The Ladies’ Paradise Character Analysis

Denise Baudu

Denise is an orphan who at first appears unremarkable—pale, skinny, and plain. Her one attractive feature is her long mane of thick blonde hair. When the story begins, she is 20 years old and is… read analysis of Denise Baudu

Octave Mouret

Octave Mouret is the handsome young owner of the Ladies’ Paradise—the new department store in Paris. He had been an “adventurer” with no wealth or remarkable family connections until he married Madame Hédouin—the… read analysis of Octave Mouret

Baudu

Baudu is Denise’s uncle and the owner of a small drapery shop called the Vieil Elbeuf. He is loyal to his traditional ways of business, so when the Ladies’ Paradise starts to attract business… read analysis of Baudu

Madame Baudu

Madame Baudu is Baudu’s wife. She is pale and quiet, and these qualities increase as her family sinks closer to bankruptcy. Unlike her husband, Madame Baudu is perceptive of Colomban’s betrayal and Geneviève… read analysis of Madame Baudu

Geneviève Baudu

Geneviève is Baudu’s daughter. She is pale and thin, with a thick mane of black hair. Per tradition, she has been engaged for 10 years to her father’s shop assistant, Colomban, who will take… read analysis of Geneviève Baudu

Colomban

Colomban is Baudu’s shop assistant and Geneviève’s fiancé. Baudu thinks that Colomban is the last survivor of the old ways of business—loyal, hardworking, and traditional. In reality, Colomban lusts after Clara Prunaire (whom… read analysis of Colomban

Bourdoncle

Bourdoncle is Mouret’s business partner. Bourdoncle is more intelligent and less distracted than Mouret, but he lacks the genius that makes Mouret the true master of the Ladies’ Paradise. Mouret and Bourdoncle both… read analysis of Bourdoncle

Madame Aurélie

Madame Aurélie is the buyer in the ladieswear department at the Ladies’ Paradise. She is stout and majestic, with an aging face that looks like an ancient mask. When Denise first arrives at the… read analysis of Madame Aurélie

Bourras

Bourras is the owner of a small umbrella shop next to the Ladies’ Paradise. He is old and fiery, with white hair and eyebrows. While Denise is staying above his shop when she has… read analysis of Bourras

Robineau

Robineau is the buyer of the silk department at the Ladies’ Paradise. After his department conspires against him, hoping to usurp his job, he is fired by Mouret. He goes to set up… read analysis of Robineau

Vinçard

Vinçard is one of the independent shop owners who shares the street with Baudu’s drapery shop and the Ladies’ Paradise. He owns a fabric manufacturing shop, which he ultimately sells to Robineau and… read analysis of Vinçard

Jean

Jean is Denise’s younger brother. He is very handsome, with delicate, feminine features. He lives and works at an ivory carving shop in Paris. Throughout the novel, he causes Denise much anxiety by having… read analysis of Jean

Pépé

Pépé is Denise’s youngest brother. When the siblings arrive in Paris at the beginning of The Ladies’ Paradise, Pépé is five years old. While she works at the Ladies’ Paradise, Denise keeps… read analysis of Pépé

Pauline—

Pauline is a salesgirl at the Ladies’ Paradise. She becomes close with Denise and tries to convince her to solve her financial troubles by getting a lover to support her. Pauline herself has a… read analysis of Pauline—

Clara Prunaire

Clara Prunaire is a salesgirl at the Ladies’ Paradise. She has red hair and a “horse-like” face. She leads a promiscuous lifestyle and doesn’t care about anyone’s feelings. She bullies Denise mercilessly and has… read analysis of Clara Prunaire

Madame Desforges

Madame Desforges is a widowed aristocrat and Mouret’s mistress. She is 35 years old, but, in her fear of aging and losing her attractiveness to men, she pretends that she is only 29. She… read analysis of Madame Desforges

Madame de Boves

Madame de Boves—or Countess de Boves—is one of Madame Desforges’s aristocratic friends. Throughout the novel, she patronizes the Ladies’ Paradise but claims not to desire anything enough to buy it. However, during the white sale… read analysis of Madame de Boves

Madame Marty

Madame Marty is one of Madame Desforges’s friends and is the first of the aristocratic ladies to start shopping at the Ladies’ Paradise. Throughout the novel, she and her daughter Valentine show themselves to… read analysis of Madame Marty

Monsieur Marty

Monsieur Marty is a professor and Madame Marty’s husband. Madame Marty’s excessive spending at the Ladies’ Paradise forces Monsieur Marty to seek financial help from Madame Desforges, and to take on some shady teaching… read analysis of Monsieur Marty

