The Ladies’ Paradise: Chapter 14 Summary & Analysis

In February, the new Rue du Dix-Decembre—made up entirely of the Ladies’ Paradise—opens. A huge crowd gathers at the entrance for the inaugural “white sale.” The new buildings are made of black and green marble at the base and decorated high up with bright mosaics. The central door’s arch is a scene of gilded women being dressed by cupids. The “wound” where Bourras’ hovel was is now filled in. Across the way, Mouret used Baudu’s empty shop (Baudu has gone to a home for the elderly) to hang a huge flag with an old-fashioned depiction of Paris diminished behind an illustration of the massive Paradise. 

The Ladies’ Paradise had spent 600,000 francs on advertising. An enormous crowd gathers for the sale amid blaring trumpets and fluttering streamers. Flags of the provinces of France and foreign nations fly from flagpoles. Everything in the display windows is white. the Ladies’ Paradise is even more popular today because the Quatre Saisons, the big rival department store that Bouthemont had just started, burned to the ground a few weeks ago. Mouret, who was jealous that Bouthemont had had the great idea of having the Quatre Saisons blessed by a vicar, now has no competition for his customers.

By three o’clock, the Rue du Dix-Decembre is packed. Madame de Boves and Madame Guibal, who are now friends since Madame de Boves decided she wanted her husband’s affair to take place at home, look at a display of children’s clothes in one of the windows. They decide to go inside, and Blanche says that Vallagnosc (whom she married a few weeks ago) is meeting them in the reading room. 

Just then, Madame Desforges arrives in a carriage. She greets her friends and says, feigning nonchalance, that she and Mouret are still friends and she wants to see his expansion. However, she can’t forgive him for marrying Mademoiselle Fontenailles to a porter. The ladies are swept into the store along with the crowd. They hope to find Madame Marty, who recently went to live with an uncle after Monsieur Marty became tyrannical in a spell of mania.

The ladies are amazed by the interior of the Ladies’ Paradise. There are now fifty departments and 3,045 employees. There is nothing but “an orgy of white” as far as their eyes can see. White linens tumble like snow, and white silk scarves encircle the bannisters. Shafts of light cause the white goods to shine like light. An altar of “virginal whiteness” is made from curtains. This display of white was Mouret’s genius idea, and everyone is enchanted by it.

Among all the white, the customers look like black spots on Alpine slopes. As soon as Madame de Boves enters the store, Jouve starts following her. The ladies stop to admire the bunches of white violets being handed out for free with every purchase. As they move on, they hear two salesmen wondering whether the violets foreshadow a wedding between Mouret and Denise. Madame Desforges pretends to be indifferent. Madame de Boves and Blanche go up to the first floor, Jouve following them covertly.

A few weeks ago, Denise announced her plan to leave the Paradise for Valognes after the white sale. Some people think that Denise is forcing Mouret to propose by threatening to leave, so people are making bets that she will come back married to Mouret. Denise has no scheme to make Mouret marry her. She wants to leave because she is afraid of giving into Mouret’s advances and regretting it. She is pained to leave him but feels that her courage and resolve will bring her peace.

When Denise told Mouret she would be leaving, he tried to reason with her, telling her not to throw away all she achieved. He offered to give her whatever advantages another job might give her. When she refused, he decided that she must be meeting the person she said she loved. This knowledge pains him. During her last week, Mouret walked through the store feeling the uselessness of his power and money. He was afraid to ask Denise to marry him in case she was “the revenge” that would ruin his business success. Sometimes he feels like surrendering to Denise, but he's worried she will still say no.

On the day of the sale, Bourdoncle finds Mouret crying in his office. Bourdoncle shakes Mouret’s hand and tells him to marry Denise. Recently, Bourdoncle decided that if Mouret married Denise, his charm would be weakened enough that Bourdoncle could usurp his powerful position. Mouret brushes off Bourdoncle and the two start their daily inspection.

Meanwhile in the children’s department, Denise helps Madame Bourdelais find clothes for her kids. Just then, Jean appears. He has just married and will go with Denise to Valognes with his new wife Therese. He came to make an exchange for Therese and brought Pépé, who is now 12 and goes to school in Paris. Denise’s brothers are still her world. She gave half her savings to Jean to set up his house and the other half for Pépé’s school.

While making his rounds, Mouret notices Denise scolding her brothers in her gentle, motherly way. He remarks that her brothers are a lot like her, and she jokes that they are better-looking. Unable to resist her love for her brothers, Mouret asks Denise to come to his office after the sale. He goes back to his rounds, and Denise resumes helping Madame Bourdelais.

Then, Denise leads Jean and Pépé to the ladieswear department so Jean can make Therese’s exchanges. Clara has disappeared—some saying to become a sex worker—and Marguerite has put in her notice. Madame Aurélie fears losing her job, knowing that Albert’s extravagance and their lack of a family life is putting an end to the “Lhomme dynasty.” Madame Aurélie greets Denise warmly and begs her not to leave, saying everyone will miss her too much.

Denise then leads Jean and Pépé through the other departments. They pass the dressing rooms, little stalls of frosted glass where salesgirls are helping women try on clothes. Outside, a man is losing his temper over his wife undressing without him. Denise and her brothers pass through the corset, petticoat, and underclothes departments. Passing through these successive departments, a person witnesses the gradual undressing of women down to their chemises, strewing white garments.

In the linen department, Pauline—who has had her baby—runs up to Denise and tells her she can’t leave before she helps Pauline get promoted to assistant buyer. Denise laughs and promises to get Pauline promoted. Denise, Jean, and Pépé continue downstairs. Salesmen quickly stop gossiping about Denise when they see her pass. Pépé and Jean are intimidated by the massive shop and stick close to their sister.

