Mme de Beauséant
Summary
A) Balzac’s alleged idealisation of the noble ladies of Paris society
B) The superior status of Mme de Beauséant.
C) Examples of her status given in the novel.
- Her confidence in her lineage in the d’Adjuda affair
- She is the queen of the ball
- The magnificence of her home
- Her lover is from the highest ranks of European nobility
- Rastignac’s respect for the grandeur of her character
- Her immaculate superiority shown in her final grand scene
D) The very human, individual features of Mme de Beauséant
- Mme de Beauséant the loyal friend. -But there were two lapses.
- When she asserted the deference due to a lady of her exalted rank.
- When she treated him in an off-hand manner.
Yet she went on to fulfil all her promises to Rastignac
- She agrees to get Eugène an invitation to the Maréchal de Carigliano's ball.
- Her invitation of Delphine to the grand ball at her house.
- Her love for D’Adjuda is sincere and totally trusting.
- Her strong distaste for the Paris society, where she stood at the head
E) The less commendable features of her character and her conduct
- Her sense of rank
- The spite which she sometimes exhibited
- The vindictiveness and immorality of her revenge against Paris society
F) Conclusion
The power of Balzac’s imagination creates a character of real individuality
D'Adjuda Pinto arrives in Mme de Beauseant's box at the Italiens theatre.
Mme de Beauséant- Balzac’s portrayal of a lady of the high nobility
A) Balzac’s alleged idealisation of the noble ladies of Paris society
Balzac’s critics say that he is inclined to look at the leading women in Paris society with great awe because of their social status.
From his biography, we learn that Balzac had enjoyed the company of the glamorous society ladies of Paris. As a result, he is able to assure us with personal authority that one never loves any woman as much as the first woman one loves in Parisian society.- Page 244 :
C'est des émotions qui ne se rencontrent pas deux fois dans la vie des jeunes gens. La première femme réellement femme à laquelle s'attache un homme, c'est-dire celle qui se présente à lui dans la splendeur des accompagnements que veut la société parisienne, celle-là n'a jamais de rivale. L'amour à Paris ne ressemble en rien aux autres amours.
Critics have claimed that because of his uncritical admiration, Balzac’s depiction of these ladies is often over-idealised, and Balzac’s portrayal of the character of Mme de Beauséant in “le Père Goriot” is listed as an example.
B) The superior status of Mme de Beauséant.
Mme de Beauséant was one of the most eminent personalities of the most elite Paris society, because of her very high noble lineage and her immense wealth. We are told that she was also one of the leaders of Paris fashion and that she lived in what was regarded as the finest house in the most aristocratic district of Paris
. Page 43:
…..madame la vicomtesse de Beauséant l'une des reines de la mode à Paris, et dont la maison passait pour être la plus agréable du faubourg Saint Germain Elle était d'ailleurs, et par son nom et par sa fortune, l'une des sommités du monde aristocratique.
We are told more specifically on Page 278 that she was “la dernière fille de la quasi royale maison de Bourgogne. »
Madame de Beauséant was one of three ladies, whose status put them at the top of an elite group in the aristocratic society of the faubourg Saint Germain. The name given to this group was (Page 158) « les dames du petit château », and this indicated that they were close to the king.
C) Examples of her status given in the novel.
1) Her confidence in her lineage in the d’Adjuda affair
Mme de Beauséant reveals her confidence in the supreme status that her long noble lineage gave her, when she dismisses as absurd the rumour that her lover would leave her for a Rochefide, on the grounds that Rochefide family was only recently ennobled.
