Hans’s feelings for Clavdia reinforce the link between physical ailment and repressed inner feeling, with Hans’s pounding heart functioning as a physical symptom of his repressed, irrational passion for a woman it makes no sense for him to be attracted to. Now that Hans (and readers) know Madame Chauchat’s full name, it's worth analyzing the full name’s symbolism. Clavdia (spelled “Clawdia” in some editions of the book) contains the word “claw,” perhaps alluding to her capacity to use her sensuality to trap Hans in her claws. Her last name, Chauchat, has a few possible interpretations. A
Chauchat was a machine gun the French Army used during World War I, hinting at the self-destructive nature of Han’s irrational attraction to Clavdia.