Short Fiction · Chapter
Bombard explained
Simon Bombard, a lazy Norman with a desire for wealth and leisure, marries the Englishwoman Kate Robertson for her fortune.
What happens
Simon Bombard, a lazy Norman with a desire for wealth and leisure, marries the Englishwoman Kate Robertson for her fortune. He soon finds himself under her firm control and resorts to cunning schemes to pursue his pleasures, including seducing the maid Victorine. His wife eventually discovers and subtly exposes his infidelity.
Themes in this chapter
Marriage and Domesticity
Simon's marriage is a transactional arrangement where his wife exerts control over domestic life and his behavior.
Obsession and Delusion
Simon's obsessive pursuit of pleasure and his delusion that he can outwit his wife drive the plot.
Social Class and Money
Simon marries for a comfortable income (15,000 francs a year) and schemes to maintain his lifestyle.
Gender and Power
Madame Bombard wields quiet authority over Simon, subverting traditional gender roles.
Characters to notice
- Simon Bombard
Protagonist; a lazy, pleasure-seeking Norman who marries for money and schemes to satisfy his desires.
- Madame Bombard
Simon's English wife, Kate Robertson; firm, perceptive, and quietly dominant in the marriage.
- Victorine
The maid hired by Simon as part of his plan; becomes his lover and is later exposed by Madame Bombard.
Key passages
“Life often seemed very hard to Simon Bombard! He was born with an incredible capacity for doing nothing and with an immoderate desire to follow this vocation.”
Simon Bombard found life difficult because he was naturally lazy and wanted only to avoid work.
Introduces Simon's defining trait of laziness.
“For ten thousand francs a year, I would become an executioner.”
He would do anything, even become an executioner, for a steady income of ten thousand francs a year.
Shows Simon's desperation for money and his pragmatic amorality.
“He was after a wife, counting entirely upon his face and his physique.”
He sought a wealthy wife, relying solely on his good looks.
Highlights his mercenary approach to marriage.
“She would say, with her grave, wilful, English accent: 'Oh! Simon, now we must go to bed,' which made Simon start toward the bed like a dog that had been ordered, 'To your kennel.'”
Madame Bombard's commanding tone made Simon obey her instantly, like a trained dog.
Illustrates her dominance in their relationship.
“Here, my girl, here are twenty francs which I deprived you of last night. I return them to you.”
Madame Bombard returns the gold coin to Victorine, revealing she knows about the affair.
Climactic moment where Madame Bombard exposes Simon's infidelity.