Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Ladies’ Paradise, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Consumerism and Excess
Women, Exploitation, and Power
Tradition vs. Modernity
Class and Mobility
Summary
Analysis
The next morning, Madame Aurélie sends Denise to Mouret’s office. When Denise walks in, Mouret feels a mixture of anger and sympathy towards her. He starts to reprimand her, but then notices that she is standing straight, her dress fitting and her hair combed into thick braids. Mouret sighs in relief and gets up to smooth a few loose pieces of her hair. Despite his gentle touch, Denise still feels afraid of him. Not wanting to lose his authority, Mouret goes back behind his desk and warns her to continue attending to her appearance. Denise notices the portrait of Madame Hédouin, the woman everyone accuses him of murdering. Mouret dismisses Denise.
Mouret’s desire to appear authoritative causes him to resist his natural instinct to be gentle towards Denise. He wants to exploit women rather than make himself vulnerable to them. Denise feels afraid of Mouret because there is lot of mystery surrounding who he really is around women. Although the reader knows that Mouret honors and feels gratitude towards his late wife, his gruff and calculating exterior conceals this softness and perpetuates the rumor that he is a murderer.
Themes
From then on, Denise has more courage. However, it takes her a long time to get used to the physical demands of her job. Her arms ache from carrying heavy boxes of clothes, and her feet swell with blisters. Many salesgirls get sick and leave the job, but Denise’s grace keeps her going. Clara and Marguerite call her names and play mean tricks on her. Madame Aurélie disdains her, upset that Denise does not suck up to her authority. While Mouret ignores her, Jouve—the store watchman—treats her with a creepy kindness. Denise puts on a smile during the day but cries at night in her ice-cold room.
The work of a salesperson at the Ladies’ Paradise is particularly unforgiving for women. The physical demands are to such a degree that many girls get sick, and they have to put up with unwanted attention from male coworkers. Although this work puts women on an equal playing field with the men in some ways, it also doesn’t offer modern protections, like workplace harassment laws. Instead, women just have to make do, as Denise is doing.
Themes
One night after dinner, Jean calls on Denise at the front door of the shop, even though she forbade him from doing so. He demands 10 francs and tells her that he met the beautiful sister of a friend; he wants to take her out. Denise tries to refuse, saying she had barely enough to pay for Pépé’s room and board. Jean’s eyes fill with tears. She gives him 10 francs and he runs off, kissing her cheek before he goes.
Through Jean, Denise witnesses how love threatens a person’s financial stability—in this case her own. From his experiences and Bourdoncle’s warning, Mouret has the similar fear that love threatens his business. In this way, both Mouret and Denise separately view love as undesirable.
Themes
That night, Denise can’t sleep. She doesn’t have a salary yet, and since the salesgirls don’t let her sell much, she is making barely anything. She stays up all night mending her few pieces of clothing and patching her heavy, worn out shoes. The next day, all she can think about is how she will get the 10 francs she needs for Pépé’s room and board. While she helps a customer buy a coat, she regrets that she took Pépé out last Sunday and bought him treats.
When Denise starts working at the Ladies’ Paradise, she doesn’t prosper immediately. However, her stressful poverty causes her to continue working hard at The Paradise despite the grueling working conditions. This shows that The Paradise provides a person the hope for upward mobility out of poverty—though it’s still to be seen if Denise will actually be able to move up.
Themes
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Under her professional smile, Denise worries about money. In general, she spends no money at all. In the evenings, she takes a short walk by herself and then goes to bed early. The other salesgirls come home late from promiscuous excursions and gossip with each other in the hall. Denise has no friends, and the only girl who is nice to her is Pauline.
Denise is unlike the other salesgirls at the Ladies’ Paradise who, like its loyal customers, are obsessed with appearances and immodesty. This suggests that Denise’s presence at The Paradise will be revolutionary in some way.
Themes
One night, Denise mends her shoes again. She is afraid that they won’t last her until the end of the month. Around 11 o’clock, Pauline knocks on her door. The girls are forbidden to visit each other at night, so Denise lets Pauline in quickly. Pauline says that she’s wanted to talk to Denise for a while, and then notices the clothes Denise has been mending. Pauline expresses her sympathy and says that she was in the same position as Denise when she first started. She was sent to Paris after her family’s mill went bankrupt and worked in several shops before coming to the Ladies’ Paradise. After barely scraping by for months, she now makes 200 francs a month.
