The Wolf-Leader · Chapter
XIV: A Village Wedding explained
Thibault, consumed by jealousy upon seeing Agnelette about to marry another, hides in a hollow oak and watches the wedding procession pass.
What happens
Thibault, consumed by jealousy upon seeing Agnelette about to marry another, hides in a hollow oak and watches the wedding procession pass. His dormant feelings for her are rekindled by possessiveness and rage, not love. He retreats to his hut in despair, then decides to drown his sorrows at an inn, choosing to feast and drink rather than remain alone with his bitter thoughts.
Themes in this chapter
Jealousy and Obsession
Thibault's jealousy is ignited not by love but by possessiveness, leading to a profound and bitter despair.
Love and Loss
Thibault mourns the loss of Agnelette, whom he never truly loved, but now sees as a treasure taken from him.
Characters to notice
Key passages
“But a new fire of hell had been lighted in his heart, the worst of the fires of hell; that which gnaws at the vitals like the sharpest serpent’s tooth, and corrodes the blood like the most destructive poison—the fire of jealousy.”
Thibault is consumed by a new, destructive jealousy that feels like a poison in his blood.
Describes the intense and painful nature of Thibault's jealousy.
“He declared that he loved Agnelette; he lamented at having lost her; nevertheless, this furious man, with all his tender love, would gladly have been able to see her fall dead, together with her bridegroom, at the foot of the altar when the priest was about to join them.”
Thibault claims to love Agnelette and mourns her loss, yet his 'love' is so twisted that he wishes her and her new husband dead at the altar.
Highlights the contradictory and violent nature of Thibault's feelings.