Madame Raquin Character Analysis in Thérèse Raquin

Madame Raquin is an old woman who has lived outside of Paris for many years. After running a haberdashery, she sells the business and saves the profits, planning to live out her old age alongside her son, Camille, and her niece, Thérèse. Madame Raquin has devoted her life to Camille, who was constantly sick as a child. She also took in Thérèse and raised her alongside her son, but she always prioritizes Camille’s needs over all else, assuming Thérèse will help her ensure Camille’s happiness. She even arranges for Camille and Thérèse to get married, thinking the couple will live with her. Plans change, however, when Camille decides—in the aftermath of his marriage to Thérèse—to move to Paris. Madame Raquin is upset, but she decides to move with them and open a new haberdashery. She’s so attached to Camille that she doesn’t even entertain the idea of staying behind. Later, she’s utterly distraught when she learns that he has drowned, but she’s not suspicious of Laurent or Thérèse. To the contrary, she comes to see Laurent as a son of her own, since he makes a point of taking good care of her. After some initial hesitation, she even helps arrange Thérèse and Laurent’s marriage, thinking that—of all people—Laurent is the best person to take Camille’s place. As the newlyweds descend into despair, they depend on Madame Raquin’s presence, since they feel less afraid and guilty when they’re not alone. But then Madame Raquin has a medical event that leaves her paralyzed, at which point the newlyweds reveal in her presence that they killed Camille. Madame Raquin is thus forced to lead a miserable existence in which she has no choice but to live with the two people she hates most: her son’s murderers.

Madame Raquin Quotes in Thérèse Raquin

The Thérèse Raquin quotes below are all either spoken by Madame Raquin or refer to Madame Raquin. 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:

By then Camille was twenty. His mother still treated him like a spoilt little boy. She adored him because she had struggled to keep him alive through a youth full of pain and sickness. The child had had every imaginable type of fever and illness, one after the other, and Madame Raquin had put up a fifteen-year fight against the sequence of fearful maladies which had threatened to snatch her son from her. She had overcome them all with her patience, care, and adoring devotion.

Related Characters: Madame Raquin, Camille

Page Number and Citation: 11

Explanation and Analysis:

He had decided to go there to cover himself in case anyone should suspect him, and to avoid having to break the dreadful news to Madame Raquin in person. That was something he felt peculiarly loath to do, for he fully expected her to be so grief-stricken that he would be unable to summon sufficient tears to act his own part credibly; moreover, he found the thought of her maternal anguish oppressive, although he didn’t really care about it otherwise.

Related Characters: Camille, Olivier, Michaud, Madame Raquin, Laurent

Page Number and Citation: 67

Explanation and Analysis:

‘It’s perfectly clear, I can guess the whole sentence from the look in Madame’s eye. I don’t need things written out for me on a table, one glance from her is enough. What she meant to say is: “Thérèse and Laurent have taken good care of me.’”

Grivet had reason to feel pleased with his powers of imagination, because this time the whole company agreed with him. The guests began to sing the couple’s praises for having been so kind to the poor lady.

Related Characters: Grivet (speaker), Michaud, Madame Raquin, Thérèse Raquin, Laurent, Suzanne, Olivier

Page Number and Citation: 167-8

Explanation and Analysis:

Madame Raquin Character Timeline in Thérèse Raquin

The timeline below shows where the character Madame Raquin appears in Thérèse Raquin. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Madame Raquin —the old woman who sits next to Thérèse each day in the shop—used to run... (full context)

...out a job, working for a local cloth merchant and earning a small monthly wage. Madame Raquin didn’t like him leaving the house for work, but he enjoyed it: working gave him... (full context)

...down to the Seine with his cousin, Thérèse, who was the same age as him. Madame Raquin ’s brother had brought Thérèse to her when Thérèse was only two—he had just gotten... (full context)

...was a passion smoldering inside her. Still, she and Camille got along relatively well, and Madame Raquin took it for granted that they would one day get married. But there was nothing... (full context)

