La Petite Fadette is a 1849 novel by French novelist George Sand, née Amantine Dupin. novel is one of Sand's most known works, and one of the most autobiographical elements, as it's set in the French countryside where George Sand spent her childhood.
The novel takes place in the late 18th-century countryside. Mrs. Barbeau delivers a couple of identical twins named Landry and Sylvinet. The parents are advised by the midwife to keep the twins distinguished while they grow up, as superstitions tell that identical twins with an unhealthy attachment for each other would cause one of them to die of heartache, if they are ever separated.The Barbaeus however forget about the advice and the twins grow up very close an nearly undistinguishable, although Landry the stronger, more level-headed twin, and Sylvinet, the more emotional one. Due to the family's dire finances, Landry is sent to work at the Caillaud's farm. Landry is good at hiding his nostalgia, driving Sylvinet to a jealous melancholia, and he runs away disappearing into the woods.
Landry goes out looking for his brother, and encounters the mysterious Fadette. Fadette (which is a Pun of her last name Fadet, "fairy" in French, and her real name is Fanchon) is a poor girl of his village, who lives with her younger brother and a grandmother who mistreats them. The children are looked down upon by the other villagers because of their poverty, apparent foul manners and the fact that their mother has abandoned them to run away with a soldier. However both Fadette and her grandmother are gifted healers, and the villagers fear them as "witches" (see what the Punny Name is about?). Fadette helps Landry to find his brother, but at the price that Landry would dance with her and her only at the next village fête.Landry reluctantly keeps his promise and finds himself not only dancing with her, but also defending Fadette from some bullies who pick on her during the party. The experience makes him reconsider his opinion of the mysterious Fadette, and after getting to know her better after the brawl, a romance blossom between the two youths.
However, many obstacles prevent them from dreaming of marriage: he is of a landowning family, and she is dirt-poor despite her grandmother makes a living out of her medicines. Also, her mother's reputation as a fallen woman raises gossip, as well as her eccentric ways. And most of all, his twin Sylvinet is madly jealous of anyone who may be closer than him to Landry. The two youths must overcome this obstacles to obtain their happy ending.
Loosely adapted as Mary Pickford film Fanchon the Cricket.
The following tropes are displayed:
- All of the Other Reindeer: Fanchon is picked up by the other kids in her village former poverty, her unconventional looks and her mother's past. Her little brother Jeannet for all the above plus for his bad leg.
- Alpha Bitch: Madelon Caillaud, the prettiest girl in town who is a flirt and spreads gossips.
- Always Identical Twins: Landry and Sylvinet, although they differ in personality, they are identical and have the same tastes.
- Bittersweet Ending: Landry and Fadette get married with his parents blessings and Fadette has a fortune of her own. However, Sylvinet leaves the town because he has fallen in love with his brother's wife, but at least he grows out of his jealousy and goes on living his life.
- Coordinated Clothes: Sagette the midwife advices the parents to avoid giving them the same clothes because they should develop different tastes and personalities. The Barbeaus don't follow it out of practicality.
- Crazy Jealous Guy: Sibling example. Sylvinet know he's the person his twins loves above all, and his insanely jealous of everyone who might get close to Landry such as women.
- Friend to All Living Things: Fadette is an healer, and love every animal, even ugly ones as the insects. She states that if one thinks that ugly beings don't deserve to being, they should well include herself on the list.
- Foreshadowing:
- The twins are identical in both looks and tastes, and fair enough they fall for the same woman.
- The Barbeaus are advised again that Sylvinet would grow out of his unhealthy attachment to his brother when he will fall on love with a woman, and with his jealous personality, he would love this woman for the rest of his life. It is quite correct, the problem is said woman is his brother's wife.
- Grandmother Fadet is stated early to be selling her medicines for a few bucks, but somehow the Fadets live in poverty. She has saved every penny, and at her death his grandchildren inherit a fortune.
- I Gave My Word: Landry is distressed about promising to dance with Fadette, a girl who has a reputation for being ugly and ill-mannered. He nevertheless keeps his words and stay at her side as promised, also finding out that she is a lot better than he thought.
- Girliness Upgrade: On Landry's advice, Fanchon lets go some of her tomboy mannerism and adapts her old clothes into something more mature. The results is pleasant.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Landry (and his twin) has blonde hair and is one of the most kind, moral characters.
- I Will Wait for You: After some inappropriate gossips are spread about their relationship, Fanchon leaves to work in the nearby city to gain some money of her own and clean-up her reputation. Landry swears to wait for her return and that he won't marry another woman ever.
