Dodsworth · Character

Renée de Pénable

A calculating Parisian hostess who collects titles, freaks, and useful Americans, and who sees in Fran a fresh attraction worth cultivating — and in Sam an obstacle worth managing.

supporting

Also known as Renée, Pénable, Madame de Pénable

First appearance: x

As a supporting figure in Dodsworth, Renée de Pénable is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

A mysterious, redheaded woman who seems to know everyone influential.

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Madame de Pénable presides over a salon of assorted European titles, a judicious freak or two, and the choicest American visitors, and she recognizes at once that Fran's naive freshness is a novelty her circle craves. She also sees that Sam, dull but devoted, will keep Fran from snatching the men Renée wants for herself, so she cultivates the Dodsworths with enthusiasm. Her glittering Paris — rides in the Bois, Burgundy lore, icy dancing haunts — becomes the hothouse where Fran's restlessness blooms and Sam first feels like a passenger in his own marriage.

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Character Web

22 connections

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Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Fran's European circle
Sam's American contacts
Wider social orbit
European acquaintances

+17 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point

This is the story's dramatic climax because Fran’s monologue marks the emotional and psychological peak of her…

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Relationships

Sam Dodsworth
social · ambivalent
A sophisticated French socialite who interacts with Sam in European social circles, often… How this plays out →
Fran Dodsworth
social · ambivalent
Fran Dodsworth
social · ambivalent
Sam Dodsworth
social · ambivalent
A sophisticated French socialite who interacts with Sam in European social circles, often… How this plays out →
Sam Dodsworth
social · ambivalent
A sophisticated French socialite who interacts with Sam in European social circles, often… How this plays out →

Sam Dodsworth
A sophisticated French socialite who interacts with Sam in European social circles, often with flirtatious undertones.
Fran Dodsworth
Fran and Renée move in the same European social circles, with a mix of rivalry and superficial friendship.
Fran Dodsworth
Fran and Renée move in the same European social circles, with a mix of rivalry and superficial friendship.
Sam Dodsworth
A sophisticated French socialite who interacts with Sam in European social circles, often with flirtatious undertones.
Sam Dodsworth
A sophisticated French socialite who interacts with Sam in European social circles, often with flirtatious undertones.

Relationship notes

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In the story

Renée de Pénable appears across 3 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

XIV
A mysterious, redheaded woman who seems to know everyone influential. She invites the Dodsworths to lunch, and Sam suspects she is an international spy.
Chapter XV
Dominates the Dodsworths' social life; cultivates Fran for her novelty; surrounds herself with titled Europeans and carefully selected eccentrics; insists Fran have her portrait painted by M. Saurier.
XIX
Mentioned in Fran's letter as a source of distress; Fran accuses her of beastliness and gossip.

Chapter companion notes

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