Michel Character Analysis in NW

Michel is Leah’s husband. He is a Black man from France who immigrated to Britain. Like Natalie, Michel is also eager to improve his social standing, but he doesn’t understand upper-class society as well, which sometimes embarrasses Leah. Perhaps as a result of his aspirations to improve, Michel also sometimes looks down on people he sees as beneath him, like Shar, whom Michel believes doesn’t deserve charity. One of the biggest challenges in Michel and Leah’s marriage is that he really wants a child, but she is secretly doing everything she can to not get pregnant. Together, Michel and Leah represent how modern relationships can be challenging and how dishonesty or lack of trust can make them even more difficult.

Michel Quotes in NW

The NW quotes below are all either spoken by Michel or refer to Michel. 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:

Class Identity and Social Mobility Theme Icon

— Come by tomorrow. Pay you back. Swear to God, yeah? Thanks, seriously. You saved me today.

Related Characters: Shar (speaker), Keisha “Natalie” Blake, Michel, Leah Hanwell

Related Symbols: Headscarf

Page Number and Citation: 17

Explanation and Analysis:

Leah believes in objectivity in the bedroom:

Here lie a man and a woman. The man is more beautiful than the woman. And for this reason there have been times when the woman has feared that she loves the man more than he loves her.

Related Characters: Michel, Leah Hanwell, Keisha “Natalie” Blake, Shar

Page Number and Citation: 25

Explanation and Analysis:

She has taken some literature from work, from the literature cupboard. Professional organizations offering professional help. This is “as much as you can do.” Now it is time for the addict “to make their own decisions.” Because “nobody can force anyone else to get the help they need.”

Related Characters: Michel, Shar, Leah Hanwell

Page Number and Citation: 62

Explanation and Analysis:

— Why do you treat me like an idiot all the time?

Related Characters: Michel (speaker), Leah Hanwell, Francesco “Frank” De Angelis, Keisha “Natalie” Blake

Page Number and Citation: 62

Explanation and Analysis:

The boy is a boy and Michel is a man but they look the same age.

Related Characters: Michel, Nathan, Leah Hanwell, Shar

Page Number and Citation: 91

Explanation and Analysis:

— He was murdered! Why does it matter where he grew up?

Related Characters: Leah Hanwell (speaker), Michel, Felix

Related Symbols: Albert Road

Page Number and Citation: 104

Explanation and Analysis:

Sounds reasonable but she can’t take it reasonably. She is enraged by the possibility that he does not believe her. This is the girl! Don’t you believe me? That’s an insane coincidence! Her photos are in my envelope!

Related Characters: Leah Hanwell, Shar, Michel

Page Number and Citation: 108

Explanation and Analysis:

Michel Character Timeline in NW

The timeline below shows where the character Michel appears in NW. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...and finally Leah goes to get Shar some money. As Leah does this, her husband, Michel, comes home. Leah explains that his name is because he’s French. When Shar notes that... (full context)

...Their family struggled, after all, but they never stooped to “robbing” to make ends meet. Michel (whose name Pauline pronounces incorrectly as “Michael”) also thinks Leah has been conned. Pauline often... (full context)

Geography and Human Connection Theme Icon

Pauline and Michel only ever get along when they both believe Leah has done something stupid. While the... (full context)

Leah still hasn’t told Michel about her pregnancy test, and so he talks about having an exam at a pregnancy... (full context)

Sometimes Leah feels insecure because she believes Michel is more attractive than her. Both of them had had many sexual partners in the... (full context)

Michel works in a salon on Saturday, and so Leah plays the Kinks all day. She... (full context)

Michel gives a long speech about how compared to France, there’s more opportunity to advance in... (full context)

A little over a year later, Michel is busy with the computer, so Leah goes outside and runs into Ned again. They... (full context)

...a home method for abortion that wouldn’t show up on her joint banking statement with Michel. But she couldn’t, and so she had to go to a clinic and pay with... (full context)

Leah is with Michel, visiting her friend Natalie and Natalie’s husband Frank at the old Victorian house where they... (full context)

...be from a wealthier world than the one Leah knows. Leah is sure she and Michel are boring Frank and Natalie, and she senses that Michel doesn’t register the other couple’s... (full context)

Natalie asks Michel for advice for taking care of the hair of her daughter, Naomi. She jokingly threatens... (full context)

Natalie goes in to get some banana bread, and Frank tries to make small talk. Michel mentions that he’s been getting into day trading, starting with some money that Colin left... (full context)

Michel and Leah shop at a big chain supermarket, where they never buy fancy, ethical things—Michel... (full context)

Michel goes over and accuses the boy in the phone box of threatening Leah (believing that... (full context)

Michel inspects Olive afterward and concludes she’s probably fine. When they get home, Leah tells the... (full context)

...have gathered at Natalie’s house for the night, and Leah always feels that she and Michel stand out among all the lawyers and bankers. Leah tells the story of what happened... (full context)

Leah finally feels free once she and Michel have left the party and are allowed to complain to each other, but Leah complains... (full context)

...that Olive is dead. Just as she’s shouting about it, Pauline arrives at the door. Michel is confused and tries to establish the timeline of events that led to Olive’s death.... (full context)

Leah and Michel get a heavier lock on their door. Michel spends more time at the computer, trying... (full context)

...left it to try to find a better life. They turn off the news, and Michel says they have to move. Leah doesn’t want to, but Michel won’t listen. (full context)

When Leah tells Michel about the photo mix-up, he doesn’t sound surprised, which infuriates her. She thinks it’s crazy... (full context)

...with Frank, Leah has stopped wearing alternative clothes and starts talking about a man named Michel whom she met in Ibiza. Later, Natalie meets Elena, Frank’s mother, who asks questions about... (full context)

...addicted to the internet. She makes plans to have a picnic with Frank, Leah, and Michel, and she wants the day to go perfectly. She also goes to visit Cheryl and... (full context)

...when they were younger, and how if she found Leah’s diary, she could prove it. Michel even kind of looks like Nathan. Nathan says that his mother once told him that... (full context)

Just then, Natalie gets a phone call from Michel. Apparently, Leah is just lying out in the sun and won’t speak to him. He... (full context)

Natalie, Naomi, and Spike take the 98 bus to Leah and Michel’s place. Michel wonders to Natalie whether the solution is to get a new dog to... (full context)

Natalie tries to give Leah the same clarity she gave Michel, using old cliches about how love conquers all. Leah doesn’t stop her, but she also... (full context)

...job, and her family and friends. Leah wants to talk about something else. Just then, Michel comes over to check in and pour wine for them. Natalie admits that she thinks... (full context)

NW

Michel Character Analysis

Michel Quotes in NW

Visitation: Chapter 2 Quotes

Visitation: Chapter 5 Quotes

Visitation: Chapter 15 Quotes

Visitation: Chapter 16 Quotes

Visitation: Chapter 20 Quotes

Visitation: Chapter 23 Quotes

Visitation: Chapter 37 (3) Quotes

Michel Character Timeline in NW