 The battle of Verdun and the French army mutinies a year later were momentous events for the French nation.That the battle and a charge of mutiny played such a major part in Anne's personal history suggests a metaphorical link between her and France.The fact that the prologue to the narrative dedicates the story to Anne, "an unknown girl" rather than the "important public" figures of the time also indicates that the character represents something larger than an individual.