# Mademoiselle Cocotte explained — Short Fiction

> Chapter companion for Short Fiction by Guy de Maupassant.

## What happens

The narrator, visiting an asylum, notices a man named François who obsessively calls for an imaginary dog. The doctor explains that François was a coachman who went mad after drowning his beloved dog, Cocotte. The story recounts how François adopted a stray, thin dog, named her Cocotte, and grew deeply attached to her despite her incessant promiscuity that caused chaos in the household. Forced by his master to drown her, François reluctantly did so but was haunted by guilt. Months later, while swimming, he discovered the decaying carcass of Cocotte, which had followed him sixty miles, and the shock drove him insane.

## Themes in this chapter

### Obsession and Delusion

François's obsessive love for Cocotte and his subsequent delusion, calling for her after her death, illustrate the theme.

### Cruelty and Suffering

The forced drowning of Cocotte and François's psychological torment highlight the cruelty inherent in the story.

### Isolation and Loneliness

François's isolation after losing Cocotte and his madness reflect profound loneliness.

## Character check-ins

### François

The coachman who adopts, loves, and ultimately drowns his dog Cocotte, leading to his madness.

### Coco

The dog named Cocotte, a stray adopted by François, whose promiscuity and eventual death drive the plot.

## Key lines

> He would call out, in sweet, tender tones: “Cocotte, my little Cocotte, come here, Cocotte, come here, my beauty,” striking his leg, as one does to attract the attention of an animal.

He repeatedly called for an imaginary dog in a gentle, affectionate voice, tapping his leg as if summoning a real pet.

_Illustrates François's delusional state and his enduring attachment to Cocotte._

> She was inflamed with love from one end of the year to the other. In a short time she had made the acquaintance of every dog about the country, and they roamed about the place day and night.

Cocotte was constantly in heat and attracted all the local dogs, who followed her everywhere.

_Highlights Cocotte's promiscuity, which causes the household chaos._

> He seized Cocotte in his arms and kissed her furiously, as one does when taking leave of a person. Then he held her tight around the neck, fondling her and calling her “My pretty Cocotte, my little Cocotte,” and she responded as best she could, growling with pleasure.

He hugged and kissed Cocotte passionately, speaking to her lovingly, and she responded with happy growls.

_Shows François's deep emotional bond with the dog before the drowning._

> The dead dog had found her master, sixty miles from their home! He uttered a fearful cry, and began to swim with all his might towards the bank, shouting all the way.

The corpse of Cocotte had traveled sixty miles to reach François, causing him to scream and swim frantically to shore.

_The shocking discovery that triggers François's final descent into madness._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_23_se/chapters/mademoiselle-cocotte
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_23_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_23_se/chapters