Code Name Hélène

Henri Fiocca (1898-1943) is a millionaire industrialist who comes from a family of shipbuilders in Marseille. He is handsome and, when he first meets Nancy, a playboy. After he falls in love with Nancy at first sight, however, he is entirely loyal to her. He admires and supports her independence unconditionally. Even though his father and his ex-girlfriend Marceline object to his marrying a foreigner, he never expresses similar xenophobia. In addition to emotional support, Henri supports Nancy’s work with the Resistance materially, wiring her money and buying her a truck to use as an ambulance. Like Nancy, Love is a Source of Strength for him. When facing certain death, he conjures his memories of her to keep him strong and he never informs on her.

Henri is something of an anomaly for his time when many husbands expected their wives to fulfill traditional roles. As Lawhon notes, “I’d never read any story like it—much less a true one!—in which it was a woman who went off to war while her husband stayed behind to hold down the fort” (440). Henri is also very kind, taking it upon himself to teach her skills that will later save her life: how to hold her drink and how to ride a bike. His refusal to betray his wife or the Resistance under torture and the threat of death epitomizes the theme of Bravery and Sacrifice During War.

Stephanie Marsic, Nancy’s best friend, is a strong, independent woman. As one example of her independence, she insists on using her maiden name, Marsic, rather than her married name, and she encourages Nancy to do the same. Stephanie is married to a Count, to whom she has always been faithful even though he is not always faithful to her. Although Stephanie is typically confident, the last time Nancy sees her she is distressed and loses her composure. Stephanie’s husband, the Count, unbeknownst to her, was an arms dealer, and as a result, they are forced to flee to Switzerland during the war. This series of events shows how even independent women were in difficult situations due to their ignorance of their husband’s work. The Count and Stephanie’s fear at the outset of the war highlights the Bravery and Sacrifice During War of characters like Nancy and Henri. Nancy and Henri are wealthy enough to flee to safety as the Count and Stephanie do, but they choose to stay behind and fight.

Marceline is an entirely fictional character. She is Henri’s ex-girlfriend, representative of “the women Henri so famously dated before meeting Nancy” (445). She is vindictive, xenophobic, and selfish. Angry that Henri has chosen a foreigner over her, she provokes Henri and Nancy by wearing an H necklace that Henri gave her when they were together. Worse, Marceline is a collaborator with the German-allied Vichy regime in France. As Lawhon notes, she is “the living embodiment of French collaborationists who threw their lot in with the Germans” (445). Initially, she is a secretary to the Police Commissioner Paquet. She betrays Henri to Paquet, and after Henri has refused to break under torture, Marceline kills him. Later, she is a spy for the Germans, fitting with her vindictive nature and xenophobia. She winds up doing sex work to get information on the Maquis and, when captured, she is executed by Nancy, who does not yet know that she is executing her husband’s murderer. Marceline is Nancy’s foil. Where Nancy works toward Overcoming Sexist Expectations of Women and fights injustice, Marceline tries to use her society’s sexist attitudes to her advantage and sides with the enemy in the war.

John Farmer, code name Hubert, is Nancy’s partner on her mission supporting the Maquis. Nancy’s relationship with Farmer encapsulates the theme of Overcoming Sexist Expectations of Women. When they first meet, Farmer is annoyed to be working with Nancy because she is a woman. They routinely agree that they do not like each other very much. Nancy initially describes him as “one of the most painfully boring men I have ever met” (422). However, Farmer/Hubert comes to respect Nancy’s abilities and proves to be a loyal partner, and they learn to work well together throughout training and their mission. Famer is an experienced soldier and his insights are indispensable to the success of their mission and tactical decisions on the battlefield. As the mission goes on, Hubert’s admiration for Nancy grows, especially when she can drink more than the Maquis Gaspard and Judex during critical negotiations. He learns to appreciate her for the individual she is rather than judging her based on her gender.

Henri Tardivat and Henri Fournier are two of the Maquis leaders whom Nancy works with most closely. Tardivat works in logistics and intelligence for the Maquis, in addition to leading and training his own troops. Nancy and Tardivat have a great deal of respect for one another. Tardivat is wry, intelligent, and enjoys working with Nancy. In one instance, when she asks for a mattress, he promises to give her one if she can provide his men with guns. When she comes through on her end of the deal, he not only gets her a mattress but also returns her parachute to her to use as a sheet, showing thoughtfulness and kindness amid war. Tardivat represents one of the men who does not subject Nancy to sexist expectations, instead meeting her as two individuals.

In contrast, when Nancy first meets Henri Fournier, he is reticent about taking orders from a woman. However, when he sees how strong and tenacious Nancy is, he quickly learns to respect her. Fournier used to be a wealthy businessman, but he gave it all up and spent all of his money to support the resistance against the Germans. Like a typical Frenchman, he likes a good meal. However, he forgoes material comforts and lives in the woods for months as part of the war effort, an example of Bravery and Sacrifice During War. He is a good leader, a smart tactician, and commands the respect of his men.