The Wolf-Leader · Chapter
III: Agnelette explained
Thibault is caught poaching by the Baron de Vauparfond and is punished with thirty-six lashes.
What happens
Thibault is caught poaching by the Baron de Vauparfond and is punished with thirty-six lashes. Agnelette, a young peasant girl, pleads for his mercy and saves him. After the Baron leaves, Thibault's initial gratitude turns to thoughts of revenge, but Agnelette's innocence and charm gradually win him over. He proposes marriage to her, and she agrees, contingent on her grandmother's approval. However, Thibault's desire for Agnelette is rooted in envy and possessiveness rather than genuine love, and he returns home with his envious longings tormenting him.
Themes in this chapter
Class and Power
The Baron's authority over Thibault and the peasants is absolute, as seen in the punishment for poaching. Thibault's resentment and desire for revenge stem from this power imbalance.
Corruption of Innocence
Thibault's initial gratitude towards Agnelette is quickly overshadowed by his envious and vengeful nature. His courtship is not based on genuine love but on a desire to possess what he sees as belonging to another, corrupting the innocence of the relationship.
Characters to notice
- Thibault
Poaches on the Baron's land, is punished, and then courts Agnelette, but his motives are tainted by envy and a desire for revenge.
- Agnelette
A kind and innocent young girl who saves Thibault from punishment and agrees to consider his marriage proposal.
- Baron de Vauparfond
The Lord of Vez who punishes Thibault for poaching and perjury, but shows a softer side when Agnelette pleads for mercy.
- Mocquet
The pricker who carries out the Baron's order to whip Thibault.
Key passages
““Ah! if the devil will but hear my prayer this time,” he cried, as he shook his fist, cursing the while, after the retiring huntsmen, who were just out of view, “if the devil will but hear me, you shall be paid back with usury for all you have made me suffer this day, that I swear.””
Thibault vows to get revenge on the Baron, hoping the devil will help him, and promises to repay the suffering he endured.
This shows Thibault's turn towards evil and his desire for vengeance, setting up his later pact with the devil.
““God, Monsieur Thibault, has told us not to covet other men’s goods; obey the law of God, and you will not find yourself any the worse off for it!””
Agnelette advises Thibault to follow God's law and not desire what belongs to others, implying that doing so will lead to a better life.
Agnelette's moral guidance contrasts with Thibault's growing resentment and foreshadows his downfall.