Baron Hartmann

Baron Hartmann works for a big Credit Union in Paris. He becomes acquainted with Mouret through Madame Desforges, his mistress and benefactor. Through the Credit Union, Baron owns most of the buildings on a… read analysis of Baron Hartmann

Vallagnosc

Vallagnosc is an acquaintance of Madame Desforges’s and an old school friend of Mouret’s. Throughout The Ladies’ Paradise, Vallagnosc’s temperament and beliefs are contrasted against Mouret’s. Unlike Mouret, Vallagnosc got good grades in… read analysis of Vallagnosc

Hutin

Hutin is a salesman in the silk department at the Ladies’ Paradise. Denise initially has a crush on Hutin, believing him to be kind even though he insults her behind her back. Although Hutin… read analysis of Hutin

Jouve

Jouve is the watchman at the Ladies’ Paradise, responsible for catching customers robbing the store, and employees engaging in affairs or conspiracies. Many of the salesgirls avoid him, knowing that he has invited girls… read analysis of Jouve

Henri Deloche

Henri Deloche is a salesman at the Ladies’ Paradise who applies for his job at the same time that Denise does. He and Denise become friends and discover that they grew up in the same… read analysis of Henri Deloche

Madame Hédouin

Madame Hédouin was the original owner of the Ladies’ Paradise and Mouret’s late wife. Many people—especially Mouret’s enemies—believe that Mouret killed Madame Hédouin by pushing her into the foundation of the new Ladies’ Paradise… read analysis of Madame Hédouin

Bouthemont

Bouthemont is the assistant buyer of the silk department at the Ladies’ Paradise. When Hutin pushes Robineau out of his position as buyer, Bouthemont is promoted to buyer. When Bouthemont doesn’t sell enough silk… read analysis of Bouthemont

Lhomme

Lhomme is Madame Aurélie’s husband. He has one arm, but he likes to play the horn in a chamber music group. He defers to Madame Aurélie’s authority since she makes the higher salary. At the… read analysis of Lhomme

Albert Lhomme

Albert Lhomme is Lhomme and Madame Aurélie’s son. He often makes errors at the cash desk at the Ladies’ Paradise where he works, and only his mother’s prestige protects him from being fired. The Lhommes’… read analysis of Albert Lhomme

Minor Characters

Madame Robineau

Madame Robineau is Robineau’s wife. She doesn’t understand business but supports her husband’s attempt to build a successful drapery shop. Madame Robineau is pregnant when Robineau goes bankrupt and decides to give up small business altogether.

Madame Guibal

Madame Guibal is one of Madame Desforges’s friends. She engages in a long-term affair with Monsieur de Boves. As a shopper at the Ladies’ Paradise, she likes to take full advantage of the return feature, buying whatever she wants and then returning it after using it.

Favier

Favier is a salesman in the silk department at the Ladies’ Paradise. He pretends to be deferential to Hutin, who has plotted his way to position of buyer, but is really undermining Hutin for his position just as Hutin undermined those before him.

Mademoiselle Fontenailles

Mademoiselle Fontenailles is a protégé of Madame Desforges’s and works at the Ladies’ Paradise. She is an orphan but has aristocratic ancestors. Therefore, Madame Desforges is appalled when Mouret encourages her to marry a porter at the Ladies’ Paradise.

Marguerite

Marguerite is a salesgirl in the ladieswear department at the Ladies’ Paradise. She originally came to Paris to conceal an accidental pregnancy. When Denise first arrives, Marguerite is mean to her along with the other salesgirls, but later on when Denise becomes assistant buyer, Marguerite defends her.

Mignot

Mignot is a glove salesman at the Ladies’ Paradise. Near the end of The Ladies’ Paradise, he is fired after he is caught assisting a customer in a theft by pretending to help her try on gloves while she stuffs them in her clothes.

Gaujean

Gaujean is a local silk manufacturer. He tries to organize a union of small tradespeople in Paris, working closely with Robineau to start a small drapery business, but is unable to prevail against the effective modern methods of the Ladies’ Paradise.

Blanche

Blanche is Madame de Boves and Monsieur de Boves’s daughter. Her parents arrange for her to marry Vallagnosc.

Valentine

Valentine is Madame Marty’s daughter.

Baugé

Baugé is Pauline’s long-term boyfriend. He eventually comes to work at the Ladies’ Paradise, and he and Pauline get married and conceive a baby.

Therese

Therese is the woman Jean marries near the end of The Ladies’ Paradise.