- In-Series Nickname: Fadette's real name is Françoise, Fanchon is a common pet name, while Fadette is a Punny Name from her last name Fadet, which means "fairy". Also she's known as "the cricket" for her very slim figure.
- Living Emotional Crutch: Landry is one for Sylvinet, who despite having plenty of relatives who love him, falls in utter despair at the thought that Landry might live separately from him.
- Malicious Slander: Madelon spreads some gossips about having found Landry and Fadette in a nightly rendezvous and obviously everyone assumes the worst. She doesn't mention however that she was at the same place to have some privacy with her suitor.
- Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: The prophecy about one twin getting ill of heartache seems to be a real thing, the other interpretation is a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy because Sylvinet's parents indulged his tempers and let him grow up a bit self-centred.
- Fadette is believed to have supernatural powers, the more mundane explanation is that she has a great talent for herbal medicine and is a great observer.
- The Medic: Grandmother Fadet is the resident healer, and a very good one. Her granddaughter Fanchon is growing up to be an even better healer, and does it for charity instead of demanding payments.
- Mysterious Waif: The eponymous Fadette is an unusually intelligent young girl, and the reputation of her family surround her with an aura of magic.
- No Social Skills: Fadette and her little brother have a reputation for being ill-mannered, the reality is that people are not very kind to them to begin with, and they don't know much kindness in their family environment. They eventually grow out of this thanks to Landry.
- One Twin Must Die: Superstitions tell that twins are bad omen, and that one child will thrive while the other will die. The midwife reassures the Barbeaus that both their twins are healthy boys, and all they should watch is that the twins shouldn't grow up too emotionally dependent on each other.
- Parental Abandonment: Fadette's mother has abandoned her husband and children to follow a soldier, earning a bad reputation for her family. Her husband died shortly after leaving the children in his mother's care.
- Parental Marriage Veto: Landry is forbidden by his family to marry Fanchon for her poverty and bad reputation. He refuses to consider any other girl until his parents change their minds.
- Progressively Prettier: Fanchon takes a Girliness Upgrade on Landry's advice. She eventually grows to be quite good-looking when she works for a while in a rich family, getting some money and a better diet.
- Promotion to Parent: Fadette's parent are gone, and her mother is a short-tempered woman. She pretty much raises her little brother by herself.
- Punny Name: Fanchon's nickname Fadette is a pun of fadet, which means "fairy".
- Rags to Riches: Grandmother Fadet is Secretly Wealthy but has been saving every penny year after year. At her death Fanchon finds herself to be quite a well-off young lady and marrying Landry she enters in a family of landowners.
- Secret Relationship: Landry and Fadette see each others in secret, but in a platonic way (they kissed just once and spend their time taking). When they relationship is exposed everyone assumes the worst).
- Secretly Wealthy: Grandmother Fadet has built quite a fortune from her healing skills, but has lived in poverty for all her life, leaving the fortune to her grandchildren.
- She's All Grown Up: After her time as a maid in the city Fanchon has grown up into a lovely young lady.
- Sibling Triangle: Landry and Sylvinet are in love with the same woman, Fadette. Sylvinet never tries his chances with her, but confesses his feelings and leaves the town to join the Napoleonic army.
- Single-Target Sexuality: One of the village godmothers predicts that Sylvinet would get over his jealousy for his brother the day he will love a woman, and it's in his nature loving one person for all his life. Sadly, said woman is his brother's wife, who cannot return his feelings. He chooses to join the army to get himself out of the picture and sparing heartaches for everyone.
- Star-Crossed Lovers: Landry and Fadette are this for a while, due to his parents veto on their relationship until Fanchon can prove to them that she is honest and deserving of his love.
- The Storyteller: Since childhood Fanchon has a gift for storytelling to younger children, and Landry himself enjoys her stories as he gets to know her better.
- Suddenly Suitable Suitor: Fanchon receives an Unexpected Inheritance from her grandmother, who makes her the richest girl in the village. Father Barbeau investigates about her real personality and decides that after all,her childhood exploits were just harmless pranks and he has a lot to gain if he lets her marry into his family.
- Unexpected Inheritance: Fadette inherits quite a fortune from her grandmother, who saved the gold she earned from her medicines, keeping it a secret from everyone.
- Weddings for Everyone: Quite a few marriages are celebrated at the end of the book: Landry and Fadette, his sister Nanette and Caillaud the Younger, and it's mentioned that Jeannet will eventually marry little Solange Caillaud.
- What Beautiful Eyes!: Even before her Girliness Upgrade Fanchon is noted to have beautiful dark eyes.