2) She is the queen of the ball
She was the most beautiful lady at the ball. Eugène rhapsodised over the beauty of Anastasie de Restaud, tall, shapely, whom male connoisseurs of female beauty rated as a thoroughbred. However he accepted that she could not surpass the beauty of the hostess, Mme de Beauséant .- Page 57
— Oh! oui, elle était furieusement belle, reprit Eugène, que le père Goriot regardait avidement. Si madame de Beauséant n'avait pas été là, ma divine comtesse eût été la reine du bal ……
3) The magnificence of her home
She demonstrated her impeccable taste in the furnishing which she had chosen for her magnificent, dignified home. Rastignac is deeply impressed when he is invited to dinner with the Viscountess of Beauséant by the tasteful luxury, typical of the Restoration period. Page 139
……. en voyant cette argenterie sculptée, et les mille recherches d'une table somptueuse, en admirant pour la première fois un service fait sans bruit, il était difficile à un homme d'ardente imagination de ne pas préférer cette vie constamment élégante à la vie de privations qu'il voulait embrasser le matin.
(This tasteful luxury contrasts with the vulgar luxury of Anastasie's home, which Rastignac regarded as typifying the inferior style of the new rich Page 95.
4) Her lover is from the highest ranks of European nobility
Mme de Beauséant had a very superior lover. He was an eminent diplomat, the extremely rich Portuguese Marquis d'Adjuda-Pinto. He was so important that when he later married Mlle. de Rochefide the king had to sign the contract of marriage..
It is an illustration of the relaxed morality of the rich and the powerful, that everyone in Paris society knew of the relationship and was also aware of an intimate arrangement of the lovers that had to be respected. Only an ignorant outsider would seek to disturb Mme. de Beauséant between 2pm and 4pm. when she was alone with her lover.
5) Rastignac’s respect for the grandeur of her character
There are fulsome tributes in the novel to the grandeur of her character. Rastignac talks of her grand sentiments and beautiful soul. Eugène sees the death of Goriot as the defeat of a person of noble sentiment. In this he likens him to Mme de Beauséant whose beautiful soul was also out of place in the base world in which she lived Page 286:
Madame de Beauséant s'enfuit, celui-ci se meurt, dit-il. Les belles âmes ne peuvent pas rester longtemps en ce monde. Comment les grands sentiments s'allieraient-ils, en effet, à une société mesquine, petite, superficielle?
Goriot’s sacrifices are certainly on a grand scale and we can respect his grandeur of soul. However Mme de Beauséant’s grandeur was primarily social grandeur and it is difficult to find much evidence of her moral grandeur in the book. For the existence of this beauty of soul we have to rely largely on the assurance of the author.
6) Her immaculate superiority shown in her final grand scene
Mme de Beauséant does have, however, one grand scene which comes in the closing part of her story. Her poise and self control were going to be put on public trial following the massive sensation of her abandonment by the eminent Portuguese nobleman, with whom all Paris knew her to be passionately in love.
We had been prepared for the cruelty of the ordeal that Mme de Beauséant was due to face, when Delphine first told Rastignac the news of D’Adjuda’s imminent betrayal of his mistress. She tells him that Mme. de Beauséant does not know yet. The ball at her house cannot be cancelled and all Paris will be going to see her in her suffering.
Rastignac is shocked at the behaviour of society and his deeply concerned for his patroness. -Page 269:
— Et le monde se rit d'une infamie, et il y trempe! Vous ne savez donc pas que madame de Beauséant en mourra?
At that point Rastignac was able to dismiss it as a rumour, but later Delphine confirmed it in a note to Rastignac. Delphine graphically described the dreadful experience that Mme de Beauséant would have to undergo. – Page 274:
Tout Paris va se porter chez elle, comme le peuple encombre la Grève quand il doit y avoir une exécution. N'est-ce pas horrible d'aller voir si cette femme cachera sa douleur, si elle saura bien mourir?