When they’re old enough, Madame Raquin arranges for Camille and Thérèse to get married. That night, instead of heading into her... (full context)

A week after the wedding, Camille decides that he and Thérèse must move to Paris. Madame Raquin is distraught. She already planned to grow old in their house on the Seine and... (full context)

...the image of himself sitting at a desk with a fancy pen behind his ear. Madame Raquin goes along with his fantasy, and nobody asks Thérèse what she thinks—they’re so accustomed to... (full context)

Madame Raquin goes to Paris and finds a shop in the dingy corridor known as Passage du... (full context)

When Thérèse, Camille, and Madame Raquin move into the shop, Thérèse is dismayed. It’s nothing like Madame Raquin said. She especially... (full context)

The Raquins start hosting a social gathering every Thursday. It begins when Madame Raquin runs into an old friend, Michaud, who worked for the police outside of Paris and... (full context)

Thérèse strongly dislikes all of Camille and Madame Raquin ’s friends, but she goes along with their weekly social engagement anyway. Sometimes, though, she... (full context)

...comes home from the office one Thursday with a new coworker. He introduces him to Madame Raquin , explaining with glee that the man is Laurent, a young boy he used to... (full context)

...the Raquins quite frequently. He charms the family and gratefully accepts the tea and food Madame Raquin serves him. He also starts painting Camille’s portrait. His brushstrokes are uneven and halting, making... (full context)

...then the entire Raquin family would bring him pleasure: Thérèse would fulfill his sexual desires, Madame Raquin would serve him food and drink, and Camille would offer some pleasant friendship in the... (full context)

Laurent finishes the portrait. It’s terrible and emphasizes Camille’s sickly qualities. But Madame Raquin and Camille love it, believing it has an “air of distinction.” Wanting to celebrate the... (full context)

...backdoor, which opens into Thérèse’s bedroom. Thérèse simply makes an excuse to go upstairs, leaving Madame Raquin in the shop while she goes to meet her lover. Whenever Laurent makes his way... (full context)

...that Thérèse will yell out too loudly in pleasure, but she isn’t afraid, insisting that Madame Raquin is oblivious. Sure enough, when Madame Raquin comes upstairs one day, all Thérèse has to... (full context)

Each night, Laurent comes over for dinner. When Camille and Madame Raquin aren’t looking, he and Thérèse steal short, passionate kisses, though they’re careful not to overdo... (full context)

...him to stay at home that night. She makes up a story to Camille and Madame Raquin about needing to collect a customer’s forgotten payment, and though they think this is unnecessary,... (full context)

...getting caught, the idea seems perfect: killing Camille would let him marry Thérèse and inherit Madame Raquin ’s money, making it possible for him to retire and live the “lazy life” he... (full context)

...a while, Camille takes Thérèse on an excursion to Saint-Ouen on the outskirts of Paris. Madame Raquin is always very nervous about them setting out for such journeys, but Camille disregards her.... (full context)

...to let her stay there while he returns to Paris to break the news to Madame Raquin . In reality, though, he wants to keep Thérèse away for a while because he’s... (full context)

...he also wants to convince Olivier he’s innocent. Another reason he doesn’t go straight to Madame Raquin ’s is that he’s afraid he won’t be able to act convincingly sad—he knows she’ll... (full context)

...he buys Laurent’s version of the story. At Michaud’s suggestion, they all go to tell Madame Raquin , but Michaud instructs Laurent to stay outside because his ragged appearance will alarm the... (full context)

Inside the haberdashery, Madame Raquin is absolutely beside herself with grief. She slumps to the floor and wails out, assaulted... (full context)

Back at the haberdashery, Madame Raquin and Thérèse both stay in bed for three days. Thérèse doesn’t want to confront Madame,... (full context)

