Short Fiction · Character

Madame Aubain

A widowed mistress of a modest household, weighed down by memories and managing her estate, her children, and her servant with restrained, sorrowful dignity.

supporting

Also known as Madame

First appearance: A Simple Soul

As a supporting figure in Short Fiction, Madame Aubain is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Félicité's employer, a middle-class widow.

In the storyA Simple SoulOpen this moment free

Madame Aubain receives her ruined uncle the Marquis and her lawyer Monsieur Bourais, oversees her children's lessons, and retreats to the crumbling Geffosses cottage where recollection makes her hang her head while the children fall silent. When a bull looms out of the fog she prepares to flee for her life, relying on Félicité's steadier nerve. Her griefs and small economies form the domestic world Félicité serves, and her hesitations—like dissuading Félicité from joining the Daughters of the Virgin—shape the quiet boundaries of the story.

See Madame Aubain in A Simple Soul Book page

Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.

Character Web

15 connections

A slice of how Madame Aubain sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Social
Family
Professional
Other

Character groups

Félicité's world characters
Protagonist
Secondary and supporting characters

+10 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Closing

This excerpt marks the dramatic climax because it presents the psychological peak of tension between Roman aut…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

Virginia
family · positive
Madame Aubain is Virginia's mother, grieving deeply after her daughter's untimely death. How this plays out →
Loulou
social · ambivalent
Colmiche
social · positive
Monsieur Bourais
professional · positive
Paul
family · ambivalent
Colmiche
social · positive
Loulou
social · ambivalent

Virginia
Madame Aubain is Virginia's mother, grieving deeply after her daughter's untimely death.
Loulou
Loulou is a parrot owned by Madame Aubain's household, tolerated but not deeply cherished by her.
Colmiche
Colmiche is a poor, disabled man whom Madame Aubain occasionally helps out of charity.
Monsieur Bourais
Monsieur Bourais manages legal and financial affairs for Madame Aubain, acting as her trusted advisor.
Paul
Paul is Madame Aubain's son, who grows up and leaves home, creating emotional distance.
Colmiche
Colmiche is a poor, disabled man whom Madame Aubain occasionally helps out of charity.
Loulou
Loulou is a parrot owned by Madame Aubain's household, tolerated but not deeply cherished by her.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Madame Aubain in A Simple Soul

In the story

Madame Aubain appears across 9 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Legend of Saint Julian the Hospitaller
Not present in this chapter.
I: The Curse
Not present in this chapter.
II: The Crime
Not present in this chapter.
III: The Reparation
Not present in this chapter.
A Simple Soul
Félicité's employer, a middle-class widow.
I: Félicité
Félicité's mistress, a widow who lost her husband in 1809 and manages her household with a disagreeable temperament.
II: The Heroine
Hires Félicité, manages the household, and is rescued from the bull by Félicité.
III: Death
Decides to send Virginia to convent school, grieves uncontrollably after Virginia's death, and experiences haunting visions.
IV: The Bird
Félicité's mistress, who suggests having Loulou stuffed and later dissuades Félicité from joining the Daughters of the Virgin. She discovers Bourais's embezzlements after his death.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Madame Aubain unlock in the free preview.

See Madame Aubain in A Simple Soul