A Simple Heart

by

Gustave Flaubert

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Madame Aubain Character Analysis

A well-off, middle-aged woman who is Félicité’s employer for the majority of the story. She is “by nature, very reserved” and possesses “a certain haughtiness about her.” At the beginning of the story, her husband has died and left her a large amount of debt. After selling off many of her assets, she moves with her two children—Paul and Virginie—to a smaller home, and she hires Félicité as a housemaid. Madame Aubain is not as cruel as Félicité’s former employers, but she demonstrates a clear commitment to social hierarchy and the values of the bourgeoisie. In a particularly inhumane moment, she remarks that Félicité’s nephew’s life is less valuable than Virginie’s because he is a poor “scrounger” who works at sea. After Madame Aubain learns that her friend and property manager Monsieur Bourais has committed suicide after embezzling money and fathering an illegitimate child, Madame Aubain goes through a period of depression and subsequently dies from pneumonia. Though Madame Aubain does not significantly evolve as a character throughout the course of the narrative, she does exhibit a degree of affection for Félicité, particularly while the two are grieving Virginie’s death, and she even leaves Félicité a small income in her will.

Madame Aubain Quotes in A Simple Heart

The A Simple Heart quotes below are all either spoken by Madame Aubain or refer to Madame Aubain. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Faith and Virtue  Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

On the first floor, there was Madame’s bedroom, a very large room, decorated with pale, flowery wallpaper and containing a picture of ‘Monsieur’ dressed up in the fanciful attire that was fashionable at the time. This room led directly to a smaller bedroom which housed two children’s beds, each with the mattress removed. Next came the parlour, which was always kept locked and was full of furniture draped in dust-sheets. […] The two end panels of this bookcase were covered in line drawings, landscapes in gouache and etchings by Audran, a reminder of better days and of more expensive tastes that were now a thing of the past.

Related Characters: Madame Aubain, Monsieur Aubain
Page Number: 4
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 2 Quotes

For lunch she served a sirloin of beef, along with tripe, black pudding, a fricassee of chicken, sparkling cider, a fruit tart and plums in brandy, all accompanied by a stream of compliments…not forgetting their dear departed grandparents whom the Liébards had known personally, having been in service to the family for several generations. The farm, like the Liébard’s themselves, had an old-world feel to it. The beams in the ceiling were pitted with woodworm, the walls blackened with smoke, the window panes grey with dust.

Related Characters: Madame Aubain, Paul Aubain, Virginie Aubain , Madame Liébard
Page Number: 11-12
Explanation and Analysis:

Félicité became very attached to them. She bought them a blanket, some shirts and a cooking stove. They were obviously out to take advantage of her. Madame Aubain was annoyed that Félicité was not more firm with them. She also took objection to the familiar way in which the nephew spoke to Paul.”

Related Characters: Félicité Barette, Madame Aubain, Paul Aubain, Nastasie Leroux (Barette), Victor Leroux
Page Number: 14
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 3 Quotes

Although Félicité had been fed such rough treatment since she was a child, she felt very offended by Madame Aubain. But she soon got over it. After all, it was to be expected that Madame should get upset about her own daughter. For Félicité, the two children were of equal importance; they were bound together by her love for them and it seemed right that they should share the same fate.

Related Characters: Félicité Barette, Madame Aubain, Virginie Aubain , Victor Leroux
Page Number: 20
Explanation and Analysis:

They found a little chestnut-coloured hat made of long-piled plush, but it had been completely destroyed by the moths. Félicité asked if she might have it as a keepsake. The two women looked at each other and their eyes filled with tears. Madame Aubain opened her arms and Félicité threw herself into them. Mistress and servant embraced each other, uniting their grief in a kiss which made them equal.

Related Characters: Félicité Barette, Madame Aubain, Virginie Aubain
Page Number: 27
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 4 Quotes

He thoroughly irritated Madame Aubain and so she gave him to Félicité to look after. She decided she would teach him to speak and he was very soon able to say, ‘Pretty boy!’, ‘Your servant, sir!’ and ‘Hail Mary!’ She put him near the front door and a number of visitors were surprised that he would not answer to the name ‘Polly’ […] Some people said he looked more like a turkey or called him a blockhead. Félicité found their jibes very hurtful. There was a curious stubborn streak in Loulou which never ceased to amaze Félicité; he would refuse to talk the minute anyone looked at him! Even so, there was no doubt that he appreciated company.

Related Characters: Félicité Barette, Madame Aubain
Related Symbols: Loulou the Parrot
Page Number: 29
Explanation and Analysis:

Félicité wept for her in a way that servants rarely weep for their masters. That Madame should die before her disturbed her whole way of thinking; it seemed to go against the natural order of things; it was something unacceptable and unreal.