Madame de Beauséant understood only too well the atmosphere that would surround her when she made her entrance. After Mme de Langeais had left having completed her sadistic mission of telling her the bad news, she tells Rastignac that when misfortune strikes in Paris your so called friends offer only gloating, sarcasm and mockery. Page 92:
Le monde est infâme et méchant…….. Aussitôt qu’un malheur nous arrive, il se rencontre toujours un ami prêt a venir nous le dire, et à nous fouiller le cœur avec un poignard en nous en nous faisant admirer le manche. Déjà le sarcasme, déjà les railleries
On that final evening, Mme de Beauséant cheats her guests of their malicious expectations, maintaining her regal composure throughout. She fulfils her duty as hostess, making her formal entry, reassured by the arm of Rastignac. Balzac suggests that success of her achievement came from the breeding of her long noble lineage:
Page 278:
En cette circonstance, la dernière fille de la quasi royale maison de Bourgogne se montra supérieure à son mal, et domina jusqu'à son dernier moment le monde dont elle n'avait accepté les vanités que pour les faire servir au triomphe de sa passion.
D) The very human, individual features of Mme de Beauséant
Mme de Beauséant has many very human qualities. Some of these are consistent with her nobility, others are less commendable and others quite ignoble. It is possible that these human aspects of her character are overlooked by critics who see her as too idealised.
- Mme de Beauséant the loyal friend.
The loyalty that she showed to Rastignac was key to his subsequent success in society. But there were two lapses
- The first of the occasions was when she asserted the deference due to a lady of her exalted rank. Rastignac had had the presumption to call her cousin and she made very clear her disapproval at his exaggeration of the closeness of their kinship.
- On the second occasion, when he called to see her (Page 136) she treated him in an off-hand manner and told that she was too busy. Coming after she had promised to give him her help, this casual rebuff seriously undermined his confidence. He asked himself what he could expect from the rest if an excellent lady like Mme. de Beauséant could forget her promises of friendship. He drew the conclusion that he must forget his self respect and crawl
On both occasions, however, Mme de Beauséant quickly softens and resumes her normal warmth of character. After her second moment of coolness, she makes amends by inviting Rastignac to dinner. She goes on to fulfil all her promises to Rastignac.
- Firstly, she agrees to get Eugène an invitation to the Maréchal de Carigliano's ball, where he will have the opportunity to meet Delphine. In the meantime, however, they see Delphine at the theatre and Mme. de Beauséant gets her Portuguese lover to take Eugène over to meet Goriot’s second daughter.
- The fulfilment of the plan they had agreed was her invitation of Delphine to the grand ball at her house which launched Delphine into the highest circles of Paris society.
The friendship she formed for Rastignac was very strong and it was on his arm that she faced the people of society who had come to view at first hand the suffering of a broken hearted noble lady. In gratitude for his good qualities she gave him the casket in which she used to keep her gloves - an object which recalled happy memories for her. Page 280.
Je voudrais vous donner un gage de mon amitié. Je penserai souvent à vous, qui m'avez paru bon et noble, jeune et candide au milieu de ce monde où ces qualités sont si rares
- Mme de Beauséant’s love for D’Adjuda is deep and trusting
Similar to her loyalty in friendship was the steadfast love that she dedicated to D’Adjuda Pinto. The betrayal of the absolute trust she put in him led to her final retreat from public life in Paris. As an alternative to Mme de Beauséant’s honest and sincere dealings with her lover, we can think of the coquettish wiles of a woman of Paris that Delphine used on Rastignac in the early days of their relationship when she drove him to distraction and held him totally in her thrall. Page 175:
Aimante ou coquette, madame de Nucingen avait fait passer Rastignac par toutes les angoisses d'une passion véritable, en déployant pour lui les ressources de la diplomatie féminine en usage à Paris.
Without referring directly to Mme. de Beauséant, the Duchesse de Langeais expressed the opinion that they should not give themselves entirely to any-one, otherwise this person will take all and cast them off- Page 92.
Notre cœur est un trésor, videz-le d’un coup, vous êtes ruinés. Nous ne pardonnons pas plus à un sentiment de s'être montré tout entier qu’à un homme de ne pas avoir un sou à lui.
