The Counterfeiters · Chapter
XI: Edouard's Journal: Pauline explained
Edouard records a visit from Pauline, Olivier's mother, who comes to see her son after his illness.
What happens
Edouard records a visit from Pauline, Olivier's mother, who comes to see her son after his illness. Pauline expresses her trust in Edouard's care for Olivier, revealing her awareness of their relationship and her resigned acceptance of it. She also voices deep anxieties about her other son, George, and her strained marriage to Oscar. After Pauline leaves, Edouard reflects on her jealousy and the complexity of her resignation. Later that night, Olivier calls Edouard to his bedside, asking him never to inquire about the reason for his suicide attempt, and they share an intimate moment.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Sexuality
Pauline's tacit acceptance of Edouard's relationship with Olivier, and the intimate bond between Edouard and Olivier, highlight the theme of unconventional love and its complexities.
Family and Paternity
Pauline's anxieties about her sons, her strained marriage to Oscar, and her role as a mother underscore the tensions within the family structure.
Morality and Corruption
Pauline's discussion of boys' purity and her resigned acceptance of moral compromises reflect the theme of moral ambiguity and societal expectations.
Characters to notice
- Edouard
Narrator of the journal; hosts Olivier and receives Pauline's visit; reflects on Pauline's state of mind and his own feelings.
- Pauline
Olivier's mother; visits Edouard to see Olivier; shows comprehension of Edouard's relationship with Olivier but reveals underlying jealousy and anxiety about her sons.
- Olivier Molinier
Recovering from illness and suicide attempt; asks Edouard not to investigate his motives; shares a tender moment with Edouard.
- George Molinier
Pauline's other son; mentioned as a source of anxiety for Pauline due to his reckless behavior.
- Oscar Molinier
Pauline's husband; mentioned as inattentive to his sons and involved in a strained marriage with Pauline.
- Robert de Passavant
Mentioned as the person from whom Olivier's belongings need to be retrieved; Edouard plans to fetch them.
Key passages
“I prefer granting with a good grace what I know I shan't be able to prevent.”
Pauline says she would rather accept something willingly if she cannot stop it.
Pauline's philosophy of resigned acceptance, which Edouard recalls during their conversation.
“It's always when a woman appears most resigned that she seems the most reasonable.”
Pauline argues that a woman's resignation is often mistaken for reasonableness.
Pauline's bitter reflection on the expectations placed on women to be resigned and reasonable.
“In real life nothing is solved; everything continues. We remain in our uncertainty; and we shall remain to the very end without knowing what to make of things.”
Pauline says that in real life, problems are never resolved; they just persist, and people live in uncertainty.
Pauline's commentary on the nature of life and the futility of expecting resolutions, contrasting with novelistic conventions.