Mademoiselle Dianne de Poitiers Character Analysis in Picnic at Hanging Rock

The French and dancing teacher at Appleyard College. Without a doubt the most popular and beloved of all the teachers and governesses, Mademoiselle is gentle, kind, thoughtful, and most of all curious about her students and their inner lives. She has a genuine affection for all the girls and unique relationships with each of them. Mademoiselle inspires the envy and dislike of her colleagues Miss Lumley and Mrs. Appleyard, yet she refuses to let herself be roped into their petty plays for power. Toward the end of the novel, Mademoiselle—perturbed not only by the senior girls’ disappearances but by the distressing emotional changes in the students left behind—begins to suspect that dark forces are at work at Appleyard College. Noticing Mrs. Appleyard’s declining mental state and worried over Sara Waybourne’s sudden, mysterious departure from the college (Mademoiselle is the only one to know Sara well enough to be disturbed by the prized possession she seems to have left behind) Mademoiselle writes to Constable Bumpher to let him know that something is not right at the school. Mademoiselle leaves Appleyard to marry a watchmaker in town, severing her ties to the school for the sake of her own sanity—but the narrator of the book reveals that the events of the summer and autumn of 1900 change the woman forever.

Mademoiselle Dianne de Poitiers Quotes in Picnic at Hanging Rock

The Picnic at Hanging Rock quotes below are all either spoken by Mademoiselle Dianne de Poitiers or refer to Mademoiselle Dianne de Poitiers. 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:

Nature, Repression, and Colonialism Theme Icon

“I have instructed Mademoiselle that as the day is likely to be warm, you may remove your gloves after the drag has passed through Woodend. You will partake of luncheon at the Picnic Grounds near the Rock. Once again let me remind you that the Rock itself is extremely dangerous and you are therefore forbidden to engage in any tomboy foolishness in the matter of exploration, even on the lower slopes. […] I think that is all. Have a pleasant day and try to behave yourselves in a manner to bring credit to the College.”

Related Characters: Mrs. Appleyard (speaker), Mademoiselle Dianne de Poitiers

Related Symbols: Hanging Rock

Related Literary Devices:

Page Number and Citation: 7

Explanation and Analysis:

In this passage, as Mrs. Appleyard prepares to send her boarders off for an afternoon picnic at Hanging Rock—a nearby volcanic formation which has become a tourist attraction—she instructs them as to how they should conduct themselves while away from the school grounds for the afternoon. She hopes to control not just their behavior but their appearances as well, reminding them that they are not to remove their gloves until they have passed through the last town in the area and entered the wilderness. Even out in the bush, however, the girls are not permitted to relax physically or behaviorally Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptat

They see the walls of the gymnasium fading into an exquisite transparency, the ceiling opening up like a flower into the brilliant sky above the Hanging Rock. The shadow of the Rock is flowing, luminous as water, across the shimmering plain and they are at the picnic, sitting on the warm dry grass under the gum trees. […] The shadow of the Rock has grown darker and longer. They sit rooted to the ground and cannot move. The dreadful shape is a living monster lumbering towards them across the plain, scattering rocks and boulders. So near now, they can see the cracks and hollows where the lost girls lie rotting in a filthy cave.

Related Characters: Irma Leopold, Mademoiselle Dianne de Poitiers

Related Symbols: Hanging Rock

Related Literary Devices:

Page Number and Citation: 141

Explanation and Analysis:

During Irma’s visit to the school, she pops into the gymnastics class being led by Mademoiselle, her favorite teacher, in order to bid her and the rest of the Appleyard girls goodbye. As Irma steps into the gymnasium, however, her presence is met not with happy laughter or kind smiles but with abject fear and even hatred. As the girls watch Irma approach, they begin to have a kind of collective flashback to the picnic at Hanging Rock in which they all see the shadow of the rock transform into a terrible monster. The horrific vision is full of both Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae e

Mademoiselle Dianne de Poitiers Character Timeline in Picnic at Hanging Rock

The timeline below shows where the character Mademoiselle Dianne de Poitiers appears in Picnic at Hanging Rock. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...for their outing, they’re all looking forward to their picnic and being out in nature. Mademoiselle Dianne de Poitiers, the young, beautiful French teacher, is just as excited about the holiday... (full context)

...up front. The rest of the girls pile into the back with Miss McCraw and Mademoiselle. (full context)

...dishes in the creek and enjoy some leisure time lying about. Irma and Miranda watch Mademoiselle dozing and admire her beauty. Mr. Hussey comes over to remind Mademoiselle that they must... (full context)

