Germinie Lacerteux · Chapter
XVII explained
Germinie's relationship with Jupillon becomes public scandal in the neighborhood.
What happens
Germinie's relationship with Jupillon becomes public scandal in the neighborhood. She endures public humiliation and slander but clings more desperately to him. Jupillon returns to the balls despite promising not to, and Germinie follows him, suffering mockery. She attempts to learn to dance to keep him, but fails and is ridiculed.
Themes in this chapter
Hypocrisy and Secrecy
The neighborhood's sudden reversal from respect to contempt for Germinie once her relationship is known highlights the hypocrisy of public morality.
Love and Obsession
Germinie's desperate attachment to Jupillon, enduring humiliation and following him to balls, exemplifies obsessive love.
Female Suffering and Sacrifice
Germinie suffers public shame, mockery, and emotional torment yet sacrifices her pride to keep Jupillon.
Characters to notice
- Germinie Lacerteux
Endures public scorn and humiliation due to her relationship with Jupillon; follows him to balls and attempts to dance to keep him.
- Madame Jupillon
Jupillon is the object of Germinie's obsessive love; he returns to the balls despite his promise.
- Adèle
Mentioned as having previously spoken about Germinie at the fruit woman's shop.
- Mademoiselle de Varandeuil
Her servant's scandal reflects upon her; Germinie's former respect was partly due to her association with Mademoiselle.
Key passages
“She suffered as if her honor were being torn from her, shred by shred, and dragged in the gutter.”
Germinie felt her honor was being destroyed piece by piece and publicly defiled.
Illustrates the intense emotional pain from public shaming.
“She buried herself gloomily in her dark corner, only leaving it to hunt up Jupillon and carry him off, with the mute violence of a wife dragging her husband out of the wineshop and leading him home by the arm.”
Germinie retreated to a dark corner and only emerged to forcefully take Jupillon away from the ball, like a wife pulling her husband from a bar.
Shows her possessive and desperate behavior.