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 summer slow season comes, and all the workers at the Ladies’ Paradise fear losing their jobs. Every morning, Mouret and Bourdoncle urge the heads of departments to fire a number of their staff. Bourdoncle invents random workers’ misdeeds and fires them by yelling, “go and collect your wages!” Some favored staff are given holidays without pay, but most are cast off like “useless cogs.” The staff fearfully count the names of those fired like the casualties of an epidemic. Workers are wrongfully accused by customers and fired immediately, and everyone fears that they will be next.
The Ladies’ Paradise holds so strict a principle of efficiency that they don’t treat their employees like human beings. In likening The Paradise is a machine, the employees are cogs, and employers only care about them insofar as they serve the machine’s operation. This highlights that the staff are exploited the same way that the store’s customers are: there’s no thought for the staff or customers’ humanity or needs, beyond keeping the store running.
Themes
Every night, Denise cries in her room, feeling insignificant in the huge machine. She knows that if the ladieswear department is told to fire someone, it will be her; everyone hates her even more since she went to the country with Pauline. The girls gossip about her, saying that she has a baby and a lover. Denise tries to explain that the girls are seeing her with her brothers, but they don’t believe her. When Deloche hears the rumor, he wants to punch the girls; he has become very protective of Denise. Denise just stares calmly at the girls when they insult her.
The fact that the Ladies’ Paradise makes Denise feel worthless reveals that while it appears to serve the public, in reality it doesn’t care about anyone. Similarly, Mouret’s love of women is utilitarian for the benefit of his business and is actually founded on his disrespect of women. In this way, The Paradise is in many ways an illusion: it appears to serve the many while only serving itself.
Themes
Jean continually writes to Denise, begging for money and exaggerating dire situations involving his affairs. Through Robineau, Denise gets a side job mending neckties. She stays up late sewing, but when she takes the neckties to the seller the next day, the woman has gone out business. That day, Jean writes begging for money to appease his lover’s jealous husband. He says he will die if she doesn’t give him money. Denise tries to get the money she lost on the neckties from Robineau, but he is on holiday.
Like many of the customers at The Paradise, Jean spends money on his desires. On the other hand, Denise wants money for practical reasons. Denise finds it impossible to get ahead with Jean’s constant spending on frivolous matters, revealing how the consumerist tendency to spend money on needless things leads quickly to financial hardship.
Themes
Noticing Denise’s distress, Pauline pulls her aside to talk. Jouve walks by, and Pauline starts to hide. When Denise asks what there is to fear, Pauline says that Jouve sometimes asks the girls for “gratitude” for his kindness. Pauline then tells Denise that Robineau is back. Denise goes downstairs to look for him.
Pauline insinuates that Jouve sexually harasses the female employees. This detail is another example of how The Paradise pretends to care about women but is founded on misogynistic principles.
Themes
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Downstairs, Hutin is helping a customer when Denise walks by. Hutin asks insultingly if she’d like to see Robineau. Denise blushes. She feels hurt and is unsure whether she is still in love with Hutin. Favier tells Denise that Robineau will be back after lunch. Denise goes back up to the ladieswear department, where Madame Aurélie rebukes her for disappearing. If she doesn’t find Robineau today, all will be lost.
Hutin and Favier constantly insult their female customers and coworkers. This crude environment suggests that the level of equality women have attained through working like men at The Paradise has only allowed men greater freedom to express their misogynistic opinions.
Themes
Robineau’s return causes unrest in the silk department. While he was gone, Hutin did his best to damage Robineau’s reputation in hopes of supplanting him. Now, all of the staff want to remove Robineau, believing that his departure will allow them to climb the ladder of power. Some defend Robineau, but the coup against him is so great that the management decides to discuss whether or not to fire him.
At the Ladies’ Paradise, where everyone is treated with equal indifference, there is “a ladder of power” that the employees see as feasible for them to climb. However, this equal opportunity—which is a newfound positivity in this society—necessarily comes with contentious competition.
Themes
The meal bell rings, and Hutin and Favier go down to the basement. A line of staff forms at the cafeteria hatch, where the cook stands by big pots. In turn, the cook dishes up beef with mustard sauce, and stinky fish that no one except Favier asks for. Each person gets a small bottle of wine before going to sit at tables covered with wet oil cloth and set with loaves of bread. The basement is damp and moldy, with small windows just above street level.