Mr. Hussey suggests they head out in an hour. The brain, studious Marion tells Mademoiselle that she wants to explore the base of the rock for a while to take... (full context)

...up, the girls begin pouring from the back. They are “hatless, disheveled, [and] incoherent.” As Mademoiselle follows them up the steps, Mrs. Appleyard asks what has happened. Mademoiselle responds that she... (full context)

...returned to check on the tea and found that Miss McCraw had left the group. Mademoiselle was flustered and upset, having fallen asleep and failed to see where Miss McCraw might... (full context)

Mr. Hussey and Mademoiselle organized the other girls into groups of two and three and sent them around the... (full context)

...to call for the missing girls and Miss McCraw. After several hours, though, Hussey and Mademoiselle—noting that the girls were growing more and more hysterical—decided to turn and head home. Mr.... (full context)

The town doctor, Doctor McKenzie, comes to check up on the girls and Mademoiselle. He pronounces Mademoiselle and the students to be in good health. The only thing that... (full context)

Other developments at the college have upset Mrs. Appleyard—Mademoiselle (the last remaining “social asset on the staff”) has tendered her resignation on account of... (full context)

The following Saturday, Mademoiselle arrives at Lake View to visit Irma. Though the newspapers have been swarming with rumors... (full context)

...just finished, and afternoon classes have not yet begun. During a bit of leisure time, Mademoiselle reads a letter she received from Irma earlier in the week. The letter is written... (full context)

Just as Mademoiselle finishes reading the letter, Mr. Hussey drives Irma up to the front of the building.... (full context)

...she’s planning on traveling onward but would like to say goodbye to her classmates and Mademoiselle. Mrs. Appleyard tells Irma she can find them in the gymnasium. After an icy handshake,... (full context)

...Irma finds Sara strapped to a board meant to correct posture while Miss Lumley and Mademoiselle lead the girls in plies timed to classical music. As Irma steps inside, Mademoiselle tells... (full context)

Chaos overtakes the gymnasium. One student vomits while another begins flailing uncontrollably. Edith screams loudly. Mademoiselle tries to quiet the girls, but soon realizes she’s lost control of them. Miss Lumley,... (full context)

...begin demanding to know what became of their classmates. Irma tells them she doesn’t know. Mademoiselle pushes her way through the crowd and tries to extricate Irma from the mob. Edith... (full context)

...girls, as if snapped from a trance, part to let Irma head for the door. Mademoiselle, still upset, kisses Irma on the cheek and tells her they’ll meet again soon. The... (full context)

After Irma leaves, Mademoiselle curtly tells the girls to go change out of their gym clothes. After the girls... (full context)

...visit. They reply with sullen, short answers. Mrs. Appleyard notices a sparkling emerald bracelet on Mademoiselle’s wrist, but assumes the piece is faux. (full context)

The only student uninterested in the scandal is Sara—whose increasing pallor of late has prompted Mademoiselle to ask Mrs. Appleyard to send for Doctor McKenzie. Sunday evening, as Minnie brings Sara’s... (full context)

After church, Mademoiselle goes to Mrs. Appleyard’s study. She presents herself at the door and says she’d like... (full context)

...Her guardian, she says, showed up and insisted on whisking her away then and there. Mademoiselle is shocked, noting that Mr. Cosgrove is usually kind and patient on his visits. Mademoiselle... (full context)

...busy themselves composing a farewell telegram to Irma, who is due to sail for England. Mademoiselle and Minnie, preparing for their wedding days, compare notes on their dresses and jewelry, and... (full context)

In the room, Mademoiselle finds things in “depressing disorder.” It seems as if Sara has left everything behind—indeed, even... (full context)

That night, Mademoiselle is troubled and cannot sleep. She keeps picturing the miniature portrait of Miranda on the... (full context)

...watering some hydrangeas at the back of the house and planting some new flowers. As Mademoiselle packs up her room, she feels “like a bird about to be set free.” She... (full context)

...that has arrived for him from Appleyard College—marked confidential, it is from the French teacher, Mademoiselle Dianne de Poitiers. The letter, written in beautiful English (in spite of the writer’s repeated... (full context)

Mademoiselle writes that on the morning of the 22nd, Mrs. Appleyard informed her that Sara had... (full context)

Mademoiselle Dianne de Poitiers Character Analysis

Mademoiselle Dianne de Poitiers Quotes in Picnic at Hanging Rock

Chapter 1 Quotes

Chapter 12 Quotes

Mademoiselle Dianne de Poitiers Character Timeline in Picnic at Hanging Rock