Pauline’s story shows how a person can rise out of poverty through working at the Ladies’ Paradise. Unlike a small family business, the Ladies’ Paradise—which hires hundreds of employees—allows those who are poor and without family businesses to work for success. This offers Denise some hope that things will turn around for her soon.
Themes
In Pauline’s comforting presence, Denise opens up about her hardships and money problems. Starting to cry, Denise laments that no one at the Ladies’ Paradise is nice to her, except Jouve. Pauline warns Denise not to trust Jouve, then assures her that the salesgirls are treating Denise how they treat every newcomer. Pauline grasps Denise’s hands kindly and tries to help her figure out her money problems. She tells Denise that she should get a lover to help provide for her, but Denise pulls her hands away and shakes her head. Pauline says that there is no other way that Denise will be able to make ends meet.
In one way, Pauline sets an example of a modern woman: one who can make her own money and lift herself out of poverty. However, her outlook still includes the traditional idea that women are dependent on men, and that Denise should enter a relationship with a man for his money. Denise, however, wants to be able to go it alone and be independent, something that, while radical, looks ridiculous to someone like Pauline.
Themes
Pauline tells Denise about her lovers. Currently, she is seeing a nice salesman. Pauline maintains that there is nothing wrong with what she does and that she is a decent girl. Denise says shyly that she’d have to like someone first. Pauline laughs and asks Denise if she’d like her boyfriend to introduce Denise to one of his friends. Denise gently refuses. Pauline loans Denise six francs and then slips out quietly. Before going to bed, Denise reflects that she is not shocked by Pauline’s lifestyle; she thinks everyone should do as they please, but her “healthy nature” is not suited to it. Besides, there’s no one she loves.
Denise’s instinct to recoil from Pauline’s advice suggests that she holds a mixture of modern and traditional views. She believes that love should come before desire, an attitude that runs contrary to the modern consumer culture in which desire is primary. However, her disinterest in Pauline’s lifestyle shows a belief in her ability to support herself as a woman—a modern notion. In this way, Denise both critiques and advances what it means to be a modern woman.
Themes
After talking to Pauline, Denise takes an interest in the love affairs at the Ladies’ Paradise. Clara is a scandal and has three boyfriends plus a trail of casual lovers. Marguerite has no lovers, which is surprising because she is rumored to have had a baby out of wedlock. The girls make up stories about Madame Aurélie’s affairs with submissive young men. At the end of every day, there is a stampede as all the girls meet their lovers waiting for them outside the door. Denise is upset to discover that Colomban—who watches the girls in the ladieswear department through the glass—is clearly lusting after Clara. Denise feels bad for Geneviève, and wonders if love is always so stupid.
Denise might think love is “stupid,” but she also finds that other people’s affairs are wildly entertaining. In this way, her coworkers’ affairs become like any other product that the Ladies’ Paradise sells: it’s interesting and seductive, even if it’s not great quality. The fact that even Colomban is interested in Clara, rather than his fiancée, suggests that he's not immune to the draw of modernity, even though he was basically raised in a traditional shop model.
Themes
In the evenings, Denise daydreams while the girls go off with their lovers. She likes to watch them return the next day smelling like the outside world. Denise doesn’t envy the girls but is filled with curiosity about Paris life and the unknown. She tries to picture the restaurants and theaters that the girls talk about.
In daydreaming about love but not participating in affairs, Denise is the opposite of a consumer. The consumer buys whatever they want, always turning desire into possession, while Denise resists any desire she feels. In this way, Denise is a revolutionary character.
Themes
During the workday, the male and female workers are so competitive that there is no room for desire. They are all simply cogs in a machine. However, Denise sees Albert Lhomme slip a note to a girl in the lingerie department one day. And, during the winter off-season, the salesmen and salesgirls flirt more regularly. Deloche often smiles shyly at Denise. Although her femininity is aroused by all this activity, only Hutin excites her. She makes detours throughout her day so as to walk by his desk. Hutin, however, does not notice Denise. He despises the salesgirls and brags that he sleeps with the affluent female customers. In reality, he picks up girls in bars where he spends all his money and makes scenes brawling.