Interestingly, though the Paradise is overwhelmingly portrayed as a bright and shiny establishment in Paris, the dining hall seems just as disgusting and depressing as Baudu’s dining room. In this regard, modernity certainly has its downsides, or at least is on equal footing with the antiquated shop system it’s trying to replace.
Themes
Hutin and Favier sit down at one of the tables and complain about the poor quality of the food. In response to an inquiry, Hutin says that Robineau is back. He complains again about the beef and jokes about giving it to Deloche, who has a huge appetite.
Although the employees resent the bad food, they seem to enjoy the informal environment of the modern department store where they act raucously and insult each other freely.
Themes
A whistle blows, signaling the arrival of Mouret and Bourdoncle. In response to complaints, Mouret and Bourdoncle often come down to pretend to judge the food. Bourdoncle declares the beef excellent, while Mouret gives a passionate speech swearing to improve the food for his employees. The cafeteria staff bring out pans of rice. Hutin barters his rice for dessert, then everyone hushes to eavesdrop on Mouret and Bourdoncle, who are talking with Bouthemont in the hall.
Mouret show of concern for his employees suggests that he treats his staff like dispensable commodities for the purpose of increasing his sales. In line with his efficiency principles, he wants to spend as little on them as possible, and this means not actually caring that their meals are almost inedible. The Ladies’ Paradise is a “machine,” and concerns of employee well-being are not part of its operation.
Themes
Bouthemont is telling Mouret and Bourdoncle about the unrest in the silk department. Robineau has been at the Ladies’ Paradise for seven years, and Mouret doesn’t want to fire him. However, he and Bourdoncle are angry to hear that Robineau helped a salesgirl get a second job, an act which they feel is disrespectful to the Ladies’ Paradise. However, when Mouret hears that the girl was Denise, he suggests forgiving the whole thing. Bourdoncle looks at Mouret with contempt. Bouthemont tells Mouret that Robineau considered betraying the Ladies’ Paradise and starting his own business. Mouret avoids a decision and starts joking about Bouthemont’s old-fashioned father.
Despite his often heartless nature, Mouret seems more concerned with employee rights than his associates. He wants to give Robineau special treatment because of his seniority at The Paradise, suggesting that he believes in appropriate compensation for hard work. Moreover, he shows an irrational softness for Denise that goes against principle of “efficiency at all costs,” suggesting that he is not the ruthless businessman he often appears to be.
Themes
Robineau enters the dining hall. Mouret says they will decide later, and he and Bourdoncle leave. The silk department staff speculates as to what management might have decided. The cafeteria staff come around with coffee for purchase, and everyone lingers. The bell rings and the cafeteria staff start wiping down the tables.
Unlike at a small, traditional business, the staff and the management are entirely separate at the Ladies’ Paradise. This creates gossip and a competitive environment in which the management and the staff attempt to overpower the other.
Themes
As Hutin and Favier are leaving the cafeteria, they pass Denise coming down. Hutin mockingly tells her that Robineau is in the cafeteria. Denise wants to speak to Robineau but goes to the room where the girls eat separately. Unlike the men, the girls are served their food. While they eat, Clara tells the girls about a man who slit his mistress’s throat with a razor when he found her cheating. Noticing that Denise turns pale, Clara speculates that Denise is cheating on her lover and fears his revenge. Pauline declares she can’t eat the beef and has the cafeteria make her an omelet.
Clara is an example of how the modern world has sexually liberated women, doing away with traditional feminine ideals such as loyalty and chastity. In this way, Denise’s character—defined by traditional values—makes her incomprehensible to the girls working at the Ladies’ Paradise. On the other hand, Denise’s determination to work to support herself rather than to enjoy herself makes her even more modern than someone like Clara.
Themes
The cafeteria staff brings out rice. Someone says that the management promised to improve the food, but everyone else laughs. The girls tuck napkins under their chins to protect their dresses and open a window. Jouve—who likes to supervise the girls during meals—walks by. When the girls go back upstairs. Denise lags behind, hoping to talk to Robineau.
The women seem far more good-natured about the terrible food and the dank cafeteria than the men; they open a window rather than complaining. But Jouve lurking around reminds readers that the female employees are constantly at risk of harassment—recall that Jouve isn’t trustworthy at all.
