Naivety as well as the desire to integrate into a society with a loving man and a stable and wealthy peasant family deceived an honorable woman. The young marriage of Bertrande de Rols experienced difficulties from the start. With the guidance of her family, the Catholic Church, and Basque customs, Bertrande attempted to follow the expectations of 16th-century women, but was led astray by her own fear, loneliness, and catastrophic past. Bertrande de Rols was married young to Martin Guerre, a teenager. , an active boy who hated his projected future in a town called Artigat. Their arranged marriage was short-lived due to complications arising from Martin's impotence and pressure from the villagers. Shortly after the birth of their first son, Sanxi, Martin left his family and his future behind. The “beautiful young lady” began to show her stubborn ways early on. According to the reading, Bertrande was more concerned with putting aside her duties as a wife than with ruining her reputation and independence (27-28). When Martin abandoned Bertrande, she found herself without a defined position in the social structure of the village. Being the honest woman Coras claimed to be, Bertrande would not separate from Martin, and under Catholic law she could not remarry unless she had solid proof of his death. The values ​​with which Bertrande grew up show that she never saw herself leaving the customs of the village (32). Although the devastating experience of Martin's departure left her weak and longing for a husband, she lived "virtuely and honorably" thanks to her "stiff sense of herself and her reputation" (34). After years of abandonment, an absent man claiming to be Martin Guerre appeared before a woman who longed for strong love and a different husband. A “stubborn and honorable” woman could not... middle of paper ...... Martin's identity was in question. Bertrande had no intention of straying from the truths and beliefs she was raised with. After facing devastating events and conforming to society's approach of being a widow and single mother, the vulnerability of being alone broke her. Whether it was Bertrande's selfishness or naivety in being accepted by the community, his good name and reputation were damaged. She refused to accept advice from the Church and her family. Instead, she tried to create her dream life with a man she knew was pretending to be her husband. Her fear of being caught in the middle of society without a defined goal led her down the path of lying. Although marriage is at the heart of this story, The Return of Martin Guerre tells the story of a woman who was so pressured by society's acceptance that she took advantage of a once-valid marriage for her gain. staff..