Villette

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1853

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Download PDF

Chapters 27-29Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 27 Summary: “The Hôtel Crécy”

Lucy and Ginevra attend an academic lecture at the Hôtel Crécy given in honor of the prince of Labassecour. Many local dignitaries are in attendance, as are the Brettons, the de Bassompierres, and M. Paul Emmanuel, who is the featured speaker. Ginevra finds it strange that Lucy and she are accepted in the same social circles and is surprised at how rapidly Lucy’s status has changed. Lucy is slightly angered at Ginevra’s insult but casts it off as meaningless. Ginevra says she is not ashamed to be seen with Lucy in society but feels she does not truly know or understand her, saying, “But are you anybody?” (399). Lucy responds, “Yes, I am a rising character: once an old lady’s companion, then a nursery-governess, now a school-teacher" (399). Lucy ponders the idea of how social status might affect moral character.

M. Paul delivers a rousing patriotic speech that concludes with cheers from the audience. He approaches Lucy afterwards and asks her what she thought of the speech. Lucy cannot formulate an answer before others interrupt the exchange. There is a dinner at the hotel, and Lucy observes both Ginevra and Paulina in their interactions, particularly with the men in attendance. Ginevra is lavishly dressed and her beauty hard is to ignore; Paulina’s dress is much more understated, but her intelligence and poise captivate the men. Lucy also sees John watching both women.

After dinner, John asks Lucy what she thinks of Paulina and Ginevra. He tells Lucy that if she (Lucy) had been a boy, they would have been good friends. He remembers little of their time at Bretton together but thinks he was unkind to Lucy. John wishes for Lucy to serve as a go-between for him and Paulina and ask her what she thinks of him. Lucy refuses. M. Paul, misreading the situation, whispers in her ear that her flirtatious behavior is inappropriate. Lucy is near tears, but M. Paul apologizes. Lucy forgives him, and he offers to take her home. She declines, though they part on friendly terms.

Chapter 28 Summary: “The Watchguard”

When an urgent letter arrives for M. Paul from the college, the portress begs Lucy to deliver it: He does not like his classes to be interrupted and has threatened to hang anyone else who enters. The letter requests M. Paul’s presence at the college for an inspection, and Lucy delivers it along with a tiny noose she has made out of thread as a joke. In trying to convey the urgency of the summons, Lucy accidentally breaks his glasses. She fears he will burst into a fury, but he finds it humorous and leaves for the college.

Lucy is glad of their agreeable relationship, but it does not last long. During an evening study period, M. Paul awkwardly sits in between Lucy and Ginevra, forcing Lucy to move over to make room. M. Paul interprets this as her refusing to sit near him. He stormily moves Lucy and her sewing materials to the far end of the table. When supper is served, Lucy stays in her seat and smugly watches M. Paul while working on a watchguard. He comes near her and proceeds to attack her character, down to her choice of clothing. Lucy defends herself but is hurt. M. Paul relents slightly and asks if she hates him. Lucy replies that she does not, and he tells her she can have some frills on her clothing but to avoid vanity. Seeing herself as anything but vain, she thinks, “Such are you own and your friends’ impressions; and behold! There starts up a little man, differing diametrically from all these” (431). Lucy cannot make sense of his warped view of her.

Chapter 29 Summary: “Monsieur’s Fête”

Once a year, the teachers and students honor M. Paul. The celebration is much smaller than Madame Beck’s, as he does not like lavish gifts. The celebration is set for March 1; the other students and teachers plan to bring bouquets, but Lucy is crafting her gift— the watchguard, which she finishes using the clasp of her necklace. Lucy packages the gift in a wooden box she engraves with M. Paul’s initials.

Led by Mademoiselle Zélie St. Pierre, who fancies M. Paul, the ladies make a large pile of flowers on his desk. M. Paul responds after a long silence, asking if that is all. Zélie says all but Lucy have given their gifts. Lucy is embarrassed and holds back from giving the box. She drops her thimble and bumps her head on the desk. M. Paul proceeds to deliver a lecture that demeans and vilifies English people, particularly women. Lucy, unable to contain her anger, shouts in French, “Long live England, History, and Heroes! Down with France, Fiction and Fops!” (440).

Lucy later goes to hide the box in her desk and finds M. Paul rifling through it while smoking a cigar. Lucy reveals to the reader that he often leaves her trinkets inside her desk, including books, pamphlets, and chocolates. Lucy gives him the box, and he is enamored with the gift, attaching the watchguard immediately. He gives her the books he was depositing but removes a few pages first. Later, they sit near each other at supper smiling and without argument.

Chapter 27-29 Analysis

With the burial of John’s letters and the resolution to choose happiness, Lucy has found a way to live contentedly for the time being. The tone shifts from depressive, Gothic gloom to a relatively lighthearted romance as the novel explores the sometimes comical complexities of love and attraction in this era. John’s interest in Paulina is increasing, which in turn causes Ginevra to behave jealously. John attempts to persuade Lucy to ask Paulina what she thinks of him—a request that Lucy refuses. Though it is painful she has been pushed to the fringes again, Lucy does not care to participate in the melodrama. Lucy’s vision of John is skewed by her infatuation with him. In her eyes, he can do no wrong, but, reading between the lines, it’s clear he can be quite shallow and self-centered.

In contrast, M. Paul is a man who thinks he knows Lucy at her core but is also intent on bending her to his image of perfect femininity. He looks for opportunities to point out her flaws, but Lucy always responds in defense of herself, usually defusing his anger. Ultimately, M. Paul seems to fault Lucy for his own attraction to her, projecting his desire onto her and consequently criticizing her for supposedly improper, provocative dress and manners. Lucy struggles to understand why M. Paul cannot give her the same respect as her friends. However, the broken glasses symbolize a shift in their relationship: Ironically, without the spectacles that enable him to scrutinize her every move, he finally begins to see Lucy clearly.

The unreliable narrator has been keeping yet another secret from the reader—one that could dramatically change the reader’s view of M. Paul. Instead of searching Lucy’s personal belongings, he has been leaving her gifts. This gesture is a subversion of Madame’s nighttime searches. Instead of prying into Lucy’s secrets or seeking some way to denounce her, M. Paul is offering enrichment of her private life. It is unclear why Lucy fails to divulge this detail earlier—possibly the attention embarrasses her—but it reveals another layer of M. Paul’s prickly nature. He may be bombastic, but he does care for Lucy.

Both Lucy and M. Paul are stubborn and prideful in certain ways, and their fiery exchanges are the symptoms of a repressed desire for each other that neither wants to admit. Submitting to passion and love requires a surrender to both emotions. Through these characters, the author explores the complex rules for finding a partner in the 19th century.