"My Uncle Jules" is Maupassant's classic realist short story. The story unfolds from the perspective of young Joseph, telling the story of the ups and downs of an ordinary citizen family. The protagonist's uncle Yule was extravagant when he was young and lost all his family property. He was sent overseas by his family to make a living.
The whole family once pinned their hopes of getting rich on Yule, regarded him as the family's savior, and looked forward to his return day and night. But during a trip, the family unexpectedly met Yule, who was impoverished and made a living selling oysters on the boat. The parents' faces changed instantly, from expectation to disgust and avoidance, fearing that this down-and-out relative would drag them down.
Only Joseph quietly tipped his uncle, showing a hint of tenderness. Through the family's completely different attitudes towards rape before and after, the novel bitterly satirizes the money-oriented, indifferent and hypocritical interpersonal relationships in the capitalist society, and reveals the reality of the harsh world and human nature.
