Can children be even crueller than adults?Left without a father, Simon is being tortured by his peеrs to the point when he attempts a suicide. Luckily enough, the local blacksmith, Phillip Remy, takes him under his wing. In this heartbreaking drama, Guy de Maupassant, touches the readers’ feelings by exploring human cruelty and challengingsocietal stereotypes.Guy de Maupassant (1850 –1893) was a French author considered a father of the modern short story. During his prolific work life, he wrote 300 short stories, verse, travel books and novels. One of his most famous works, the novel Bel-Ami, inspired the 2012 movie with the same name, starring Robert Pattinson and Uma Thurman.