Fattypuffs and Thinifers
Encyclopedia
Fattypuffs and Thinifers (ISBN 1903252075) (in French
, Patapoufs et Filifers) is a children's book written in 1930 by the French
writer André Maurois
. It concerns the imaginary underground land of the fat and congenial Fattypuffs and the thin and irritable Thinifers, which is visited by two brothers, the plump Edmund and the thin Terry. The Fattypuffs and Thinifers do not mix, and their respective countries are on the verge of war when Edmund and Terry make their visit.
The underground region is one day visited by two "Surface-dwellers," Edmund and Terry Double, who find its entrance through the Twin Rock, where a long escalator
descends into the bowels of the earth. The whole underground region is illuminated by large balloon
s filled with a blue, dazzling gas, which float in the underground sky.
At the bottom of the staircase a narrow quay, Surface-by-the-Sea, borders a large gulf. Edmund and Terry are separated here. Edmund is taken on the ship Fattiport, while Terry is ordered to board the steel vessel Thiniport. The Fattiport leads to Fattyborough, the capital of the Fattypuff Kingdom. The steel vessel takes Terry to Thiniville, capital of the Thinifer Republic.
Edmund soon assumes an important position in the administration of Fattypuff, whose inhabitants are friendly, happy, and who live only for drinking and eating. Everything there is round and cushioned; architecture domes and baroque. Terry also rises through the ranks quickly in the land of the Thinifers, workaholic
s all, who scarcely eat, and who rush to and from their country, which is all high, sharp spires and thin railway cars.
For centuries Fattypuffs and Thinifers have been mortal enemies, having fought one another already in the War of the Captive Armies. Their main source of tension lies over ownership of an island that is situated in the gulf that separates the two countries –as well as what to call it. The Fattypuffs prefer "Fattyfer," the Thinifers "Thinipuff." Negotiations, in which Edmund and Terry participate, are unsuccessful, and the countries go to war. The Thinifers emerge as the victors, and annex the Fattypuff Kingdom.
The consequences of this annexation are unexpected. Many soldiers of the occupying army of the Thinifers begin to marry Fattypuff girls, and return to their homeland with affection for the country that they conquered. The Thinifers begin to adopt Fattypuff cuisine, habits, and attitudes. Consequently, the Thinifer president proclaims that the two peoples form a new nation, the United States of the Underground. King Plumpapuff, the former king of the Fattypuffs, is made constitutional sovereign of this new nation, while the Thinifer president is made his chancellor
. All distinctions by weight are abolished. A final, toponymic
compromise is reached: the island of Fattyfer-Thinipuff is given the name of Peachblossom Island.
Terry and Edmund are allowed to return home, where their father has been looking for them at the base of the Twin Rock. The Double Brothers spent ten months underground, but only an hour has passed on the surface above.
Commentators such as Owen interpret the book as an allegory - with the pleasure-loving Patapoufs and their love of gourmet food standing for France, the hyperactive Filifers representing Germany with the militaristic Prussian traditions, and the disputed island being Alsace-Lorraine
.
Seen in this way, the book can be seen as anticipating the Occupation of France by Germany in 1940. And though that occupation was far more harsh than the one depicted by Maurois (the book was written still at the time of the Weimar Republic
, before the Nazi takeover), the eventual reconciliation and formation of the United States of the Underground can be seen as anticipating the creation of the European Union
.
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Patapoufs et Filifers) is a children's book written in 1930 by the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
writer André Maurois
André Maurois
André Maurois, born Emile Salomon Wilhelm Herzog was a French author.-Life:Maurois was born in Elbeuf and educated at the Lycée Pierre Corneille in Rouen, both in Normandy. Maurois was the son of Ernest Herzog, a Jewish textile manufacturer, and Alice Herzog...
. It concerns the imaginary underground land of the fat and congenial Fattypuffs and the thin and irritable Thinifers, which is visited by two brothers, the plump Edmund and the thin Terry. The Fattypuffs and Thinifers do not mix, and their respective countries are on the verge of war when Edmund and Terry make their visit.
