Letters of Two Brides · Chapter
XXXI: Renée de l’Estorade to Louise de Macumer explained
Renée writes to Louise after a five-month silence following the birth of her son, Armand-Louis.
What happens
Renée writes to Louise after a five-month silence following the birth of her son, Armand-Louis. She describes the physical and emotional experience of childbirth, the pain and joy of nursing, and the transformative power of motherhood. She contrasts her newfound maternal fulfillment with what she perceives as the intermittent nature of romantic love, asserting that a mother's love is permanent and grows with the child. She also notes the renewed devotion of her husband and father-in-law, and invites Louise to visit and see her son.
Themes in this chapter
Motherhood and Family Duty
The chapter is a detailed exploration of Renée's experience of motherhood, from childbirth to nursing, and her conviction that a mother's love is permanent, natural, and socially reinforced.
Love vs. Marriage
Renée contrasts her tender, grateful feelings for her husband Louis with what she imagines as the intermittent, earthly nature of romantic love, suggesting that maternal affection and marital duty are superior.
Characters to notice
- Renée de Maucombe
The letter's author; she describes her experiences of childbirth, nursing, and the joys of motherhood, expressing a deep sense of fulfillment and contrasting it with romantic love.
- Louise de Chaulieu
The recipient of the letter; Renée addresses her as 'dear heart' and 'dear pet,' and urges her to write about her own pleasures.
- Louis de l'Estorade
Renée's husband; he is overjoyed at the birth of his son, works harder, and shows renewed devotion to Renée.
- Naïs
Renée's mother; she acts as nurse after the birth and advises Renée to focus on nursing.
Key passages
“When the crisis came, I summoned all my powers of resistance, and braced myself so well for suffering, that I bore the horrible agony—so they tell me—quite marvelously.”
When labor began, I prepared myself to endure the pain, and according to those present, I handled it remarkably well.
Renée describes her childbirth experience with a focus on her mental fortitude.
“A mother’s happiness is like a beacon, lighting up the future, but reflected also on the past in the guise of fond memories.”
A mother's joy illuminates both the future and the past, turning memories into something cherished.
Renée reflects on the transformative and enduring nature of maternal happiness.
“Heaven save you, Louise, from ever knowing the maddening agony of a wound which gapes afresh with every pressure of rosy lips, and is so hard to heal—the heaviest tax perhaps imposed on beauty.”
I hope you never experience the painful cracked nipples that come with nursing, a suffering that especially afflicts women with fair skin.
Renée warns Louise about the physical pain of breastfeeding, which she describes as a tax on beauty.