Pauline— Character Analysis in The Ladies’ Paradise

Pauline is a salesgirl at the Ladies’ Paradise. She becomes close with Denise and tries to convince her to solve her financial troubles by getting a lover to support her. Pauline herself has a lover—Baugé—and she maintains that her sexual lifestyle is not indecent. After Baugé starts working at the Ladies’ Paradise, he and Pauline marry and Pauline becomes pregnant. Pauline fears being fired and tries to hide her pregnancy, thus endangering her baby. Her plight moves Denise to enact new laws that allow pregnancy among employees and opens a maternity ward at the Ladies’ Paradise.

Pauline— Character Timeline in The Ladies’ Paradise

The timeline below shows where the character Pauline— appears in The Ladies’ Paradise. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Women, Exploitation, and Power Theme Icon

...folding clothes. The girl from the lingerie department who defended Denise earlier introduces herself as Pauline, and she tells Denise it will get better with time. Madame Aurélie puts the coat... (full context)

...hall. Denise has no friends, and the only girl who is nice to her is Pauline. (full context)

...afraid that they won’t last her until the end of the month. Around 11 o’clock, Pauline knocks on her door. The girls are forbidden to visit each other at night, so... (full context)

In Pauline’s comforting presence, Denise opens up about her hardships and money problems. Starting to cry, Denise... (full context)

Pauline tells Denise about her lovers. Currently, she is seeing a nice salesman. Pauline maintains that... (full context)

After talking to Pauline, Denise takes an interest in the love affairs at the Ladies’ Paradise. Clara is a... (full context)

...shoes, surprising the salesgirls who had made fun of her clunky boots. Denise’s friendship with Pauline exacerbates the ongoing rivalry between the ladieswear and lingerie departments. Madame Aurélie remains neutral until... (full context)

Madame Aurélie resents Denise for fraternizing with Pauline. To show her displeasure, she invites all the ladieswear department girls except Denise on a... (full context)

On Sunday, Denise and Pauline meet Pauline’s boyfriend, Baugé. Denise wears her old wool dress and a bonnet trimmed with... (full context)

Denise, Pauline, and Baugé take a train to the country. They boat out to an island and... (full context)

That evening, Denise, Pauline and Baugé go again to the restaurant on the island. The place is noisy and... (full context)

...arm and asks him to walk with them. They walk under the poplars, Baugé and Pauline going out in front. Denise and Deloche are quiet at first, calming themselves from the... (full context)

Denise, Pauline and Baugé take the train back to Paris. In response to Pauline’s teasing, Denise assures... (full context)

...will be her; everyone hates her even more since she went to the country with Pauline. The girls gossip about her, saying that she has a baby and a lover. Denise... (full context)

Noticing Denise’s distress, Pauline pulls her aside to talk. Jouve walks by, and Pauline starts to hide. When Denise... (full context)

...turns pale, Clara speculates that Denise is cheating on her lover and fears his revenge. Pauline declares she can’t eat the beef and has the cafeteria make her an omelet. (full context)

...comes up to her and smiles paternally. Jouve says that he spotted Denise talking with Pauline earlier, and he asks why the two girls are so fond of each other. Denise... (full context)

...by his vanity. When Mouret passes, Denise hides, her heart beating. Occasionally she runs into Pauline and Deloche, but she keeps both of them from seeing where she lives. Colomban often... (full context)

...a little money. He starts to tell her of his affairs, but she hushes him. Pauline tells Denise she’s thinking of marrying Baugé, while Colomban begs Denise to ask Clara if... (full context)

...by the new arrangement of the store. Denise notices Mouret and blushes, thinking of what Pauline told her about his relationships with Madame Desforges and Clara. Mouret asks Denise to come... (full context)

There is a knock on Denise’s door, and Pauline enters. Since the girls are forbidden to talk in their rooms, Denise and Pauline go... (full context)

Pauline assures Denise that Mouret is no longer seeing Clara or Madame Desforges. Denise, hurt by... (full context)

Meanwhile, Pauline tells Deloche that Mouret asked Denise to dinner. Deloche then tells Lienard, with whom he... (full context)

Baugé goes to meet Pauline in their secret meeting place. There, Denise comes upon them kissing, and Pauline asks her... (full context)

...uncle’s. Everyone is shocked to learn that she declined Mouret’s invitation. Deloche is relieved, but Pauline can’t believe that Denise turned down her fortune. (full context)

Pauline comes by and notices that Denise is losing her temper. Denise explains that she can’t... (full context)

Some time later, Pauline becomes pregnant. Employees aren’t allowed to keep working if they get pregnant, and many salesgirls... (full context)

Denise visits Pauline in the infirmary, and Pauline and Baugé thank her for the great changes she has... (full context)

In the linen department, Pauline—who has had her baby—runs up to Denise and tells her she can’t leave before she... (full context)