.
Mme. de Beauséant realises the Duchesse is also referring to her and says society is monstrous. Page 92:
Le monde est infâme
Even after this revelation, the force of her love was so strong that she tried to deceive herself for a number of weeks more and a period of apparent reconciliation took place between Mme. de Beauséant and her lover. He and his future wife, Mlle. de Rochefide, were hoping that this would give her time to accept the inevitability of their marriage. In the meantime, d'Adjuda-Pinto had to some play acting and Mme. de Beauséant had to engage in some self deception. The Duchess de Langeais, her “best friend” callously summed up the situation of a noble lady submitting to her own humiliation – Page 101:
« Au lieu de sauter noblement par la fenêtre, elle se laissait rouler dans les escaliers »
- Her strong distate for the Paris society where she stood at the head
This paradoxical feature of a lady who was a queen of society should, in itself, refute those critics who propose her as an over idealised aristocrat. Admittedly, the main force of her violent disenchantment with Paris society was unleashed when her Portuguese lover betrayed her trust in him. However she speaks of a more long-term alienation. She says she had made a study of this world around her, but that she had been unaware of its depths until that moment. Page 93.
Quoique j'aie bien lu dans ce livre du monde, il y avait des pages qui cependant m'étaient inconnues. Maintenant je sais tout
The Queen of Paris society condemns the falseness and corruption of Paris society in terms as strong as those of Vautrin. She tells Rastignac to remain aloof from this throng of fools and knaves- Page 94:
Vous saurez alors ce qu'est le monde, une réunion de dupes et de fripons. Ne soyez ni parmi les uns ni parmi les autres.
E) The less commendable features of her character and her conduct
Most of the preceding account of her actions describes her commendable conduct, but sometimes her sentiments and her conduct are not at all noble.
1) Her sense of rank
We have quoted above two occasions when Mme de Beauséant dealt with Rastignac in a high handed manner. A third occasion can be noted. Just as she had promised, Mme de Beauséant sent a letter of invitation, addressed to the Nucingens , to attend the grand ball at the mansion. However, she omitted Delphine’s husband from the invitation and Delphine was very hurt by the slight implied against Nucingen, who was looked down on by the old nobility because of his profession of banker.. It is easy to understand, Mme de Beauséant’s reluctance to invite Delphine’s unprepossessing husband to mingle with the grandest people of the capital. However etiquette required the inclusion of the husband’s name and this gesture of Mme de Beauséant seems an arrogant breach of accepted social manners.
2) The spite which she sometimes exhibited
Rastignac looked on in amazement (Page 83) as Mme de Beauséant and the Duchesse de Langeais, two ladies of noble rank, engaged in most catty conversation which was covered in a veneer of politeness. He realised each woman was seeking to taunt the other about the infidelity of her lover. The opening gambit of the Duchesse de Langeais had set the tone. She said that she had called because she knew Mme de Beauséant would be alone as she had seen D’Adjuda entering the house of the Rochefide’s!
Rastignac took advantage of this situation to excuse his previous gaffe.. He claimed that there was no question of ill will in what he had said so inappropriately but the exchanges he had just heard, he audaciously suggested, had undertones of deliberate malice: Page 87
Vous continuez à voir, et vous craignez peut-être les gens qui sont dans le secret du mal qu'ils vous font, tandis que celui qui blesse en ignorant la profondeur de sa blessure est regardé comme un sot, un maladroit qui ne sait profiter de rien, et chacun le méprise.
When Rastignac accompaniesMme de Beauséant to the theatre, he sees Delphine and is smitten by her beauty and cannot take his eyes off her. Mme. de Beauséant however feels the need to point out a few imperfections. It is for the reader to judge whether this is because Mme de Beauséant is a lady of high standards or if she is being ungracious!