Related Characters: Félicité Barette, Madame Aubain
Page Number: 36
Explanation and Analysis:

Ten days later, just as soon as they could get there from Besançon, the heirs arrived on the scene. Madame Aubain’s daughter-in-law went through all the drawers, chose a few pieces of furniture for herself and sold what was left. […] On the walls, yellow patches marked the places where pictures had once hung. They had taken away the children’s beds, along with their mattresses, and the cupboard had been cleared of all Virginie’s things. Félicité went from room to room, heartbroken.

Related Characters: Félicité Barette, Madame Aubain, Paul Aubain
Page Number: 36
Explanation and Analysis:
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Madame Aubain Quotes in A Simple Heart

The A Simple Heart quotes below are all either spoken by Madame Aubain or refer to Madame Aubain. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Faith and Virtue  Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

On the first floor, there was Madame’s bedroom, a very large room, decorated with pale, flowery wallpaper and containing a picture of ‘Monsieur’ dressed up in the fanciful attire that was fashionable at the time. This room led directly to a smaller bedroom which housed two children’s beds, each with the mattress removed. Next came the parlour, which was always kept locked and was full of furniture draped in dust-sheets. […] The two end panels of this bookcase were covered in line drawings, landscapes in gouache and etchings by Audran, a reminder of better days and of more expensive tastes that were now a thing of the past.

Related Characters: Madame Aubain, Monsieur Aubain
Page Number: 4
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 2 Quotes

For lunch she served a sirloin of beef, along with tripe, black pudding, a fricassee of chicken, sparkling cider, a fruit tart and plums in brandy, all accompanied by a stream of compliments…not forgetting their dear departed grandparents whom the Liébards had known personally, having been in service to the family for several generations. The farm, like the Liébard’s themselves, had an old-world feel to it. The beams in the ceiling were pitted with woodworm, the walls blackened with smoke, the window panes grey with dust.

Related Characters: Madame Aubain, Paul Aubain, Virginie Aubain , Madame Liébard
Page Number: 11-12
Explanation and Analysis:

Félicité became very attached to them. She bought them a blanket, some shirts and a cooking stove. They were obviously out to take advantage of her. Madame Aubain was annoyed that Félicité was not more firm with them. She also took objection to the familiar way in which the nephew spoke to Paul.”

Related Characters: Félicité Barette, Madame Aubain, Paul Aubain, Nastasie Leroux (Barette), Victor Leroux
Page Number: 14
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 3 Quotes

Although Félicité had been fed such rough treatment since she was a child, she felt very offended by Madame Aubain. But she soon got over it. After all, it was to be expected that Madame should get upset about her own daughter. For Félicité, the two children were of equal importance; they were bound together by her love for them and it seemed right that they should share the same fate.

Related Characters: Félicité Barette, Madame Aubain, Virginie Aubain , Victor Leroux
Page Number: 20
Explanation and Analysis:

They found a little chestnut-coloured hat made of long-piled plush, but it had been completely destroyed by the moths. Félicité asked if she might have it as a keepsake. The two women looked at each other and their eyes filled with tears. Madame Aubain opened her arms and Félicité threw herself into them. Mistress and servant embraced each other, uniting their grief in a kiss which made them equal.

Related Characters: Félicité Barette, Madame Aubain, Virginie Aubain
Page Number: 27
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 4 Quotes

He thoroughly irritated Madame Aubain and so she gave him to Félicité to look after. She decided she would teach him to speak and he was very soon able to say, ‘Pretty boy!’, ‘Your servant, sir!’ and ‘Hail Mary!’ She put him near the front door and a number of visitors were surprised that he would not answer to the name ‘Polly’ […] Some people said he looked more like a turkey or called him a blockhead. Félicité found their jibes very hurtful. There was a curious stubborn streak in Loulou which never ceased to amaze Félicité; he would refuse to talk the minute anyone looked at him! Even so, there was no doubt that he appreciated company.

Related Characters: Félicité Barette, Madame Aubain
Related Symbols: Loulou the Parrot
Page Number: 29
Explanation and Analysis:

Félicité wept for her in a way that servants rarely weep for their masters. That Madame should die before her disturbed her whole way of thinking; it seemed to go against the natural order of things; it was something unacceptable and unreal.

Related Characters: Félicité Barette, Madame Aubain
Page Number: 36
Explanation and Analysis:

Ten days later, just as soon as they could get there from Besançon, the heirs arrived on the scene. Madame Aubain’s daughter-in-law went through all the drawers, chose a few pieces of furniture for herself and sold what was left. […] On the walls, yellow patches marked the places where pictures had once hung. They had taken away the children’s beds, along with their mattresses, and the cupboard had been cleared of all Virginie’s things. Félicité went from room to room, heartbroken.

Related Characters: Félicité Barette, Madame Aubain, Paul Aubain
Page Number: 36
Explanation and Analysis: