Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Mysteries of Udolpho, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Marriage, Love, and Inheritance
The Wonders of Nature
Mystery and Superstition
Mortality
The Value of Education and Art
Summary
Analysis
Madame Cheron’s house is outside the city of Thoulouse itself. From the terrace, there’s a panoramic view of Languedoc, with the tops of the Pyrenees visible in the south. Emily likes to go on early morning walks, but Madame Cheron tells her that she doesn’t approve of them. Emily figures that Madame Cheron suspects her of going to see a man, and she feels guilty.
Emily feels guilt even though she’s done nothing wrong. Just as Quesnel manipulated St. Aubert’s generous nature, Madame Cheron seems to have her own plans to manipulate Emily, showing the lengths that some characters will go to for money.
Themes
Madame Cheron is having several guests for dinner that evening, including Montoni and Cavigni. Montoni is handsome and seems to take an interest in Emily, but something about him fills Emily with a fear she doesn’t understand. Meanwhile, Cavigni pays most of his attention to Madame Cheron. Emily is glad when they leave. She spends another two weeks living with Madame Cheron, enduring more social events and longing for her rare moments of solitude.
After accusing Emily of sneaking off to see men, Madame Cheron herself flirts openly in public, showing how she maintains a double standard. The Italian Montoni and Cavigni call to mind Quesnel’s Italian heiress wife, and they suggest that Madame Cheron wants to remarry for money, not for love as St. Aubert did.
Themes
One day, Emily sees a man on horseback come toward the house who resembles Valancourt. She doesn’t have a chance to learn the man’s true identity, but the incident leaves her restless. The next morning, Madame Cheron summons Emily and shows her a letter, asking her if she recognizes the handwriting. It is Valancourt’s. Madame Cheron thinks that Emily must have encouraged Valancourt to be so “impertinent,” but Emily defends him. Madame Cheron says she’ll write back declining Valancourt’s request to visit.
The reason Madame Cheron dislikes Valancourt is because she thinks he isn’t wealthy or distinguished enough, but instead she tries to manipulate Emily by attacking his character and Emily’s as well. Madame Cheron presents a challenge to Emily, who learned from St. Aubert that acting morally and with self-restraint is the best way to succeed, since Madame Cheron seems to have gotten her position of authority by doing the opposite.
Themes
Madame Cheron demands that Emily must conduct herself better or else get sent off to a convent. Reluctantly, Emily promises to do as Madame Cheron says. Just as she’s tearfully making this promise, Valancourt himself shows up at the house. Emily feels a mix of emotions as her joy soon turns to apprehension. Valancourt says he’d like to meet Emily’s family. Once again, Madame Cheron shows up and assumes Emily and Valancourt were trying to meet in secret.
As an unmarried woman, Emily has little choice but to listen to her new guardian, Madame Cheron. Madame Cheron takes full advantage of the power dynamic in their relationship. Valancourt seemingly wants to conduct his relationship with Emily properly, but even when he does the correct thing, Madame Cheron finds a way to make his behavior seems suspicious.
Themes
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Valancourt explains that he made a mistake by forgetting to date his letter, so in case this affected Madame Cheron’s ability to reply, he decided to show up in person. Madame Cheron and Valancourt have a long talk. Eventually, Valancourt leaves, and Madame Cheron informs Emily that she has sent him off with instructions to never return. Emily cries and says Madame Cheron has misunderstood everything. Emily has to spend more time with her aunt that evening and forces herself to try to seem cheerful.
At this point in the story, Madame Cheron is completely selfish, seeing Emily as nothing more than a tool to acquire more wealth through marriage and not considering Emily’s own feelings about Valancourt. Madame Cheron’s actions cause Emily a lot of pain, and in the process, they draw attention to the negative consequences of focusing too much on the financial aspects of marriage.
Themes
That evening, there’s a fancy ball and supper. The scene is joyous, but as much as Emily tries to enjoy it, she still worries about Valancourt. In fact, the ball is so big that Valancourt himself has shown up, although he is dancing with a young, beautiful woman that Emily doesn’t recognize. Seeing this, Emily momentarily feels faint. All the while, Madame Cheron converses with Cavigni.
The beautiful young woman with Valancourt causes even Emily to doubt his faithfulness to her. While some mysteries in the story, like who plays the mysterious music that Emily hears, have a tinge of the supernatural to them, other mysteries are more mundane, like whether Valancourt is the person he appears to be around Emily. This shows how human nature itself can be mysterious.