Mouret, Denise, and Madame Desforges pass each other. They all look coldly at one other and then move on. Venting her feelings to Madame Guibal, Madame Desforges says it is shameful that Mouret married a marchioness (Mademoiselle Fontenailles) to a porter. They then go to the silk department, which is like a “huge bedroom dedicated to love.”

In the silk department, Favier helps a pretty customer and speculates to Hutin about her life. Hutin stays quiet. The management is displeased with his turnover in the silk department, and his job is now in jeopardy. He can sense that Favier will overthrow him just as Hutin overthrew Robineau. Favier gossips about Denise, and Hutin blurts out that he should have slept with Denise to climb his way to the top. Seeing Madame Desforges, Hutin starts a whispered conversation with her about leaving the Ladies’ Paradise. Madame Desforges promises to get him a job at the Quatre Saisons when it reopens. Hutin offers her a bunch of violets, but she refuses, saying she wants no part in that wedding.

Madame Desforges rejoins Madame Guibal, who has met up with Madame Marty and Valentine. They have been in the store two hours and have purchased heavily from all the departments. Behind them, a salesman drags a chair piled with purchases. Madame Desforges asks Madame Marty about Monsieur Marty. Thrown off from her fit of spending, Madame Marty answers cursorily. The ladies go to the flower department, and Madame Marty buys a branch of silk apple blossoms. The ladies then go upstairs.

On the way to the perfume department, the ladies pass through the buffet room where assistants are weaning a crowd of customers off the sweets. Madame Marty purchases heavily from the perfume department and then the ladies go to the Japanese display, where Madame Desforges discreetly buys a carved ivory piece. While Madame Marty and Valentine look at china, Madame Desforges and Madame Guibal go to the reading room where they find Vallagnosc. He informs them that Madame de Boves and Blanche are in the lace department and goes to fetch them.

The lace department—“a white chapel”—is very crowded. Madame de Boves, after walking around for a while with Blanche, commands Deloche to pile the finest lace on the counter. Blanche sees Madame de Boves plunge her hands deep in the lace and make some disappear up her sleeve.

Jouve—who has still been spying—whispers for Madame de Boves to follow him. Madame de Boves looks anguished but composes a haughty expression and follows Jouve to Bourdoncle’s office. Blanche lingers outside, torn in her loyalties. In his office, Bourdoncle asks Madame de Boves to return the stolen lace. Madame de Boves puffs up indignantly and accuses Bourdoncle of accusing the wife of a count of theft. She threatens legal action, but Bourdoncle sends for two salesgirls to search her.

Jouve and Bourdoncle go to a different room while the salesgirls search Madame de Boves. They find 14,000 francs worth of items stuffed in her clothes. She has been stealing like this for a year, her enjoyment increased by the knowledge that she is risking her husband’s reputation. Madame de Boves falls into a chair, screaming that someone has set her up. Bourdoncle tells her she must sign a paper that says she stole from the Ladies’ Paradise, and that he will keep it under threat of publishing until she brings him 2,000 francs. Madame de Boves cries and throws insults, but she eventually signs the paper. She leaves in a huff while Bourdoncle prepares to fire Deloche.

Meanwhile, Blanche finds Vallagnosc and tells him that Madame de Boves was caught stealing. Vallagnosc is shocked by this news and by the fact that Blanche was an accomplice. Seeing Mouret go by, he runs up to him and they go to Mouret’s office. Mouret assures Vallagnosc that the de Boves will face no penalties. In a manner uncharacteristic of his usual boredom, Vallagnosc laments that he has married into a family of thieves. He usually scoffs at suffering, but not when it befalls him. They return to the store, where Madame de Boves takes Vallagnosc’s arm, lying that the Ladies’ Paradise had offered her an apology. Vallagnosc and the de Boves leave.

Mouret walks through the store, observing the “nation” of women at his mercy. It is six o’clock, and the white merchandise glows like moonlight. The displays are like curtains concealing “the white nudity of the bride.” the Ladies’ Paradise is becoming a “new religion” of beauty.

Mouret watches his customers leave, knowing that he possesses them all—Madame Marty, Madame Guibal, Madame de Boves, Blanche, Vallagnosc, and even Madame Desforges. He listens to the sounds outside of his customers returning to their homes, and “the soul of Paris” disappearing into the night. Mouret feels something change within him. In his victorious state of having conquered “Woman,” he feels the irrational need to be conquered himself.

That evening, Mouret waits in his office. He is about to stake his life’s happiness, and he trembles with anxiety. He hears footsteps approach and Lhomme and Joseph appear, dragging the enormous money bags. Lhomme announces the day’s takings: over 1 million—a new record. Bourdoncle enters and exclaims over the money piled on Mouret’s desk. Mouret shrugs with indifference, and Bourdoncle again tells him to propose to Denise. Mouret says he knows Bourdoncle only wants his job, and then says that he was wrong that marriage would ruin the business; marriage is “the health necessary to life.” He dismisses Bourdoncle coldly.

Just then, Denise appears. Having just heard of Deloche’s dismissal, she is sad and is worried that she won’t be brave enough to resist Mouret. Mouret seizes Denise’s hands and asks if she will stay if he marries her. Denise begs him to stop, reminding him of her brothers. Mouret says that they can be his brothers too, but Denise again refuses.

Mouret feels driven mad by the irony of Denise’s refusal and the million dollars sitting on his desk. He yells at Denise to go and be with the man she loves. Astonished by his despair, Denise flings her arms around his neck, and says that he is the man she loves. Mouret collapses onto his desk, not noticing the million dollars. He and Denise clutch each other and plan their marriage, while Madame Hédouin smiles in her portrait above them.