Mitraillette Character Analysis in Code Name Verity

Mitraillette is Maman and Papa Thibaut’s eldest daughter and a member of the French Resistance. Mitraillette is her code name and means “submachine gun”; her real name is Gabrielle-Thérèse, but Maddie never comes around to using Mitraillette’s given name. Despite not speaking much of the other’s language, Maddie and Mitraillette—who are fairly close in age—become close during the time that Maddie lives with the Thibaut family. Within the Resistance, Mitraillette often keeps watch and, as a pretty young woman, provides a distraction and cover—often, she comes along on missions so it looks like the family is going on a picnic. She’s extremely protective of her younger sister, Amélie, and willingly confronts her older brother Etienne about his involvement with the Nazis. It’s not until the failed attempt to rescue Julie and other prisoners of the Ormaie Gestapo that Maddie realizes Mitraillette is Paul’s second-in-command and will take his place as the leader now that he’s dead.

Mitraillette Quotes in Code Name Verity

The Code Name Verity quotes below are all either spoken by Mitraillette or refer to Mitraillette. 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:

“She showed me,” Penn said. “She was pretty clear about it. Adjusted her scarf as soon as we’d shaken hands—gave me a good look. Ugly row of narrow triangular burns across her throat and collarbone, just beginning to heal. It looked like it had been done with a soldering iron. More of the same all along the insides of her wrists. She was very clever about showing me, cool as you please, no drama about it.”

Related Characters: Georgia Penn (speaker), Julie/The Narrator/Queenie/Verity, Maddie Brodatt, SS-Hauptsturmführer von Linden/The Captain, Mitraillette

Page Number and Citation: 261

Explanation and Analysis:

Julie was next.

Suddenly she laughed wildly and gave a shaking yell, her voice high and desperate.

“KISS ME, HARDY! Kiss me, QUICK!”

Turned her face away from me to make it easier.

And I shot her.

I saw her body flinch—the blows knocked her head aside as though she’d been thumped in the face. Then she was gone.

Gone. One moment flying in the green sunlight, then the sky suddenly gray and dark. Out like a candle. Here, then gone.

Related Characters: Maddie Brodatt (speaker), Julie/The Narrator/Queenie/Verity (speaker), Paul, Mitraillette

Page Number and Citation: 285

Explanation and Analysis:

Mitraillette Character Timeline in Code Name Verity

The timeline below shows where the character Mitraillette appears in Code Name Verity. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...the plane with other stuff they wanted to get rid of, including 11 wireless sets. Mitraillette, a girl in the Resistance whose father’s farm Maddie is on now, laughed about the... (full context)

...ferrying Paul around in England—he put a hand on her thigh while they were flying. Mitraillette says he does this to all women. (full context)

Mitraillette isn’t the girl’s real name; it’s her code name. It means “submachine gun.” Her mother,... (full context)

Last night, Maddie and Mitraillette talked for two hours, though they barely understand each other’s languages. They kept watch on... (full context)

...for the hotel where the Gestapo are headquartered, and she can’t do that without ID. Mitraillette is trying to figure out how to get the documents to her. Hopefully, if things... (full context)

...to write the Thibaut family’s real names, even though to her, they’re Maman, Papa, and Mitraillette. Apparently, the family lets Amélie do most of the talking when the Nazis are visiting... (full context)

According to both Amélie and Mitraillette, the captain is terrifying, despite being soft-spoken and polite. He brings Amélie gifts every time... (full context)

...own papers) and didn’t notice Maddie. In addition to the driver and Papa, Amélie and Mitraillette came along (to make it look like they were on a picnic), as did Paul... (full context)

Maddie met Etienne not long ago. She, Amélie, and Mitraillette were out on bicycles looking for landing fields and ran into Etienne on the way... (full context)

...in women’s breasts instead of under their toes. This is when, during the original conversation, Mitraillette got angry; she asked if Etienne enjoyed it. He said he didn’t. Maddie has been... (full context)

In quick, abbreviated writing, Maddie says she found a great field cycling with Mitraillette on Friday, November 12. The fields are all flat (so they’d be great landing spots),... (full context)

...has to pause writing and remind herself not to cry. She writes that she and Mitraillette met Penn by a pond in Ormaie and helped her unwind old socks while Penn... (full context)

Maman Thibaut has been giving Amélie café au lait, while Mitraillette and Maddie take turns comforting her. Amélie keeps talking, and Mitraillette keeps translating. There was... (full context)

...it smells like carbolic soap. The smell reminded Maddie that Engel is a chemist. With Mitraillette and Amélie’s help, they ironed the scarf—and a message appeared in French. It's either a... (full context)

...something. There’s going to be a trial, and she has to get this all down. Mitraillette tried to dose Maddie to knock her out earlier, for what would be the second... (full context)

...a lot of this because she was curled into a ball, terrified of the guns. Mitraillette had to sit on Maddie to get her to stay quiet, and Paul told her... (full context)

...his gun at her as if to shoot, but another guard told him not to. Mitraillette translated for Maddie: if they shoot her, “there will be no—fun.” Julie’s plan seemed to... (full context)

...murdered on the bridge. Once everyone still alive was in the boats, Maddie sobbed, and Mitraillette asked if that was Verity. Maddie said it was. (full context)

...people to transport and hide, everyone went back to the rose-grower’s villa on the river. Mitraillette made the call; Maddie realizes now that she was Paul’s second-in-command. Mitraillette coached everyone through... (full context)

...happened next, but she knows she attacked him and screamed at him, which resulted in Mitraillette drugging Maddie. (full context)

...rose-grower’s gardens are full of damask roses, which are still flowering in December. According to Mitraillette, she used to be a skilled horticulturist. Maddie only noticed the roses after her bath.... (full context)

...into Ormaie. They carried bombs. Once it was dark, they blew the back gate open. Mitraillette took care of the dogs, and everyone efficiently got the prisoners out, set the bombs,... (full context)

Code Name Verity

Mitraillette Character Analysis

Mitraillette Quotes in Code Name Verity

Part 2, Section 11 Quotes

Part 2, Section 17 Quotes

Mitraillette Character Timeline in Code Name Verity