Themes
Emily learns with dismay that the woman dancing with Valancourt is one of the most beautiful women in Thoulouse, Mademoiselle d’Emery, who is supposedly going to inherit a large fortune. At one point, Valancourt notices Emily and Madame Cheron, and he simply bows, looking embarrassed. Cavigni comments that he didn’t know they knew Valancourt, but Emily denies knowing Valancourt, saying he’s “impertinent.” Cavigni says that if it’s impertinent to admire Emily, there must be a lot of impertinent men in the room, including himself. He adds that a more refined woman like Madame Cheron doesn’t need praise because she’s above it.
Ironically, at the moment when Valancourt is beginning to lose Emily’s respect, he gains respect from other people at the party by seeming to win over a woman with a large fortune. This whole ball scene emphasizes how, outside of the idyllic La Vallée, people are much shallower and more materialistic than St. Aubert was. Cavigni goes out of his way to flatter Madame Cheron, raising the question of what he hopes to get out of her.
Themes
Montoni starts coming over to join Madame Cheron, Cavigni, and Emily. Madame Cheron asks what has been occupying Montoni all night, annoyed that he has not paid any attention to Madame Cheron herself. (Madame Cheron is old enough that it would be “ridiculous” for her to take a second husband, but she likes to dream about one anyway.) Eventually Montoni reaches them and apologizes to Madame Cheron for being away from her so long.
Madame Cheron isn’t satisfied with Cavigni’s flattery—she also wants the attention of Montoni, even though in the end, she’s only looking for just one new husband. This scene emphasizes how her greed isn’t just for money, but for social acceptance. This desire guides so many of her actions.
Themes
Still at the ball, Madame Cheron has supper with her friend Madame Clairval. Madame Cheron claims that she herself just rejected a marriage proposal from Valancourt that morning (leaving it ambiguous at first about whether the proposal was for Emily or herself). Cavigni, who is with Madame Cheron, praises Valancourt for his “discernment” in women (also leaving it ambiguous about whether he’s talking about Emily, Madame Cheron, or both of them). Madame Cheron says she wouldn’t have known Valancourt was a gentleman if she hadn’t seen him sitting next to Mademoiselle d’Emery. She asks Madame Clairval to get rid of the embarrassing rumor that Valancourt is her admirer.
This passage further shows how Madame Cheron is flawed, with her telling blatant lies about Valancourt in order to spread gossip. Madame Cheron’s insistence that Valancourt was flirting with her could suggest that one of the reasons why Madame Cheron treats Emily so poorly is that she is jealous of the youth and potential that Emily represents, including Emily’s greater value as a marriage partner due to her age.
Themes
A woman at the table takes Madame Cheron aside to tell her that Valancourt is Madame Clairval’s nephew. This totally changes Madame Cheron’s opinion of him, and Emily is surprised to overhear Madame Cheron praising Valancourt. Eventually, Madame Cheron and Emily leave, with Madame Cheron trying not to look embarrassed.
This passage humorously shows how Madame Cheron’s scheming can backfire, as she gets caught spreading malicious rumors about Valancourt right to his aunt’s face. The fact that Madame Cheron didn’t know her friend was Valancourt’s aunt further reinforces the idea that all of her relationships are superficial.
Themes
The next morning, Madame Cheron says to Emily that she’s changed her mind, and Valancourt may come to visit after all. In fact, Madame Cheron writes to Valancourt herself. Valancourt comes over in the evening, still looking ill at ease around Madame Cheron. Madame Cheron explains that she never had anything personal against Valancourt, she just wanted her niece to marry ambitiously and didn’t realize Valancourt’s connections at first. Valancourt starts making regular visits to the house, and Emily notices that Montoni also starts making regular visits, establishing himself as Madame Cheron’s favorite suitor.
This passage emphasizes how Madame Cheron treats Emily poorly less out of cruelty than out of selfishness—Madame Cheron is happy to let Emily see Valancourt as soon as she realizes he’s richer than she initially thought. Madame Cheron’s new permissiveness also seems to be a way for her to get rid of Emily to spend more time with Montoni. Madame Cheron shows how people without a strong moral foundation are unreliable and can change their minds quickly.
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