Lakstian's Ideas

In this time, I will tell you about my presentation in my English Prose Class of English Letter in State Islamic College (STAIN Surakarta) last Saturday. Before I started to present, my lecturer asked my friends who were participants in my presentation. My lecturer asked, “Why the title Two Friends? No Two Buddies?”. There was many arguments between my friends. And my lecturer answer, “Because friend is partner who has same thing(s) with us and together for long time, that’s like Monsieur Morissot and Monsieur Sauvage in the short story”. “That’s different with buddy which meaning is companion, not for long time.”

My lecturer asked me, “ Why the name of character is Monsieur Sauvage?”. I answered, “I have found in French Dictionary that Monsieur is Mr. And Sauvage is wild and brave. That’s same with the character, escpecialy his behaviour when he met Prussian and kept the password.”. “That’s right!”, he replied.

After has read the short story, there is many morals that can be found as our self improvement. These are morals in my opinion :

1. Moral Teaching :

• Consistent with principle

Monsieur Morissot and Monsieur Sauvage remain went to fishing spot whatever happened. Although Prussians were in front of them.

• Be Adult. I mean, we shouldn’t accept something which caused by persuasion, like this part :

"Quick! the password! Your friend will know nothing. I will pretend to relent."
………… Then the Prussian took Monsieur Sauvage aside in like manner, and made him the same proposal.

Monsieur Sauvage made no reply.
Prussian guaranted that they would safe if the gave a password to enter
outpost. But Monsieur Sauvage didn’t answer although his friend, Monsieur Morissot
asked him to give the password.

• Have super thinking.

The problem must be handle seriously. Monsieur Sauvage knew if he gave the password, it would endanger for his land. So, he knew what he might be done although it would cause his death.

• Keep friendship.

Monsieur Morissot and Monsieur Sauvage teach us that although there was different opinion between them, they leaved good memories each other. Before their death, they shared beautiful memories, gave thanks and shook hands.



2. the Connection with moral in Islamic :

• According from the first moral above, it can be mentioned as Istiqomah in Islamic culture.

• Be adult, like what Allah says in Al-Qur’an. The meaning is :

“If you do a kindness, that’s for yourself and if you do an unkindness, that’s also for yourself ”

• Monsieur Sauvage had many good things, especialy his behaviour. He was same with Ihsan in Islam. Ihsan is someone who does something as Allah see his activity. If human who see him, he would choose one between two. It isn’t good, because he do not do from his heart.

• It is not good to be hypocrite or in Islam called munafiq, that is useful for our friendship. There is no lie, hate and misunderstanding. Because moslems know that hypocrite consist of : unbelieveable, lie and there is not same what he/she does with his/her heart.Hypocrite was not acted in Two Friends, Monsieur Sauvage kept his words from his friend in outpost, Colonel Dumoulin.

Those are morals teaching which can be found in Islamic cultural and Al-Qur’an as our holy book based on the impressive short story, Two Friends by Guy Maupassant . What a grateful ! Alhamdulillah, my lecturer said “Good Job! You have done and finished !!”



( Vilya Lakstian )