Themes
When Denise is alone, Jouve comes up to her and smiles paternally. Jouve says that he spotted Denise talking with Pauline earlier, and he asks why the two girls are so fond of each other. Denise shrinks away and tells Jouve to leave her alone. Jouve steps closer and tells Denise not to be ungrateful. He urges her to come to his apartment later for bread and butter. Denise panics and pushes Jouve away from her. Jouve falls into a chair, spilling wine on his necktie. Denise flees while Jouve yells that she’ll be sorry.
Women might be allowed to earn their livings like men, and the sexes compete as equals for sales, but women are still treated as men’s property. Jouve—as a fixture of a traditional, sexist society—uses women’s equality as an opportunity to take advantage of them. This creates tension, as Jouve has the upper hand—he can make life miserable for Denise if he wants to.
Themes
Denise runs upstairs to the ladieswear department. Later in the afternoon, when Madame Aurélie nods off, she goes back downstairs to look for Robineau. There, Jean accosts her and demands 15 francs. He says that his lover is waiting outside. Noticing that salesmen are looking at them suspiciously, Denise pushes Jean through a door and down to the basement. She hushes him until they are in the stock room.
Denise’s position at the Ladies’ Paradise is threatened because she doesn’t comply with its principles. The Paradise doesn’t value family, and so does not understand Denise’s relationship with her brother. The Paradise’s impersonality and efficiency do not accommodate Denise’s kindness.
Themes
Jean says dramatically that his lover’s husband has a knife. He says that he’s really in love this time and describes the way he kissed his lover. Denise loses her temper and tells him to keep his disgusting behavior private. Jean starts to cry. He tells her not to give him anything, and that if the husband kills him, it will be a relief to her.
Denise feels that love—at least the kind of love that Jean is talking about—threatens her chance of achieving stability. She uses this opinion she forms of love as a reason to stay away from matters of love herself.
Themes
Denise hears footsteps and sees Jouve coming over to them. Panicking, Denise pushes Jean up the basement steps and out of the shop, yelling that she’ll send him 15 francs. Jouve comes up from the basement and tells Denise that he won’t tolerate “nice things” in the basement. Distraught, Denise goes up to the ladieswear department. Jouve goes to Mouret’s office and, while Mouret is busy speaking with Robineau, tells Bourdoncle of Denise’s misconduct.
Significantly, Jouve intentionally tells Bourdoncle and not Mouret about Denise’s rule breaking. This suggests both that Mouret is more soft-hearted than Bourdoncle, and that Mouret is starting to have a particular softness for Denise. All in all, Mouret is not always the merciless businessowner that he appears.
Themes
Without consulting Mouret, Bourdoncle goes up to the ladieswear department. He confers with Madame Aurélie, who then turns around and tells Denise to go and collect her wages. When Denise insists that Jean is her brother, Clara and Marguerite start laughing. Denise looks at them and gives up fighting.
Denise feels that she is fighting a losing battle at The Paradise because no one will even believe her explanations. The impersonal business model of The Paradise leads to heartlessness among the staff as well.
Themes
Denise leaves the department. She thinks of Mouret and suddenly wants to tell him that she had not been with a man in the basement. She runs to his office but then stops, feeling suddenly sad; Mouret would laugh at her. She collects her wages and leaves without saying goodbye. On her way out, she runs into Robineau, who promises to find the necktie seller.
Just like when she ran into Mouret coming back from the country, Denise wants to assure Mouret that she is single. This suggests that she has feelings for Mouret that her fear of him have kept her from admitting to herself.
Themes
That night, Robineau gets a letter from the management, firing him. The ladieswear department celebrates Denise’s dismissal while the silk department celebrates Robineau’s. Mouret is furious when he hears that Denise was fired. He finds out that Jean really was Denise’s brother, and he considers asking her to come back. Bourdoncle tells Mouret knowingly that it’s better for everyone that Denise is gone.
Usually, The Ladies Paradise fires its employees without thinking twice, as though they are not real people. While Mouret consents to this with Robineau—who worked at The Paradise for seven years—he resents that Denise was treated this way. In considering her as a person with feelings, Mouret reveals that he is not universally heartless.
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