Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc · Chapter
XXIV: Tinsel Trappings of Nobility explained
The chapter describes the town and country's excitement over Joan of Arc being ennobled by the King.
What happens
The chapter describes the town and country's excitement over Joan of Arc being ennobled by the King. While Joan remains indifferent, her brothers Jean and Pierre are proud of their new coats-of-arms. The Paladin and Noël Rainguesson debate the social implications of the brothers' new rank, with the Sieur de Metz explaining that the d'Arc brothers now take precedence over most of the personal staff in civil functions due to the royal lilies on their escutcheon.
Themes in this chapter
Patriotism and National Identity
The ennoblement of Joan's family with the royal lilies symbolizes the intertwining of her personal glory with the French national identity.
Innocence and Purity
Joan's indifference to the honor highlights her purity of spirit, as she values her divine mission over worldly titles.
Characters to notice
- Joan of Arc
Joan is ennobled by the King but remains indifferent to the honor, seeing her own light as far greater than any human title.
- Louis de Conte
Louis narrates the chapter, reflecting on the town's excitement and the Paladin's concerns about precedence.
- The Paladin
The Paladin is vexed by the d'Arc brothers' new nobility and worries about losing precedence in civil functions, though he later claims to value merit over accident.
- Noël Rainguesson
Noël teases the Paladin about his surprise at the brothers' new rank, leading to a humorous exchange.
- Jean de Metz
The Sieur de Metz explains the significance of the d'Arc brothers' coat-of-arms, noting it quarters the lilies of France and gives them precedence over most lay lords.
- Pierre d'Arc
Pierre, along with Jean, is proud of his new nobility and sports his coat-of-arms, enjoying the social elevation.
Key passages
“To us she was the sun soaring in the heavens, and her new nobility a candle atop of it; to us it was swallowed up and lost in her own light.”
To Louis and his friends, Joan's inherent greatness far outshone any title the King could bestow.
This reflects the narrator's view that Joan's divine mission and character are far more significant than human honors.
“It was a clever thought in the King to outflank her scruples by marching on them under shelter of her love for her family and her kin.”
The King cleverly bypassed Joan's objections to being honored by granting the nobility to her brothers instead.
This shows Charles VII's political acumen in using Joan's family loyalty to achieve his aims.