The Song at The Scaffold

JMJ
Philip Argauer
1010588.01
English 11
The Song at the Scaffold
Interpretive Essay
In The Song at the Scaffold, Blanche de la Force undergoes a tremendous journey in which she
leans to cope with her drastic fear. Written by Gertrud von Le Fort, this tale takes place in France which
is just beginning to become consumed with the wrath of the French Revolution. Even as a young girl,
Blanche was gripped with a terrible fear that maybe the stairway would fall from under her or the gondola
would break. Her fear consumed most of her energy and she could hardly do anything except worry.
Under the instruction of Madame de Chalias, began to feel as though she was being called to the religious
life. Her father, the Marquis de la Force, did not approve of this notion, but eventually let Blanche join
the Convent of Compiègne, hoping the religious community will help diminish her paralyzing fear. Sister
Marie, one of the stronger sisters at Compiègne, began instructing her but became dismayed at the amount
of fear that Blanche showed. After years of dealing with her overwhelming fear, she eventually learned
to live with this affliction and learned many lessons from the incidence. During the novel, the
fundamental beliefs of Madame de Chalias, Marquis de la Force, and Sister Maire each turn out to
become d but through Blanche’s experiences, the corresponding truths are discovered.
Madame de Chalias, throughout the course of the story, had a firm belief that those who were
prayerful and devout to God will never have to undergo any extreme suffering. This was manifested in
the book when she was explaining to Blanche that her fear is unprecedented and unnecessary. She said,
“You promise me never to omit your prayer and so you may be sure that the King of Heaven will never
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fail to protect you.”1 In this comment, she showed her that view God makes the virtuous immune to fear
and pain. This gave Blanche the courage to reach out and grab the banister which ironically broke off the
moment she touched it. Then, years later, she visited Blanche again to visit and talk with her. After they
conversed, she came from Blanche’s room looking bewildered and disturbed. She seemed as though she
had lost all sense of control and all her hope in God seemed diminished. She cried, “Everything is wild
chaos and we are plunging helplessly into the most terrible anarchy, and the best, of course, will perish!”
and she began crying (56). She declared that she wanted to move away from France and flee the country
and sadly she only made it to Brussels before she died. Conversely, Blanche lived in fear’s grasp and
even so, it did not make her any less of a virtuous person. Madame de La Chalias thought fear, through
virtue, could be avoided but her ironic death proved this notion was false. Blanche lived in fear
constantly and showed that even when one trembles, one can still be strong.
Marquis de la Force started as a man who supported the revolutionaries and certainly helped push
the ideals of the French Revolution into prominence. It was his contention that human nature was above
all else and it could only release its full potential when released from the grasps of religion and authority.
He that the “‘prisons of religion’ – which were his name for convents – as undesirable as those of the
State” (3). So, when he was informed that his daughter felt called towards religious life, he was
infuriated. But due to her unnatural fear, he let her take up residence with sisters at Compiègne. After
some time had passed, he realized his previous convictions about human nature had been incorrect.
However, it was already too late to stop the movement which swept all throughout France and soon the
Marquis saw the fruit of his actions behind bars. Not too long after being arrested by the people, he was
sentenced and killed by the very movement he had helped create. Opposing her father’s view, Blanche
knew that human nature was naturally flawed and could never achieve anything except anarchy if it
lacked a moral guide. This she showed by trusting fully on God and trusting that He had given Blanche
the burden of fear to her as a cross to bear. The Marquis made a fatal mistake by putting his trust in the
1
Gertrude von Le Fort. The Song at the Scaffold. TAN Books, 2014, pp. 11
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nobility of human nature and this is shown through his death. Blanche’s experiences showed the contrast;
that guidance from an authority higher and more powerful than oneself is essential for maintaining
harmony and peace.
During her time at the convent, Sister Marie wanted nothing more than to be martyred for her
faith in Jesus Christ because it was her belief that physical death was the hardest sacrifice. This is
exemplified throughout the story as she constantly kept a positive attitude about the coming of the war
because of the threat of martyrdom amplified. Once, when she was leaving the chapel she stopped to talk
to Mother Teresa and she said, “His Majesty will permit us to perform a penance we never dreamed of – I
have been threatened with martyrdom!” (31). Later in the book Sister Marie showed once again that she
sought after martyrdom when she declared, “Oh, if only I could be the last, the very last for who, it is
hardest of all!” (84). She had become overwhelmed with the awe and joy of dying for Christ that when
her fate arrived, she was extremely disappointed. Instead of being killed with the rest of her clergy at the
scaffold, God saved her from death. She was now destined to live the rest of her life abandoned, a fate
which she never once considered but dreaded tremendously. In contrast to Sister Marie’s belief, Blanche
understood that living was more strenuous and less desirable than living. She showed this through her
example of life, in which she was living in constant fear and distress, that the harder sacrifice is truly to
continue living. To conclude, Sister Marie wishes to offer her life for Christ but Blanche shows that it is
certainly harder to live than die.
Through the book, The Song at the Scaffold, Madame de Chalias, Marquis de La Force, and Sister
Marie each had a notion and an axiom which each pertained to be undeniably true. As the plot develops,
the events which take place in Blanche’s life prove each of them wrong. First, Madame de Chalias
believes that the virtuous will be safe from harm’s way. This concept is overturned after she talks to
Blanche and discovers the destruction of the Revolution that will occur upon holy people like the King of
France. The Marquis believed that the ideals of the Revolution are consummate truths but Blanche, on
her return to her father’s house, shows him the destruction of his actions. Sister Marie alleged that to die
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is the greatest sacrifice and the most difficult thing to accomplish. However, Blanche, through her
suffering here on earth, proved that living was more laborious than dying because the pains of life are a
constant struggle. To conclude, even though the Madame, the Marquis, and Sister Marie each believed
their presupposition was paramount truth, Blanche dispelled each one with the experiences in her own
life.

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How does Blanche's fear manifest and how does she learn to cope with it?

What are the different beliefs held by Madame de Chalias, the Marquis de la Force, and Sister Marie and how are they proven wrong?

JMJ

harmony and peace.

certainly harder to live than die.

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