# Love Knoweth No Laws. explained — Sentimental Education

> Chapter companion for Sentimental Education by Gustave Flaubert.

## What happens

Frederick attends a gathering at Madame Arnoux's home, where he converses with her about ambition and love, deepening his infatuation. Later, he and Deslauriers debate romantic pursuits, leading to a bet that Deslauriers wins by picking up a woman. Frederick wanders the streets, tormented by his love for Madame Arnoux, and eventually joins friends at the Alhambra dance hall, where he remains distracted by his unrequited passion.

## Themes in this chapter

### Love and Desire

Frederick's intense, unrequited love for Madame Arnoux dominates the chapter, contrasting with Deslauriers' cynical view of romantic pursuits.

### Friendship and Betrayal

Deslauriers tries to support Frederick but also mocks his romantic idealism, highlighting the tension in their friendship.

### Illusion vs. Reality

Frederick's idealized vision of Madame Arnoux clashes with the gritty reality of the Alhambra and Deslauriers' pragmatic approach to love.

## Character check-ins

### Frederick Moreau

Deeply in love with Madame Arnoux, he struggles with his unrequited passion and feels tormented by his inability to act on his feelings.

### Madame Arnoux

Engages in a thoughtful conversation with Frederick about ambition and love, displaying her moral rectitude and beauty.

### Deslauriers

Attempts to cheer Frederick up and cynically pursues a woman as part of a bet, later trying to distract Frederick with social outings.

### Jacques Arnoux

Teases Frederick about his lack of a mistress and leaves the gathering to go home to his wife.

### Hussonnet

Accompanies Frederick and the group to the Alhambra, where he flirts with various women he knows from his work.

### Dussardier

Joins the group on their outing to the Alhambra dance hall.

## Key lines

> He loved her without mental reservation, without any hope of his love being returned, unconditionally; and in those silent transports, which were like outbursts of gratitude, he would fain have covered her forehead with a rain of kisses.

Frederick loved Madame Arnoux completely and without expectation, feeling such intense gratitude that he wished he could shower her forehead with kisses.

_Highlights Frederick's deep, unconditional love for Madame Arnoux._

> The pangs which he was perpetually enduring were choking him. For hours he would remain quite motionless, or else he would burst into tears; and one day when he had not the strength to restrain his emotion, Deslauriers said to him: 'Why, goodness gracious! what's the matter with you?'

Frederick's constant emotional pain overwhelmed him, leaving him either still or weeping, until Deslauriers finally asked what was wrong.

_Illustrates Frederick's profound suffering from his unrequited love._

> Deslauriers felt jealous of these playful familiarities. He accosted in a cynical manner a tall, fair-haired girl, in a nankeen costume. After looking at him with a certain air of sullenness, she said: 'No! I wouldn't trust you, my good fellow!' and turned on her heel.

Deslauriers, envious of Hussonnet's ease with women, approached a blonde girl cynically, but she rejected him and walked away.

_Shows Deslauriers' awkwardness and the contrast with Hussonnet's social success._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/sentimental_education_se/chapters/love-knoweth-no-laws
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/sentimental_education_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/sentimental_education_se/chapters