Germinie Lacerteux · Chapter
XXVII explained
Mademoiselle de Varandeuil, seated by the fire in her worn black dress, reflects on her fallen fortunes from a wealthy past.
What happens
Mademoiselle de Varandeuil, seated by the fire in her worn black dress, reflects on her fallen fortunes from a wealthy past. She asks Germinie about finding a seamstress and suggests Mère Jupillon's niece, but Germinie vehemently refuses, calling the girl a lost creature. Mademoiselle jests about Germinie's needlework and her strained relations with Madame Jupillon, hinting at tension.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological peak of Germinie's double…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Social Class and Inequality
Mademoiselle's lament about her fall from wealth to poverty highlights the theme of social decline and the contrast between past grandeur and present hardship.
- Hypocrisy and Secrecy
Germinie's vehement refusal to allow Mère Jupillon's niece into the house hints at hidden resentments and secrets regarding her relationship with the Jupillons.
Characters to notice
- Mademoiselle de Varandeuil
Sits by the fire in shabby black, reminiscing about her family's lost wealth and joking with Germinie about mending and servants.
- Germinie Lacerteux
Kneels by the fireplace, tending the fire, and refuses to allow Mère Jupillon's niece into the house, showing her animosity toward the Jupillon family.
- Madame Jupillon
Mentioned as the aunt of the girl Germinie rejects; Germinie's hostility toward her is evident.
Key passages
“Do you know that when one is born in one of the finest houses on Rue Royale—when one has been in a fair way to own the Grand and Petit-Charolais—when one has almost had the Château of Clichy-la-Garenne for a country house—and when it took two servants to carry the silver platter on which the joint was served at your grandmother's—do you know that it takes no small amount of philosophy to see yourself end like this, in this devilish nest of rheumatism...”
Mademoiselle reflects on her family's former wealth and status, contrasting it with her current poverty and physical ailments.
Highlights the theme of social decline and the burden of memory.
“That hussy shall never set foot here.”
Germinie refuses to allow Mère Jupillon's niece into the house, calling her a disreputable woman.
Reveals Germinie's deep hostility toward the Jupillon family.