3) The vindictiveness and immorality of her revenge against Paris society
After both the ladies, disappointed in love had decided that Paris was a moral slough, the Duchesse de Langeais agreed and had said that their task was to stay out of the mud on the high moral ground. Page 92.
Le monde est un bourbier, tâchons de rester sur les hauteurs.
In her final days in Paris society, however, Mme. de Beauséant chooses to do just the opposite. Her instinct is to go back in and make a fight of it. Her advice to Rastignac is to give Paris the treatment it deserves: Page 93.
Eh! bien, monsieur de Rastignac, traitez ce monde comme il mérite de l’être. Vous voulez parvenir, je vous aiderai.
She tells him to be ruthless. Page 93.
Plus froidement vous calculerez, plus avant vous irez.
She goes on to tell him that he must simply use the people he meets and then cast them aside and move on. Page 93
N’acceptez les homes et les femmes que comme des chevaux de poste que vous laisserez crever à chaque relais, vous arriverez ainsi au faîte de vos désirs
It is Mme de Beauséant who thinks up the plan of campaign for Rastignac, drawing on her knowledge of the ways of Paris society. She explains to him Page 94:
A Paris, le succès est tout, c'est la clef du pouvoir. Si les femmes vous trouvent de l'esprit, du talent, les hommes le croiront, Si vous ne les détrompez pas. Vous pourrez alors tout vouloir, vous aurez le pied partout.
She says Eugène needs a rich elegant young woman and she has immediately made her choice of target. She believes it is possible to exploit the intense jealousy that exists between the two daughters of le père Goriot. As Anastasie is received in high society but Delphine is not, the latter will stoop to anything to achieve the same social status. If Eugene offers to introduce Delphine into Mme. de Beauséant’s company, he can become her lover. With such a beautiful woman as his mistress, he will have the reputation necessary for social success in Paris.
To help Rastignac make the first acquaintance, she offers to accompany Rastignac at one or two big social gatherings where he will meet Delphine. The sheer vindictiveness of this plan tells of a deep and remorseless anger. The stratagem of vicariously acting out personal revenge in the lives of other people is similar to Mrs Faversham’s in Charles Dickens’ “Great Expectations”.
For Rastignac the plan is nothing more sinister than the chance to form a liaison with an attractive, rich young lady. It is true that initially he has some less honourable ideas of taking advantage of her banker husband’s wealth, but these soon disperse. However it is when we look at the plan purely from Mme de Beauséant’s viewpoint that we see how reprehensible the plan really is. She claims to be defending herself, but for her the battle is already over. She is aware of bitter relationship problems in the Goriot family and she chooses to intervene to exploit them. Similarly she is aware of an excessive ambition in the younger daughter and seeks to use it for her own ends. To seek to help Rastignac is honourable. To use a vulnerable young woman as an instrument to achieve her revenge on society is inexcusable in human terms. She has indeed come down from the dignified heights of her noble status and is mixing it in the mud. She had made a fiery declaration of war at the start- Page 92-
Ah! Je me défendrai. Elle releva la tête comme une grande dame qu’elle était, et des éclairs sortirent de ses yeux fiers.
F) Conclusion
The power of Balzac’s imagination creates a character of real individuality
As far as Balzac is concerned, her responsibility for this unworthy scheme does not diminish the lofty moral status of his noble heroine. His focus is on the righteousness of her counter attack against the false values of Paris society. His lack of criticism of the baser aspects of the character he is portraying may reflect the excessive reverence which Balzac is alleged to have felt towards ladies of the high nobility. However that may be, the study of the character of Mme de Beauséant reveals how the irresistible force of Balzac’s imagination flowed into the portrayal of a lady, for whom initially he may have felt some awe, so that she becomes fully convincing with her human emotions and her human failings.
Mme. de Beauséant agrees to get Eugène an invitation to the Maréchal de Carigliano's ball, which she is attending, where he will have the opportunity to meet Delphine.
her Portuguese lover. She gets him to take Eugène to Delphine.