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
Everyone talks about the huge new street—the Rue du Dix-Decembre—that is being opened. Meanwhile, the Ladies’ Paradise starts building new storefronts following the deal Mouret made with Baron Hartmann. Bourras’s shop remains, sandwiched between towering buildings. Soon, the streets are full of workmen, plaster dust, and carts of bricks.
In preventing the Ladies’ Paradise from completely dominating the street, Bourras’s shop represents the obstinance of the small tradespeople and the traditional model of business trying to stand its ground against the modern.
Themes
Arriving at Baudu’s, Denise feels that the little store looks dirtier than usual. Inside, the atmosphere is also sadder. Madame Baudu and Geneviève stand motionless until Denise kisses them, asking them to forgive her. Baudu asks where Jean is, and Denise lies that he has been detained at work. The family moves into the gloomy dining room and Geneviève closes the window to keep out the stench. Since there are no customers, Baudu invites Colomban to eat with them.
Even though the Ladies’ Paradise (Clara, in particular) has turned Colomban away from the Baudus, the family is still unaware of this and continue to treat him as one of the family. This shows that the Ladies’ Paradise disrupts traditional family values. Denise shows that she, however, values morals and a more traditional mode of conduct when she lies for Jean, who is almost certainly with a lover.
Themes
Over lunch, Denise confesses that she believes the development of business is natural and that it improves the well-being of the public. Baudu says that it is an illusion; thieves are profiting while honest people starve to death. He says that the Vieil Elbeuf will never sink to the level of the big stores the way Bourras did when he painted his shop flashy colors. Baudu tries to change the subject but keeps coming back to the Ladies’ Paradise. He says that it is unbelievable that the Paradise has increased its capital fivefold, and that it keeps adding more departments.
Denise suggests that the Paradise is doing a good thing by making shopping easier for customers; now, they only have to go one place to get everything they need. Baudu, however, fixates on the fact that big business are putting small family shops like his out of business, something he sees as cruel. However, in being unable to not talk about The Paradise, Baudu unwittingly confirms its eminence.
Themes
Baudu stops his rant, saying that he doesn’t want to have another falling out with Denise. After a silence, he tells Denise to ask Colomban and Geneviève how they feel about the Ladies’ Paradise; they have had to postpone their marriage yet again. Colomban says that he hates the Paradise, but Geneviève eyes him with suspicion. Baudu commends Colomban as one of “the last.”
Baudu thinks that Colomban is “the last,” implying that he is the only young person left who appreciates traditional trade. However, unknown to Baudu, Colomban is drawn to the Paradise due to his crush on one of its flashy salesgirls, suggesting that Baudu is wrong to think young people still support the old business model.
Themes
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After lunch, the family disperses. Denise stands at the kitchen window while Geneviève remains at the table. When Denise asks her what’s wrong, Geneviève’s head falls forward on the table and she starts sobbing. Geneviève tells Denise not to alert anyone and continues to cry. Denise pins up Geneviève’s falling hair and notices that she has become very thin.
Geneviève’s increasing decrepitude is a physical representation of the slow death of traditional business, which is being caused by the Ladies’ Paradise. Not only are the Baudus suffering emotionally and financially, but they are physically losing their health.
Themes
When Geneviève slows her crying, she asks Denise if Colomban loves Clara. Denise insists that Colomban loves Geneviève, but Geneviève says she knows the truth. She has been engaged to Colomban for so long that it feels like she is already married to him; now, her heart is breaking. She feels like she is dying, and her father is making it worse by postponing the wedding. Denise and Geneviève are interrupted by Jean’s arrival. The rest of the evening passes slowly.
Geneviève and Colomban’s engagement is a relic of traditional business values. They were engaged with the understanding that they would eventually take over Baudu’s store and have waited forever for that inevitable day. In pursuing Clara, Colomban becomes more like a modern consumer who wants instant gratification, not someone who’s going to nobly carry the torch for his father in law.
Themes
For the next few months, Denise visits Geneviève regularly, trying to cheer her up. The Baudus become more depressed as the construction at the Ladies’ Paradise takes over the entire street. An underground well is installed, and the walls of the houses are broken down to connect them. In September, the construction continues through the night in an effort to finish on time. The Baudus lie awake while outside the window the Ladies’ Paradise blazes like “a colossal forge.” Each time the Ladies’ Paradise opens a new department, more small stores face ruin.
Resembling a “colossal forge,” the Ladies’ Paradise is like a gigantic, industrial pit of fire. It rises up in front of the Baudus’ windows, ceaselessly affronting them with its dominance. This puts enormous pressure on them to abandon their way of life and join its power, but also creates a terrifying presence that makes them shrink further into their own safe yet depressive ways.
Themes
During the day, the line of employees going to work at the Ladies’ Paradise extends around the block. The news spreads that the Ladies’ Paradise turned over 40 million dollars that year. However, Baudu still tries to compete. Since no customers come to him, he tries to get his goods to customers through agents who are now in high demand. He loses his money to bad agents and is finally forced to sell his country house. He sells it for less than he had spent on it, killing the “only dream of his life.” The Baudus invite the buyers—the Lhommes—over for an awkward dinner.
The fact that the Lhommes buy the Baudu’s house adds insult to the injury of them having to sell it. The Lhommes—as important employees at The Paradise—have indirectly taken the Baudus’ dream by being a part of the colossus that is driving them to ruin. When they buy the Baudus’ country house, they reveal how those involves in big business benefit off the ruin of the traditional businessowners.
Themes
That evening, Madame Baudu lies in bed while Baudu paces the bedroom. He says that although the Lhommes have lots of money, they have no family structure and must be unhappy. He rants about how big business is ruining family. Madame Baudu waits until he is finished and then says she is worried about Geneviève’s health; she thinks she and Colomban should marry right away. Baudu is upset by the news of Geneviève’s bad health and says he will talk to Colomban the next day. He continues to pace, looking out at the glare from the construction workers’ lamps.