...to the haberdashery every couple of days. He spends a somber half hour talking with Madame Raquin and avoids looking at Thérèse. Thankfully for him, Madame Raquin thinks he’s a hero for... (full context)

...a terrible, exhausted day at work, and when he goes to the haberdashery that evening, Madame Raquin tells him Thérèse didn’t sleep well, either. Looking at each other, Laurent and Thérèse know... (full context)

...simply announce their marriage. Instead, they have to make the people in their lives—people like Madame Raquin and her weekly visitors—think the union is their idea, not the couple’s. Unfortunately, this means... (full context)

Putting their plan to get married in motion, Thérèse starts acting glum and depressed around Madame Raquin . Her aunt is deeply concerned, so she asks Michaud what to do, and Michaud... (full context)

...turns on the charm. He starts coming to the haberdashery all the time and showering Madame Raquin in affection. He also speaks frequently about Camille in admiring tones, and since everyone else... (full context)

...asks how she has been holding up. As he speaks in soothing tones, Michaud pulls Madame Raquin aside and says Laurent is the husband Thérèse needs—a solution Madame Raquin finds very agreeable,... (full context)

The next day, Laurent goes to the haberdashery and asks Thérèse in front of Madame Raquin and Michaud if she wants to make her “aunt’s existence a happy and peaceful one.”... (full context)

...from his father, who responds by saying that he doesn’t care what his son does. Madame Raquin feels so bad when Laurent shows her the letter that she signs over her 40,000... (full context)

...he has just seen Camille’s ghost. But it’s only the portrait that he himself painted. Madame Raquin was supposed to move it but must have forgotten, so the newlyweds decide to turn... (full context)

Madame Raquin ’s presence becomes a great comfort in Thérèse and Laurent’s life. They stay up late... (full context)

Because Madame Raquin provides them with such a good distraction from their woes, Thérèse and Laurent take extremely... (full context)

...he knows she would have to sign it over to him (a stipulation made when Madame Raquin bequeathed her 40,000 francs to her niece). Instead, he announces his intention to retire and... (full context)

Madame Raquin has some sort of medical event—an “attack”—that paralyzes her. She can’t even speak, let alone... (full context)

Despite her horrible circumstances, Madame Raquin is happy. She can’t express it, but she’s touched that she has devoted caretakers like... (full context)

Thérèse worries that Madame Raquin will find a way to reveal what she has learned to the people at the... (full context)

Madame Raquin eventually manages to spell out “Thérèse and Laurent have…” But because she has run out... (full context)

As Thérèse and Laurent take out their anger on each other, Madame Raquin is forced to listen to them rehash her son’s murder. They often try to push... (full context)

...loved Camille, saying nice things about him and begging for forgiveness. She even cries to Madame Raquin , apologizing for killing Camille and asking the old woman to forgive her. After a... (full context)

Thérèse manages to delude herself into thinking Madame Raquin has forgiven her. Meanwhile, Laurent chastises Thérèse for always crying to Madame Raquin, thinking that... (full context)

Madame Raquin decides to take her own life by refusing to eat. Distressed, Thérèse tries to force-feed... (full context)

...its customers because Thérèse doesn’t bother to treat anyone with the charm and kindness that Madame Raquin used to exhibit. With Suzanne sitting in the store, Thérèse starts leaving for hours at... (full context)

No longer wasting her time apologizing to Madame Raquin , Thérèse starts going out multiple times a week. Laurent decides to follow her one... (full context)

...stories. Tonight, though, both Laurent and Thérèse are particularly eager for them to leave, and Madame Raquin can sense that something is going to happen. When the guests finally depart, the former... (full context)

Madame Raquin watches Laurent and Thérèse as they look at each other with “pity and horror.” And... (full context)

Madame Raquin Character Analysis

Madame Raquin Quotes in Thérèse Raquin

Chapter 2 Quotes

Chapter 12 Quotes

Chapter 27 Quotes

Madame Raquin Character Timeline in Thérèse Raquin