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Gaëtan
Julien Rossignol is the father of Vianne Mauriac and Isabelle Rossignol. He is a World War I veteran who came back from the war a changed man. After the death of his wife, Julien essentially became estranged from his daughters. During World War II, Julien is a key member of the French resistance. He provides fake papers for those who need them and writes anti-German pamphlets. In the climax of the novel, he claims that he is the Nightingale, effectively sacrificing himself to spare Isabelle’s life.
Julien Rossignol Quotes in The Nightingale
The The Nightingale quotes below are all either spoken by Julien Rossignol or refer to Julien Rossignol. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 1 Quotes
If I had told him the truth long ago, or had danced and drunk and sung more, maybe he would have seen me instead of a dependable ordinary mother. He loves a version of me that is incomplete. I always thought it was what I wanted: to be loved and admired. Now I think perhaps I’d like to be known.
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Chapter 9 Quotes
Vianne had been so helpless after Maman’s death. When Papa had sent them away, to live in this small town, beneath the cold, stern eyes of a woman who had shown the girls no love, Vianne had . . . wilted.
In another time, she might have shared with Isabelle what they had in common, how undone she’d been by Maman’s death, how Papa’s rejection had broken her heart.
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Chapter 12 Quotes
“Don’t think about who they are. Think about who you are and what sacrifices you can live with and what will break you [. . .] Isabelle will have her crisis of faith in this, too. As will we all. I have been here before, in the Great War. I know the hardships are just beginning. You must stay strong.”
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Chapter 16 Quotes
“You are a foolish girl. Thank God your maman did not live to see who you have become.”
Isabelle hated how deeply that hurt her. “Or you Papa,” she said. “Or you.”
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Chapter 33 Quotes
It was all Vianne could do not to say, I’m different now, Papa. I am helping to hide Jewish children. She wanted to see herself reflected in his gaze, wanted just once to make him proud of her.
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Vianne heard the confession that lay beneath. He was telling her his own story in the only way he could, cloaked in Isabelle’s. He was saying that he had worried about his choice to join the army in the Great War, that he had agonized over what his fighting had done to his family. He knew how changed he’d been on his return, and instead of pain drawing him closer to his children and wife, it had separated them.
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Chapter 38 Quotes
Don’t forget me, Isabelle thought. She wished she had the strength to say it out loud.
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Chapter 39 Quotes
“Did Dad know?” Julien asks.
“Your father . . .” I pause, draw in a breath. Your father. And there it is, the secret that made me bury it all.
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Julien Rossignol Character Timeline in The Nightingale
The timeline below shows where the character Julien Rossignol appears in The Nightingale. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2
...was a frightened, motherless child. Her mother had died just a few weeks before, and her father had already given up on being a good parent. Vianne was left with a Madame...
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Chapter 3
Vianne’s earliest memories are of war. She remembers watching her mother cry as her father left to fight. She also recalls being cold and hungry. More than anything, she remembers...
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...coming weeks. Antoine suggests that Vianne take Sophie to Paris, where she could live with Julien Rossignol , her father. However, Vianne refuses—she wants to stay put. Antoine accepts Vianne’s decision and...
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Chapter 4
Isabelle tells Madame Allard that she is only in school in the first place because Julien Rossignol wants nothing to do with her. Madame Allard tells Isabelle that she should go easy...
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...train to Paris, unsure of what will happen when she gets there. She hopes that Julien Rossignol will welcome her with open arms, but she knows that is unlikely to happen. When...
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After her talk with Christophe, Isabelle returns to Julien Rossignol ’s bookstore. Not long after, Julien and Isabelle hear a loud noise and see crowds...
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Chapter 5
...and now the Germans are moving deeper into France. Before the Germans arrive in Paris, Julien Rossignol decides to send Isabelle away to live with Vianne. He has her pack her things...
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Chapter 13
...knows that the only way she can stay in Paris is if she lives with Julien Rossignol . She knows that Julien will try to send her away as soon as she...
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...with Beck, Isabelle informs him that she wants to go to Paris to live with Julien Rossignol . She lies and says that he is sick and needs someone to care for...
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Chapter 15
...arrives in Paris with her bicycle. When she gets off the train, she bikes to Julien Rossignol ’s store. Isabelle reaches the store and finds it in chaos; it looks like it...
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Later, Julien Rossignol comes home and sees Isabelle. Immediately, he is angry. When Isabelle tells him that she...
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The conversation turns to Julien Rossignol ’s current job. Since he is not running the bookstore anymore, Isabelle wants to know...
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After speaking with Julien Rossignol , Isabelle goes and looks at her old room. Everything is just as she left...
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Moments later, Julien Rossignol knocks on Isabelle’s door and tells her he is leaving. While he is gone, he...
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Chapter 16
...Isabelle looks around, she sees a man named Levy who used to regularly shop at Julien Rossignol ’s bookstore. Also in the room is Anouk, the woman to whom Isabelle previously delivered...
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...her in the future. In response, Isabelle tells him that she is going to reopen her father ’s bookstore. That way, the resistance can come and find her at any point in...
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When Isabelle goes home, she tells Julien Rossignol that she plans to reopen his shop. At first, Julien is angry, but Isabelle reminds...
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Chapter 17
...him to safety. The pilot does as he is told, and Isabelle takes him to Julien Rossignol ’s apartment. Then, she hides him in her wardrobe, where Julien will not think to...
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When Isabelle returns to the apartment, she finds that Julien Rossignol is home from work. As such, for the meantime she cannot do anything further to...
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Chapter 18
The next morning, once Julien Rossignol is gone, Isabelle goes and steals some of his clothes for MacLeish. MacLeish puts on...
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After her talk with Gaëtan, Isabelle heads home. There, she finds Julien Rossignol , who reveals that he knows Isabelle hid MacLeish in his apartment. Additionally, he tells...
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Then, Julien Rossignol reveals that he has been working with the resistance all along. His work for the...
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Chapter 21
After hiding Levy’s card, Isabelle leaves without completing her job. She heads straight for Julien Rossignol ’s apartment, where the two of them discuss the purpose of the cards. Later that...
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Chapter 32
The perspective shifts back to 1944. Isabelle is in Paris with Julien Rossignol . When Isabelle looks at her father, she realizes that he’s aged greatly in the...
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Chapter 33
...an alleyway. At first, she is frightened, but then she realizes that her pursuer is Julien Rossignol . Julien asks Vianne for a safe place to talk, and so they head to...
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Once they are in Rachel’s home, Julien Rossignol informs Vianne about Isabelle’s situation. When Vianne asks how she can help her sister, Julien...
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Additionally, Vianne deduces that Julien Rossignol plans to sacrifice himself in order to save Isabelle. She can tell he has already...
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Chapter 34
...to the Nightingale. For a moment, the torture stops, and then the Germans bring in Julien Rossignol , who is in chains. Julien tells the Germans that he is the Nightingale; evidently,...
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