The work environment of the Ladies’ Paradise fosters such equality between the sexes that sexual relationships are not present during the workday. This shows how equality has the effect of stunting love for a time: in changing the role that women play in society, work also changes the dependent role that women previously played in relationships. In this way, the Ladies’ Paradise not only changes the system of classes and gender roles, but also changes conventional sexual relations.
Themes
In the spring, Denise is given a salary of 300 francs. She buys new shoes, surprising the salesgirls who had made fun of her clunky boots. Denise’s friendship with Pauline exacerbates the ongoing rivalry between the ladieswear and lingerie departments. Madame Aurélie remains neutral until her son Albert is caught kissing a girl from the lingerie department in the basement. She accuses the lingerie department of making it up, and a huge scandal erupts. The girl from the lingerie department is fired.
Getting new, more refined shoes symbolizes that Denise is moving up the social ladder at work—now, she has the money to make herself fit in better. The workplace environment, though, remains ruthless. Though women can climb the ladder at work, the fact that Albert’s girlfriend, rather than Albert, is fired as a result of this scandal suggests that they’re still far more vulnerable to foul play in the workplace. Albert, of course, also has his powerful mother to protect him, something the salesgirl doesn’t have.
Themes
Madame Aurélie resents Denise for fraternizing with Pauline. To show her displeasure, she invites all the ladieswear department girls except Denise on a trip to her country house. Madame Aurélie bought this house so that she could avoid ever spending time with her husband and son, whose company makes her uncomfortable. For weeks, the girls talk about the trip and Denise feels left out. Pauline invites Denise to accompany her and her boyfriend to the country. When Pauline promises not to bring anyone else, Denise accepts. She longs to be in nature again.
Madame Aurélie might be married with a son—a traditional setup—but she remains a modern woman who would prefer to support herself and make sure she has what she needs to be comfortable. That Madame Aurélie is helping to stir up drama in the ladieswear department shows just how insidious Mouret’s plan to cause strife among employees to make them work hard is. Denise, for her part, isn’t willing to work hard in the way Madame Aurélie wants, so she’s left out.
Themes
On Sunday, Denise and Pauline meet Pauline’s boyfriend, Baugé. Denise wears her old wool dress and a bonnet trimmed with a blue ribbon, while Pauline wears a flashy silk dress. It’s a beautiful day and Denise starts to smile, feeling the weight of the Ladies’ Paradise fall away. While the three are in a cab, they spot Lhomme running down the street with an instrument under his arm (he plays in a chamber music group). Denise and Pauline hope that the day is sunny for them and rainy for Madame Aurélie and the other girls.
Even though Denise has started to make a salary at the Ladies’ Paradise, she still dresses modestly. This contrasts with Pauline, who embraces the flashy, seductive fashions that The Paradise promotes. In this way, Denise stands out as someone who is drawn to The Paradise but not for the same consumerist reasons that everyone else is. Presumably, her role will be one that revolutionizes The Paradise in some way.
Themes
Denise, Pauline, and Baugé take a train to the country. They boat out to an island and stroll under poplar trees. Denise walks behind Pauline and Baugé, who have their arms around each other. Baugé kisses Pauline’s neck, and Denise wants to cry. The countryside suddenly makes her sad. They order lunch at an outdoor table, and Pauline’s laughter annoys Denise. Pauline orders tons of sweets, while Denise limits her order to keep the bill down. After lunch, they walk along the river, watching the sun go down. Two boats full of shouting pub-crawlers go by, and Pauline exclaims that she sees Hutin. Denise looks, but all she sees is a woman in white with a red hat.
Although Denise refuses to engage in love affairs, her feelings during the excursion to the country suggest that she is lonely. She does not want the kind of love that she sees—a kind that mostly expresses itself superficially and excessively—but she longs for love in some form. In this attitude, she again shows herself as opposite of the consumer. While the consumer wants what is advertised to them, Denise wants something only her instincts guide her to.
Themes
That evening, Denise, Pauline and Baugé go again to the restaurant on the island. The place is noisy and crowded and lit only by candles. Pauline points out Albert Lhomme, who is sitting with two underage girls and an older woman—all of whom are behaving vulgarly. From the next room, they hear the same shouts Denise heard earlier from the boat of pub-crawlers. Hutin suddenly appears, his arm around the girl with the red hat. Hutin swaggers as people applaud, flaunting a bruise on his cheek. Apparently, Hutin fought with someone over the girl on his arm. Denise feels cold, and a lump rises in her throat.
