ST. HOSPITATOR Essay, Research Paper

Dreams and illusions are not much more then a person?s ultimate fantasy or a

person?s ultimate despair. Some may be attainable, and some nay not be attainable. In

Flaubert?s ?The Legend of St. Hospitator?, we see how the charcters? dreams and illusions

come true, but what is more amazing is how they come true illusions. In the beginning of

the story, Flaubert decribes the kingdom from top of the

castle and works him self down. This is a clue to the reader for Julian?s destiny.

When Julian was born, a old beggar came to his mother and told her that her son

would one day be saint. This was her ultimate fantasy! Then the next day a gypsy came to

his father and told him that Julian would one day be a great and powerful warrior. This

was

his father?s fantasy! Both, his mother and father had been told what they wanted to hear.

But no one ever asked Julian what he wanted. During his childhood Julian was taught the

holy scriptures and was taught how to have courage. Julian?s true characteristics were

slightly lighted upon, when one day in church he saw a mouse and killed it with his hands

and just threw it away like nothing had happened. Then one day in the woods he saw a

pigeon sitting. He then took a rock and smashed it, then he started plucking the bird alive.

When he realized that the bird wasn?t dead he got mad and started choking it till it died..

This filled him with ?a savage, passionate delight?. As the story goes, on Julian becomes

an expert hunter. Then one day in the woods, he was ambushed by a huge stag. Julian

attacked and hit the stag with a arrow in his head, yet the beast still coming refusing to die

till it accomplished its goal. The stag came to Julian and told him that one day he would

kill his parents. From then he never hunted again. This had changed his life forever. After

that he no longer did anything for pleasure or sport. His goal was to help people. He

formed a army that soon became known as the best army in the land. His father?s dream

had come true! After some time he married and refused to go to war anymore. Ocassionly

his friends would ask him to go hunting, but Julian tamed his temptations and refused.

Then one night he heard the cry of a fox that rekindled his temptations for the hunt.

During

this time, his parents, which he thought were dead, finally found him after years of

searching. Julian?s wife told them to sleep in their bed, because they were probably tired

from the journey. After Julian had completed his hunt he made his way back to his room.

He found a man sleeping there. Thinking that his wife was cheating on him, he plunged his

dagger into both of their hearts, not knowing it was parents. Julian?s illusion had come

true! After realizing what had happened, Julian fled and became very poor and no one

recognized him. He soon became known as the man that woul take a person across this

very difficult river that no one would dare cross. One night he heard his name being called

from across the river. Despite the time and the weather, he

went and fetched the man across the river. He saw that the man was completely covered

in leprosy, yet Julian still helped him. When they reached Julian?s tent the traveler asked

for some food, and Julian gave him all that he had. The he asked for a bed. Julian showed

him where his bed was. While he lay there the traveler asked for all of Julian?s clothes to

keep warm, Julian gladly undressed. Then finally the leopard asked Julian to come lay

down completely nude on him to have some body heat. With out any questions Julian

complied and then the gates of heaven opened up declaring Julian a saint. His mother?s

dream had come true!

A person?s dreams and fantasies play a big role in that person?s life. If a person

thinks that he will die that day, then he will find a way to die that day. Julian truly

believed that he would kill his parents, and in the end he did. Flaubert started the story by

describing the castle from the most beautiful top till the bottom. However, does anyone

really how much beauty lay at that the bottom of the castle. This was Julian?s life story.