The underground region is one day visited by two "Surface-dwellers," Edmund and Terry Double, who find its entrance through the Twin Rock, where a long escalator
Escalator
An escalator is a moving staircase – a conveyor transport device for carrying people between floors of a building. The device consists of a motor-driven chain of individual, linked steps that move up or down on tracks, allowing the step treads to remain horizontal.Escalators are used around the...
descends into the bowels of the earth. The whole underground region is illuminated by large balloon
Balloon
A balloon is an inflatable flexible bag filled with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, or air. Modern balloons can be made from materials such as rubber, latex, polychloroprene, or a nylon fabric, while some early balloons were made of dried animal bladders, such as the pig...
s filled with a blue, dazzling gas, which float in the underground sky.
At the bottom of the staircase a narrow quay, Surface-by-the-Sea, borders a large gulf. Edmund and Terry are separated here. Edmund is taken on the ship Fattiport, while Terry is ordered to board the steel vessel Thiniport. The Fattiport leads to Fattyborough, the capital of the Fattypuff Kingdom. The steel vessel takes Terry to Thiniville, capital of the Thinifer Republic.
Edmund soon assumes an important position in the administration of Fattypuff, whose inhabitants are friendly, happy, and who live only for drinking and eating. Everything there is round and cushioned; architecture domes and baroque. Terry also rises through the ranks quickly in the land of the Thinifers, workaholic
Workaholic
A workaholic is a person who is addicted to work.The term generally implies that the person enjoys their work; it can also imply that they simply feel compelled to do it...
s all, who scarcely eat, and who rush to and from their country, which is all high, sharp spires and thin railway cars.
For centuries Fattypuffs and Thinifers have been mortal enemies, having fought one another already in the War of the Captive Armies. Their main source of tension lies over ownership of an island that is situated in the gulf that separates the two countries –as well as what to call it. The Fattypuffs prefer "Fattyfer," the Thinifers "Thinipuff." Negotiations, in which Edmund and Terry participate, are unsuccessful, and the countries go to war. The Thinifers emerge as the victors, and annex the Fattypuff Kingdom.
The consequences of this annexation are unexpected. Many soldiers of the occupying army of the Thinifers begin to marry Fattypuff girls, and return to their homeland with affection for the country that they conquered. The Thinifers begin to adopt Fattypuff cuisine, habits, and attitudes. Consequently, the Thinifer president proclaims that the two peoples form a new nation, the United States of the Underground. King Plumpapuff, the former king of the Fattypuffs, is made constitutional sovereign of this new nation, while the Thinifer president is made his chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
. All distinctions by weight are abolished. A final, toponymic
Toponymy
Toponymy is the scientific study of place names , their origins, meanings, use and typology. The word "toponymy" is derived from the Greek words tópos and ónoma . Toponymy is itself a branch of onomastics, the study of names of all kinds...
compromise is reached: the island of Fattyfer-Thinipuff is given the name of Peachblossom Island.
Terry and Edmund are allowed to return home, where their father has been looking for them at the base of the Twin Rock. The Double Brothers spent ten months underground, but only an hour has passed on the surface above.
Commentators such as Owen interpret the book as an allegory - with the pleasure-loving Patapoufs and their love of gourmet food standing for France, the hyperactive Filifers representing Germany with the militaristic Prussian traditions, and the disputed island being Alsace-Lorraine
Alsace-Lorraine
The Imperial Territory of Alsace-Lorraine was a territory created by the German Empire in 1871 after it annexed most of Alsace and the Moselle region of Lorraine following its victory in the Franco-Prussian War. The Alsatian part lay in the Rhine Valley on the west bank of the Rhine River and east...
.
Seen in this way, the book can be seen as anticipating the Occupation of France by Germany in 1940. And though that occupation was far more harsh than the one depicted by Maurois (the book was written still at the time of the Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
, before the Nazi takeover), the eventual reconciliation and formation of the United States of the Underground can be seen as anticipating the creation of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.
Other
- The Film Consortium has the rights to make a film of the story and has even received £20,000 of UK National Lottery funding.