Baudu tries to assert his superiority over the Lhommes by claiming that his family has a better family structure than theirs. What he does not know is that his good family structure is in jeopardy due to Colomban’s obsession with Clara at The Paradise. In this way, the modern business not only represents a lack of family value, but also works to remove this value from society.
Themes
The next day, Baudu pulls Colomban aside. Baudu tells him that he has been postponing Colomban and Geneviève’s marriage because he doesn’t want to pass the Vieil Elbeuf onto them in state of failure. Baudu starts to cry and asks Colomban why he isn’t saying anything. Colomban—who lusts after Clara every night—is privately afraid that Baudu will make him marry Geneviève immediately. However, Baudu, wrestling with his conscience, decides to put off the marriage again, saying that he will work extra hard to give Colomban a shop that will not ruin him.
Baudu is looking for Colomban to be self-sacrificial and generous—qualities that a person raised with traditional values possesses. However, in his obsession with Clara, Colomban has become a model of the modern consumerist values instead: he is out to seek his own pleasure. In this way, the changes in business create a society that is pleasure-seeking and individualistic.
Themes
Baudu goes on, talking confusedly. He expects Colomban to let out a heartfelt cry and offer to take the Vieil Elbeuf out of Baudu’s tired hands, but Colomban says nothing. When Baudu asks him to say something, Colomban says that he and Geneviève will wait if that’s what Baudu thinks is best.
Colomban’s silence represents the unwillingness of the younger generation to get into traditional business. The fact that the next generation sees opportunity with modern business instead suggests that traditional business is in its final phase.
Themes
That night in their bedroom, Baudu reiterates his determination to save the Vieil Elbeuf for Colomban. Madame Baudu says that postponing the wedding will be the death of Geneviève. Baudu gets angry, wondering why his daughter is adding to his difficulties. Madame Baudu knows why Geneviève suffers, but she doesn’t tell her husband.
Baudu seems to think that Madame Baudu means only figuratively that The Paradise is taking Geneviève’s life when really, she means it literally. This shows that Baudu has not yet realized the power of The Paradise to cause his family harm, and perhaps even literal death.
Themes
Meanwhile, Denise decides to go back to the Ladies’ Paradise. She feels that the Robineaus can no longer afford her. The Robineaus understand her decision, but Bourras is crushed. Recently, the Paradise was planning to create a passage underneath Bourras’s shop, but he shut out the workers. He now prepares to go to court over it.
Denise—who stands between the big shops and the small shops—goes back to the Ladies’ Paradise because she knows they can afford to hire her. This shows that the comfort she felt with the Robineaus is not enough to override her desire to be paid well.
Themes
One evening, Denise runs into Deloche. He says that he is happy that she’s coming back, and then tells her that Clara and Mouret have started a relationship. When Denise gets up to her room, she starts crying. She feels that she hates the Ladies’ Paradise and misses her rural hometown of Valognes.
Since Denise’s nature is not suited to the Ladies’ Paradise, her continual interest in it has been mysterious. Her reaction on hearing of Mouret and Clara’s relationship reveals that she is drawn to it, in part, because she likes Mouret.
Themes
The next day when Denise is passing the Vieil Elbeuf, she sees Colomban alone inside. She walks in and tells Colomban that his actions are killing Geneviève. Colomban says that he doesn’t notice a change in Geneviève’s health, and that it is her father who is putting off the wedding. Denise says that Colomban is giving up Geneviève for someone who dates everyone and doesn’t care about him. Losing her composure, Denise shouts that Clara is with Mouret anyway. Colomban goes pale and says that he loves Clara. Suddenly, Geneviève appears in the doorway.
Denise’s explosion reveals her disgust at the frivolity of everyone’s relationships. She tries to urge Colomban to stay with Geneviève instead of running off with a girl who clearly doesn’t love anyone deeply. In this way, while she has modern opinions about business, Denise’s opinion about love is more traditional: she finds greater value in the long-term commitment between Colomban and Geneviève.
Themes
Having heard Colomban, Geneviève turns pale. Just then, Madame Bourdelais, Baudu’s last faithful customer, walks into the store. Geneviève and Colomban wait on her together. Baudu comes in and shows Madame Bourdelais some silk. She remarks that a stronger silk is cheaper at the Ladies’ Paradise. If Baudu has nothing better, she’ll go across the road. Baudu loses his temper, and yells at her to go. Offended, Madame Bourdelais leaves.
In the midst of the official crumbling of Colomban and Geneviève’s relationship, Baudu loses his last faithful customer. In this way, this scene recaps how the Ladies’ Paradise is not only taking the Baudu’s business, but also destroying their values and compromising the well-being of Baudu’s family.
Themes
The family watch Madame Bourdelais walk away, taking all their hope with her. Denise whispers to Geneviève that Colomban still loves her, but Geneviève says there’s no need to lie. The Ladies’ Paradise has taken everything from the Baudus: it took Baudu’s money, Madame Baudu’s daughter, and Geneviève’s fiancé of 10 years. Denise wonders if she should feel remorse for joining the “machine” that is crushing the poor. Outside, the scaffolding had been removed and the new “colossal edifice” dazzles in the sun. Madame Baudu is blinded by tears. Baudu tries to cheer up his family, but he can’t.
In taking Baudu’s money, The Paradise shows how it ruins small businesses financially; in taking Geneviève, it shows how it destroys families and wastes away a person’s physical health; in taking Colomban, it shows how it creates a culture of casual love and consumerism that makes more traditional romance impossible. In thus completely upending the Baudus, the Ladies’ Paradise creates a new world.
Themes
