Germinie Lacerteux · Chapter
XLIV explained
Germinie, while running an errand for Mademoiselle, is tormented by the sight of schoolgirls playing in the street.
What happens
Germinie, while running an errand for Mademoiselle, is tormented by the sight of schoolgirls playing in the street. She lingers among them, overwhelmed by memories of her lost daughter, and in a moment of frantic longing, grabs a child's arm, frightening her before fleeing.
Themes in this chapter
Female Suffering and Sacrifice
Germinie's anguish over her lost daughter and her inability to express her grief except through a desperate, frightening act highlight her suffering and sacrifice.
Love and Obsession
Germinie's obsessive longing for her daughter manifests in her compulsive following of the schoolgirls and her frenzied attempt to embrace one.
Characters to notice
- Germinie Lacerteux
Germinie is deeply affected by the sight of schoolgirls, reliving the memory of her daughter and experiencing a frenzied impulse to embrace a child.
- Mademoiselle de Varandeuil
Mademoiselle is mentioned as the reason Germinie goes out to buy an evening paper, though she is not present in the scene.
Key passages
“She often happened to be at the door when the school was dismissed; she tried to run away—and stood still.”
She frequently found herself at the school gate just as classes ended, intending to flee but unable to move.
Illustrates Germinie's internal conflict between avoidance and attraction to the sight of children.
“Germinie would gaze at them all and walk along with them; she would go in among them in order to feel the rustling of their aprons.”
Germinie watched the children intently and joined their group just to hear the sound of their aprons brushing against each other.
Shows her desperate need to connect with the children, even through sensory details.
“she was suddenly seized with a frenzied longing to embrace something; she rushed at one of the little girls and grasped her arm just as a kidnapper of children would do.”
Overcome by a wild urge to hold someone, she lunged at a little girl and grabbed her arm like a child snatcher.
Highlights the intensity of Germinie's grief and her loss of control.