Denise thought Hutin was kind and honorable, and this fueled her crush on him—now, though, her feelings are changing as she sees who he really is. This reveal of Hutin’s true character and the change in Denise’s feelings towards him suggests that she might have been wrong about Mouret too (whom she fears and dislikes, perhaps erroneously) and foreshadows a change in her feelings towards him as well.
Themes
Hutin sits down next to their table. Recognizing Baugé, he teases him for working at a shop that only hires virgins. Lienard, a young man with Hutin, joins in. Baugé retorts that the Ladies’ Paradise fires people for the slightest wrong, but Hutin is no longer listening; he is insulting Robineau and boasting that he makes more money than Favier. Seeing that Denise has turned pale, Baugé calls for the bill and they leave. Denise finds the cool air a relief after the hot pub.
This scene at the bar reveals to Denise what the salespeople at the Ladies’ Paradise are really like beneath their guises of kindness. This idea that everyone is two-faced is central to the Ladies’ Paradise, which purports to serve women while Mouret actually sees them as weak and manipulable.
Themes
Outside, Henri Deloche appears and wishes them good evening. Denise, feeling the need for support, takes his arm and asks him to walk with them. They walk under the poplars, Baugé and Pauline going out in front. Denise and Deloche are quiet at first, calming themselves from the clamor of the pub. At last, Deloche confesses that he loves Denise. Denise does not reply and starts to cry. She wishes Deloche were Hutin. Gently, she tells Deloche that she thinks of him only as a friend. Deloche feels heartbroken and cries. As Denise comforts him, she discovers that Deloche is from the same part of the countryside as her. They share their mutual memories, and they part as friends.
After of one example of false love (Denise’s love for Hutin), Henri Deloche presents Denise with another. Whereas Hutin and Denise are very dissimilar, Deloche and Denise have a lot in common. However, Deloche and Denise’s similarity is only enough to make them friends and doesn’t change Denise’s feelings about Deloche into love. This shows that true love is not about similarity or dissimilarity, but about something more below the surface.
Themes
Denise, Pauline and Baugé take the train back to Paris. In response to Pauline’s teasing, Denise assures her that she and Deloche are only friends. Denise accompanies Pauline and Baugé to Baugé’s apartment and is shocked to discover that Pauline plans to spend the night there. Denise forces Baugé to accept her share of the day’s expenses, and then she lingers awkwardly at Pauline’s insistence. When Denise is finally ready to leave, Pauline insinuates that she and Baugé will have a very good night, and Denise feels humiliated.
Denise is appalled by Pauline’s overtly sexual lifestyle. In some ways, this makes Denise seem prudish, but it also shows that she has a desire for depth in a relationship. In opposing casual sex and fancy clothes, Denise presents herself as someone who can resist the superficial temptations of a sexually liberal, consumerist society.
Themes
Denise goes to the entrance that leads to the staff rooms and Mouret’s apartment. As she is entering the hall, Denise sees a man pass through a door. Fearing that it is Mouret, she opens a door and finds herself in the store. She makes her way to the other stairway that leads to the bedrooms, passing through shadowy piles of merchandise. She dodges the snoring porter and a light in the ladieswear department. In the lace department, she encounters Deloche, who sleeps there on a cot. She runs back to the hallway.
Denise goes out of her way to avoid Mouret. This irrational determination to avoid interacting with him suggests something profound about her feelings towards him. Her avoidance contrasts against her feelings towards Hutin (whom she now knows she doesn’t love): she would go out of her way to walk by Hutin’s desk, whereas she goes out of her way to avoid Mouret.
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On the stairs, Denise runs into Mouret. Mouret questions Denise kindly, and she tells him that she went to the country with a girlfriend. Denise looks prettier than usual and Mouret is distressed to think that she must have a lover. Denise murmurs goodnight, and Mouret watches her go up the stairs.
The fact that Mouret thinks about Denise’s lovers suggests that he has feelings for her. Denise makes a point of clarifying that she was out with a girlfriend, suggesting that it is important to her to either assure him that she is single or that she’s morally upstanding (or, perhaps, both).
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