To Every Man a Penny
| Company type | Novel |
|---|---|
| Industry | Literature |
| Founded | 1949 |
| Founder | Bruce Marshall |
To Every Man a Penny is a 1949 novel authored by the Scottish writer Bruce Marshall. Two of the principal figures, Gaston and Bessier, share a common fate with the author, having lost legs due to injuries sustained during World War I.
Plot summary
The narrative centers on Gaston, a young French clergyman who serves amidst the turmoil of World War I. Within the trenches, he performs sacraments, listens to confessions, tends to the injured, and forms a friendship with Louis Philippe Bessier, a Communist comrade. Both characters endure leg amputations and continue their journeys with a limp throughout the story. Upon their return to Paris, neither Gaston’s parish community nor Bessier’s workplace welcomes them as expected.
Initially optimistic that the horrors of war might yield positive outcomes, Gaston grows disenchanted as society increasingly distances itself from the Roman Catholic Church. His student Armelle, who corresponded with him during the conflict, dreams of becoming a model—a pursuit Gaston reluctantly accepts despite opposition from church authorities.
Marshall depicts the interwar French Catholic Church as progressively inflexible and alienated from contemporary life. Eventually, Gaston is dispatched to South America by his bishop. After his return, Armelle has turned to prostitution following her mother’s death; meanwhile, Bessier is employed by the French Communist Party, and Gaston encounters resistance from parish canons.
While Gaston is away, priests are prohibited from visiting barbershops due to provocative magazines being displayed; unaware of this edict, he violates it and faces censure. As World War II looms with the ascent of Mussolini and Hitler, Gaston endures further tragedy when Armelle dies in childbirth delivering Michelle. He finds solace in a convent where Michelle is raised amid financial difficulties.
During the German occupation, Gaston assists an English soldier while parish authorities exhibit Marshal Philippe Pétain’s portrait. At liberation, he attempts to help a German soldier flee with his Jewish fiancée; however, Communist Party members capture them, resulting in their deaths. Gaston suffers severe beatings but is saved by Bessier. The injuries he sustains leave permanent effects.
In the end, their lives intertwine: Bessier’s son weds Michelle, and Gaston assumes the role of chaplain at the convent.