I Don't Like Madame Pericand

On Monday my small group discussed the intentions of Madame Péricand rather extensively, often differing on our opinion of her. Where I thought here character was clear in her manipulative actions, other members of my group disagreed, claiming that she was acting out of genuine concern for others. My issue with Madame Péricand comes not from her actions but from the omniscient third-person narrator’s comments on her thoughts. This narrative form is an incredibly invaluable tool for the audience to achieve insights into a character’s mind without said character ever expressing these sentiments personally.

            By her actions, such as offering her servant medical aid and sharing food with the children “less fortunate” than her family, would seem kind to the untrained eye, however the insights provided by the narrator allows the audience to discover her true intent. Her true intent is to be perceived as a kind and generous woman however she only means to be seen this way, her intentions are not genuine in the sense that she wants others to see her in a light that she does not truly intend to live in. Others in my group disagreed, saying that she may be selfish due to her upbringing in a higher class but she is attempting to break from her social norms by helping others less fortunate. This argument would be believable if not for her selfish actions preceding the acts, such as the way she stopped sharing the food in the café the moment she believed that there was none left.