Villette

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1853

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Chapters 30-32Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 30 Summary: “M. Paul”

M. Paul continues to be moody and difficult despite his and Lucy’s friendship. Lucy compares him to Napoleon Bonaparte. M. Paul enjoys arguing with women and pointing out deficiencies in their knowledge. He once interrupted the class of a history teacher called Madame Panache; she initially stood her ground, but he was so unkind to her that she finally left the school. However, M. Paul then later helped her find another job.

M. Paul discovers Lucy has not learned math, so he takes her on as a pupil. He is kind to her when she is learning, but when he sees Lucy has mastered the subject, he changes his tone, not liking to see her succeed. M. Paul’s anger at her achievement inspires her to work harder and learn more: “[W]hen M. Paul sneered at me, I wanted to possess them more fully; his injustice stirred in me ambitious wishes—it imparted a strong stimulus—it gave wings to my aspiration” (453). This puts Lucy and M. Paul at odds once again. Lucy gathers all her books and throws them on the floor. They do not speak for two days, but M. Paul returns her books.

Lucy’s godmother invited her to a lecture. Rosine delivers the letter from John and proclaims that he is very handsome. M. Paul overhears and asks if Lucy believes this to be true, and she says yes.

Somewhat later, after class, M. Paul decides to test Lucy’s knowledge of Latin and Greek, which he suspects she secretly knows. Lucy tells M. Paul that she wishes she had the qualities he tries to place on her. M. Paul tells her that educating a woman is a waste of time, as it does not help her become a better wife. He shares his supper with Lucy, and she explains why she disagrees with him. M. Paul insists she be publicly tested alongside the pupils and asked to improvise a theme in French, but Lucy refuses, fearing humiliation. They argue more and share some baked apples. Lucy quietly escapes when M. Paul leaves for a glass of water.

Chapter 31 Summary: “The Dryad”

It is spring, and Lucy is often tired. She falls asleep one day at her desk and awakens to find someone has draped a shawl over her shoulders and placed another under her as a pillow. She later learns it was M. Paul who covered her.

Madame Beck is entertaining guests, including M. Emanuel’s goddaughter. Lucy takes a walk through the garden to her alley. She begins to think through plans for her future, like renting her own home and starting a school. Lucy desires to follow in Madame Beck’s footsteps, saying to herself, “[B]e content to labour for independence until you have proved, by winning that prize, your right to look higher” (466). M. Paul joins her and points to a study at the boy’s college from which he often observes the school’s garden. He says he has watched Lucy since she came to the school. Lucy accuses him of spying but he defends his right to judge people’s character. He tells her how Zélie St. Pierre tried to marry him. He says he is not the marrying type. It is revealed that M. Paul gave Lucy the violets she keeps dried in her box. M. Paul asks her if she believes in ghosts and has seen the one that haunts the school. Lucy confesses that she has, and M. Paul says he too has seen it. They discuss her Protestantism versus his Catholicism. M. Paul also believes in the power of the zodiac and says they quarrel because they were both born under the same star. The prayer bell rings and the nun appears, sweeping past them as it begins to rain.

Chapter 32 Summary: “The First Letter”

Paulina and her father return from traveling in France. During a walk, Lucy sees and recognizes the Count, Paulina, and Dr. John. John rides past her without acknowledgement, but Paulina embraces her and invites Lucy to visit her the next day.

Lucy arrives at the appointed time and is glad to reconnect with Paulina, who tells Lucy she has received a letter from John proclaiming his love. Paulina has not told her father, fearing he will not want to give up his daughter. Paulina responded briefly in another letter, relaying her affection but telling John not to write again until she speaks to her father. Lucy advises Paulina that she has acted properly and to speak with her father as soon as possible. Lucy tells Paulina she and John are a good match, ordained by God.

Chapters 30-32 Analysis

M. Paul’s mercurial attitude toward Lucy continues. However, his cantankerous moods have not driven Lucy away, but rather drawn her towards him. As her attachment to M. Paul grows, she forgets John and his tangled web of attachments with Ginevra and Paulina. The author draws a complicated picture of attraction in Lucy and M. Paul and suggests that they are similar in their fiery dispositions; however, Lucy is more skilled at containing hers. M. Paul’s rants are misogynistic but common for the era. Lucy is undeterred by his view of women and even finds herself emboldened by his absurd assertions. Lucy displays personal growth in these moments: Though nothing of her history has changed, she has set her eyes on the future and placed her hope in herself, not in the security of a man or marriage.

Lucy and M. Paul’s conversation about religion is revealing. Though they differ in their practice of Christianity, they both have questions about the afterlife and supernatural occurrences. It is reassuring for Lucy to know she is not alone in her visions of the nun (more so for her mental health than because of any spiritual doubts). Lucy might have fallen for John Graham’s handsome face and familiar English comportment, but M. Paul stirs emotions in Lucy that are frightening but thrilling. If she indeed desires a life of independence, she will not find it in John. A marriage to him would chain her to a provincial life. Conversely, a relationship with M. Paul offers intrigue, intellectual stimulation, and adventure. In another revelatory moment, the reader learns the dried violets Lucy keeps are from M. Paul. This detail, another hidden by the narrator, reveals Lucy’s attraction to M. Paul might have begun earlier in the narrative. The flowers, whether a token of friendship or love, are valuable to Lucy, but she kept them and their source a secret.

Paulina’s announcement of John Graham’s declaration of love is not surprising. As Lucy tells her, they are well matched in social status and personality. Lucy’s response is that of a genuine friend. She harbors no bitterness towards Paulina and is glad to see her happy and fulfilled. Lucy is not always a transparent character, but at this moment the author reveals her to be a woman of grace and goodwill. She has come to a mature and sober understanding that John is not hers and that God has other plans for her life. This moment represents a turning point in her faith as well. Previously Lucy felt God was punishing her by allowing so much pain and heartache in her life. Lucy now attributes Paulina’s happiness to the goodness of God, imagining him as a kind benefactor and not a wrathful deity.