La Semaine de Suzette
Title Vignette
Children's weekly magazines were popular by the time of the Great War, though as a rule they would have been less read by the poorer classes of society. The following drawings are taken from such a French weekly magazine, called 'La Semaine de Suzette' which featured drawn comic strips, abundant illustrations and a large amount of text in short features and serial novelettes. This story dates from 1929, a decade after the Great War it is true, but yet the imagery and general feeling typify it as a story that could have been taken straight from the days of 1914-1918. It is patriotic and heroic, highly improbable and intended as an example for the young.
A short story synopsis : a young girl living in a village near Verdun is seperated from her family. She is found by a French poilu, and not being able to locate any relatives, she is 'adopted' by the company of soldiers. Needless to say she is a much loved mascotte, jauntily dresses in miliatry uniform and is given the nickname of 'Musette' (a popular type of song sung in cafés and public places). Her culminating adventure is when she saves one of the soldiers in the company and accompanies him to the hospital and helps in his recovery. Later she rejoins her family and watches proudly as the soldier she saved parades in his tank during the inevitable Victory Parade.
