Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc · Chapter
Conclusion explained
The conclusion recounts the fates of Joan's family and companions after her martyrdom, including the deaths of her father and brother Jacques, the pension granted to her mother, and the eventual Rehabilitation of Joan's name.
What happens
The conclusion recounts the fates of Joan's family and companions after her martyrdom, including the deaths of her father and brother Jacques, the pension granted to her mother, and the eventual Rehabilitation of Joan's name. Louis de Conte reflects on the loyalty of Joan's staff, the final battles of the war, and the enduring legacy of Joan as the embodiment of patriotism.
Themes in this chapter
Patriotism and National Identity
Joan is described as the 'Genius of Patriotism,' embodying love of country as a passion, and her legacy is tied to the liberation of France.
Betrayal and Martyrdom
Charles VII's indifference to Joan's fate and his belated push for rehabilitation for political reasons highlight betrayal; Joan's martyrdom is central.
Truth Versus Propaganda
The Rehabilitation process is depicted as a correction of the false verdict imposed by the priests, restoring Joan's good name.
Characters to notice
- Joan of Arc
Her martyrdom is recounted; her prophecy about Jacques dying in Domremy is fulfilled; her memory inspires loyalty; her character is praised as pure and selfless.
- Louis de Conte
Narrator; returns to Domremy after martyrdom, then fights until France is free; survives to old age; testifies at the Rehabilitation.
- Noël Rainguesson
Returns to Domremy with Louis, then fights; dies in the last great battle of the war.
- La Hire
Survives martyrdom by thirteen years, always fighting.
- Dunois
Lives to see France free and testifies at the Rehabilitation.
- Pierre d'Arc
Survives the wars; present at the Rehabilitation with his mother.
- Catherine Boucher
Seen at the Rehabilitation, now married.
- Lord Talbot
Falls in the last great battle at age 85.
Key passages
“When her poor old father heard of the martyrdom it broke his heart and he died.”
Jacques d'Arc died of a broken heart upon learning of Joan's execution.
Describes the emotional impact of Joan's death on her family.
“She said I would live until those wars were forgotten—a prophecy which failed. If I should live a thousand years it would still fail. For whatsoever had touch with Joan of Arc, that thing is immortal.”
Joan's prophecy that Louis would outlive the memory of the wars proved false, as her legacy is eternal.
Reflects on the enduring nature of Joan's memory.
“With Joan of Arc love of country was more than a sentiment—it was a passion. She was the Genius of Patriotism—she was Patriotism embodied, concreted, made flesh, and palpable to the touch and visible to the eye.”
Joan's patriotism was not just a feeling but a defining, tangible essence of her being.
Summarizes Joan's ultimate symbolic role as the embodiment of patriotism.
