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Henri Deloche
Madame Hédouin was the original owner of the Ladies’ Paradise and Mouret’s late wife. Many people—especially Mouret’s enemies—believe that Mouret killed Madame Hédouin by pushing her into the foundation of the new Ladies’ Paradise building, “staining it with her blood.” However, her portrait hangs above Mouret’s desk, and he often looks at it in gratitude. When Mouret and Denise get together, the portrait of Madame Hédouin seems to smile in approval.
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Madame Hédouin Character Timeline in The Ladies’ Paradise
The timeline below shows where the character Madame Hédouin appears in The Ladies’ Paradise. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
...of the Deleuze brothers, who founded the Ladies’ Paradise. Madame Baudu says that Mouret killed Madame Hédouin ; she fell in a hole on the building site, staining the foundation of the...
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Chapter 2
...washes his face and goes to his big office. He looks at a portrait of Madame Hédouin on the wall and thanks her for giving him the Paradise through marriage. There is...
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...same one she saw in the street—is Mouret. She feels she can see the dead Madame Hédouin in his eyes and feels a complicated emotion akin to fear. Madame Aurélie says she...
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Chapter 5
...desk and warns her to continue attending to her appearance. Denise notices the portrait of Madame Hédouin , the woman everyone accuses him of murdering. Mouret dismisses Denise.
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Chapter 12
...Denise to come to his office. Once there, he rebukes her sternly. Denise feels that Madame Hédouin , whose picture both intimidates and comforts her, is protecting her. She calmly apologizes for...
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...him to believe that she is respectable, as most women are. Mouret is reminded of Madame Hédouin ’s values and feels that Denise, in her goodness, is a resurrection of his late...
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Chapter 14
...noticing the million dollars. He and Denise clutch each other and plan their marriage, while Madame Hédouin smiles in her portrait above them.
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