowledge of Martin's past and family.
   2. His physical resemblance to Martin Guerre.
   3. His claim of having lost a leg in the war, which was later disproven.
   4. His ability to recall specific intimate details known only to Bertrande de Rols.
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   C. His claim of having lost a leg in the war, which was later disproven. Arnaud du Tilh never claimed to have lost a leg. The real Martin Guerre returned with a wooden leg, which was a key identifier. Arnaud's success was based on his detailed knowledge and resemblance.

2. Question 2

   What was the primary legal charge brought against Arnaud du Tilh after the reappearance of the true Martin Guerre?

   1. Theft of property.
   2. Adultery.
   3. Impersonation and fraud.
   4. Assault.
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   C. Impersonation and fraud. Arnaud du Tilh was primarily charged with impersonation and fraud for assuming the identity of Martin Guerre and living as him, claiming his property and wife.

3. Question 3

   According to Natalie Zemon Davis, what role did Bertrande de Rols likely play in the deception by Arnaud du Tilh?

   1. She was an entirely innocent victim, unaware of the deception until the very end.
   2. She was a knowing accomplice from the beginning, actively colluding with Arnaud.
   3. She gradually came to suspect Arnaud but chose to remain silent for a period, benefiting from the new 'Martin'.
   4. She was forced into the deception under threat from Arnaud and his family.
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   C. She gradually came to suspect Arnaud but chose to remain silent for a period, benefiting from the new 'Martin'. Davis suggests that Bertrande likely became aware of the deception over time but chose to go along with it, finding Arnaud a more agreeable husband than the original Martin, and benefiting from the stability and children he provided.

4. Question 4

   What specific historical context does Davis emphasize as contributing to the plausibility of Arnaud's impersonation succeeding for so long?

   1. The widespread illiteracy and lack of official documentation in 16th-century rural France.
   2. The common practice of men leaving their homes for military service or adventure, making long absences normal.
   3. The strong desire within the community for continuity and the re-establishment of family order after a long absence.
   4. All of the above.
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   D. All of the above. Davis argues that all these factors contributed: limited documentation, common long absences, and the community's desire for stability made it easier for Arnaud to be accepted and for the deception to persist.

5. Question 5

   What was the significance of the 'wooden leg' in the true Martin Guerre's return?

   1. It was a disguise used by Martin to test his family's loyalty.
   2. It was a verifiable physical injury Martin sustained, serving as undeniable proof of his identity.
   3. It symbolized his poverty and hardship during his years away.
   4. It was a common prosthetic of the time, not particularly unique to Martin.
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   B. It was a verifiable physical injury Martin sustained, serving as undeniable proof of his identity. The wooden leg was crucial as it was a distinct and verifiable physical characteristic resulting from a war injury that the true Martin Guerre had sustained, something Arnaud du Tilh could not convincingly replicate or explain away.

6. Question 6

   How did the legal system of the time, particularly the Parlement of Toulouse, approach the case of Martin Guerre?

   1. They prioritized swift justice, often leading to immediate executions without thorough investigation.
   2. They were meticulous in gathering evidence and testimonies, often taking years to reach a verdict.
   3. They relied solely on trial by combat to determine the truth.
   4. They dismissed cases involving peasant disputes as trivial.
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   B. They were meticulous in gathering evidence and testimonies, often taking years to reach a verdict. The Parlement of Toulouse, particularly under Jean de Coras, was known for its thoroughness, gathering extensive testimonies and examining evidence closely, reflecting the judicial practices of higher courts in 16th-century France.

7. Question 7

   Natalie Zemon Davis's approach to history in 'The Return of Martin Guerre' is best described as:

   1. A purely economic analysis of peasant life and property rights.
   2. A focus on grand narratives and the actions of kings and nobles.
   3. Microhistory, combining social, cultural, and legal history to understand individual lives and community dynamics.
   4. A postmodern deconstruction that denies the possibility of historical truth.
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   C. Microhistory, combining social, cultural, and legal history to understand individual lives and community dynamics. Davis is a renowned practitioner of microhistory, using a detailed examination of a specific, seemingly small event to illuminate broader historical trends and cultural contexts, integrating social, cultural, and legal perspectives.

8. Question 8

   What was the ultimate fate of Arnaud du Tilh?

   1. He was pardoned and allowed to return to his original village.
   2. He was exiled from France.
   3. He was executed by hanging in Artigat.
   4. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.
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   C. He was executed by hanging in Artigat. Arnaud du Tilh was sentenced to death and executed by hanging in Artigat, the very village where he had lived as Martin Guerre, serving as a public warning against such deceptions.

9. Question 9

   How does Davis use the concept of 'identity' in her analysis of the Martin Guerre case?

   1. She argues that identity in the 16th century was purely a matter of legal documents and birth records.
   2. She shows that identity was fluid and constructed through memory, reputation, and social recognition within a community.
   3. She claims that personal identity was irrelevant, only family lineage mattered.
   4. She uses the case to prove that people rarely changed their identities in pre-modern Europe.
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   B. She shows that identity was fluid and constructed through memory, reputation, and social recognition within a community. Davis highlights how identity in this period was not solely individual or documented, but deeply embedded in community memory, recognition, and the performance of social roles, making it susceptible to Arnaud's clever manipulation.

10. Question 10

    What is one of the key challenges Davis faces as a historian in reconstructing the 'truth' of the Martin Guerre story?

    1. The complete lack of any primary source documents from the period.
    2. The subjective and often contradictory nature of witness testimonies and contemporary accounts.
    3. The refusal of modern-day descendants to cooperate with her research.
    4. The destruction of all historical records during the French Revolution.
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    B. The subjective and often contradictory nature of witness testimonies and contemporary accounts. Davis meticulously analyzes the existing primary sources, primarily the accounts by Jean de Coras and Guillaume Le Sueur, but acknowledges the inherent biases, contradictions, and narrative shaping within these sources, making a definitive 'truth' elusive and requiring careful interpretation.