La Mère de la Marquise

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

22813

Title

La Mère de la Marquise

Language

fr

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Set in 1840s Paris, this witty tale follows Mme Benoît, a wealthy industrialist whose ambition is to marry her daughter into the aristocracy. When her son-in-law abandons his wife to join her at a noble ball, the mother's pursuit of social status clashes with family loyalty, offering a satirical look at French class dynamics.

Summary up to 500 words

Published in 1856 as part of the collection *Les Mariages de Paris*, Edmond About's *La Mère de la Marquise* offers a sharp, satirical critique of French social climbing and the rigid class structures of the mid-19th century. The narrative centers on Mme Benoet, the wealthy owner of the Arlange forges, who lives in Paris with her daughter, Lucile. Despite her family's financial security, which yields a substantial annual income, Mme Benoet is consumed by an innocent yet intense ambition to elevate her status from the bourgeoisie to the aristocracy of the Faubourg Saint-Germain. Her sole focus is securing an invitation to a prestigious ball hosted by the Marquise de Croix-Maugars, the mother of Lucile's fiancé, Gaston. The Marquise, however, is in severe financial distress, plagued by creditors and a bankrupt household. Recognizing her daughter's desperate need for social acceptance, Mme Benoet decides to intervene. She visits the Marquise, who is overwhelmed by debt and the neglect of her husband. In a display of her own wealth and determination, Mme Benoet pays off the Marquise's outstanding debts, including those to various creditors like the tapissier and the pastry chef, effectively buying her way into high society. Triumphant and believing she has secured her place among the elite, Mme Benoet prepares to attend the ball. However, upon arriving at the venue, she discovers a devastating twist: Gaston and Lucile have already left for the countryside to begin their honeymoon. The son-in-law, confident in his love and his new wife's status, has taken her away, leaving the mother isolated and heartbroken. She realizes that her sacrifice of money and dignity was futile; she purchased an invitation that she could not use, and her daughter's happiness was achieved without her. The story concludes with the couple enjoying their honeymoon, learning to balance romantic love with the practicalities of domestic life. Meanwhile, Mme Benoet retreats into misanthropy, blaming the entire universe and the aristocracy for her exclusion. Through this plot, About explores the conflict between personal ambition and familial duty, illustrating how the pursuit of social status can lead to profound personal loss. The novel is delivered with About's characteristic wit, using bold character sketches and a straightforward narrative style to entertain while delivering a serious satire on human nature and the folly of social climbing.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

Download URL

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/22813.epub.noimages

Local file path

data/epubs/pg22813.epub

Removed after upload

Downloaded at

2026-07-05 15:49 UTC

Categories

• Classics
• Fiction