# Étienne Lousteau — Parisians in the Country character guide

> Étienne Lousteau in Parisians in the Country by Honoré de Balzac.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** Lousteau, Madame Lousteau, Neither Lousteau, Étienne, Monsieur Lousteau, Monsieur Étienne Lousteau

**First appearance:** 0002-story-ii-the-muse-of-the-department

## Snapshot

A Paris journalist with a hat-seller's charm and a cynic's pen, he arrives in Sancerre and finds in Dinah an audience worth seducing.

## Who they are

Lousteau belongs to the Parisian press, that trade of talk and borrowed wit where a man lives on his tongue and other people's money. He comes to Sancerre as a curiosity, a specimen of the capital, and discovers in Dinah a woman whose intelligence flatters his own. His mixture of genuine taste and hollow ambition makes him the perfect instrument for testing whether provincial longing can survive contact with the real thing.

## Relationships

### [Dinah de la Baudraye](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/parisians_in_the_country_se/characters/dinah_de_la_baudraye)

_romantic_

Dinah is passionately involved with Étienne, a Parisian journalist, in an affair that dominates her life in the countryside.

### [Monsieur Gravier](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/parisians_in_the_country_se/characters/monsieur_gravier)

_professional_

Étienne interacts with Monsieur Gravier as part of his social and professional networking in the provincial town.

### [Madame Gaudissart](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/parisians_in_the_country_se/characters/madame_gaudissart)

_professional_

Madame Gaudissart, a local businesswoman, has frequent dealings with Étienne, often related to his journalistic work.

### [Horace Bianchon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/parisians_in_the_country_se/characters/horace_bianchon)

_friendship_

Étienne and Horace share a cordial friendship as fellow Parisians temporarily residing in the countryside.

### [Madame Margaritis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/parisians_in_the_country_se/characters/madame_margaritis)

_social_

Étienne is acquainted with Madame Margaritis, a local eccentric, through the town's social circles.

### [Didine](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/parisians_in_the_country_se/characters/didine)

_romantic_

Didine is a pet name or intimate nickname for Dinah, used by Étienne in their romantic relationship.

### [Nathan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/parisians_in_the_country_se/characters/nathan)

_professional_

Nathan is a fellow journalist and colleague of Étienne, collaborating on literary and newspaper projects.

### [Félicie Cardot](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/parisians_in_the_country_se/characters/felicie_cardot)

_romantic_

Étienne flirts with or courts Félicie Cardot, a young local woman, as part of his romantic intrigues.

### [Madame Cardot](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/parisians_in_the_country_se/characters/madame_cardot)

_social_

Étienne is acquainted with Madame Cardot through her daughter Félicie and local social events.

### [Bixiou](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/parisians_in_the_country_se/characters/bixiou)

_friendship_

Bixiou is a witty Parisian friend and fellow artist who shares jokes and camaraderie with Étienne.

### [Dinah de la Baudraye](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/parisians_in_the_country_se/characters/dinah_de_la_baudraye)

_romantic_

Dinah is passionately involved with Étienne, a Parisian journalist, in an affair that dominates her life in the countryside.

### [Dinah de la Baudraye](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/parisians_in_the_country_se/characters/dinah_de_la_baudraye)

_romantic_

Dinah is passionately involved with Étienne, a Parisian journalist, in an affair that dominates her life in the countryside.

## In the story

### [The Muse of the Department](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/parisians_in_the_country_se/chapters/story-ii-the-muse-of-the-department)

A Parisian journalist who becomes Dinah's lover and persuades her to leave Sancerre for Paris.

### [The Muse of the Department](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/parisians_in_the_country_se/chapters/the-muse-of-the-department)

Flirts with Dinah, expresses cynicism about love, and later receives her letters and gifts but neglects them.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/parisians_in_the_country_se/characters/etienne_lousteau
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/parisians_in_the_country_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/parisians_in_the_country_se/characters