Short Fiction · Character

Simon Bombard

A fatherless boy in a poor Normandy family whose Sunday walks to watch the steamers keep alive a fragile hope that Uncle Jules will return rich from America.

major

Also known as Simon, little Simon, Prosper Bombard, M. Simon Bombard, Bombard

First appearance: Simon's Father

As a major figure in Short Fiction, Simon Bombard is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

The young boy who is bullied for having no father; he seeks a father figure and finds one in Philip.

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Simon grows up hearing his father ask, at every returning steamer, 'What a surprise it would be if Jules were on that one!' The family's gospel is Uncle Jules's letter promising to return with a fortune, and every plan—even a little house near Ingouville—rests on that hope. Simon's sisters remain unmarried, the household pinches, and the boy absorbs both the shame of a disreputable uncle and the stubborn faith that he will one day redeem them all.

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Character Web

28 connections

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Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Seduction and Country Excursions
Defiance and Superstition
Secrets and Scandals
Eccentricity and Obsession
Varied Tales of Human Nature

+23 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

The emotional and psychological peak occurs when Leuillet receives news of Souris’s sudden death and experienc…

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In the story

Simon Bombard appears across 11 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Simon's Father
The young boy who is bullied for having no father; he seeks a father figure and finds one in Philip.
André’s Disease
André, the infant son of Mathilde and the lawyer, who is repeatedly pinched by the Captain.
The Little One
The spoiled, willful son of Monsieur Lemonnier, who is revealed to be the biological child of Monsieur Duretour.
A Sale
Defendant Cornu, a publican, who agrees to buy Brument's wife and participates in the drowning attempt.
VI
Maze, the handsome colleague, becomes a cautious friend to Lesable and accepts a dinner invitation.
Yvette
A character interacting with Yvette, highlighting the dynamics of courtship and social maneuvering.
Bombard
Protagonist; a lazy, pleasure-seeking Norman who marries for money and schemes to satisfy his desires.
The Woodcocks
The elder d'Orgemol brother, who predicts the arrival of woodcocks based on wind and frost.
A Family
The narrator's old friend, now a stout, contented provincial family man with five children.
III
Emile, the five-year-old son of the elder Hautot and Mademoiselle Donet, is present and plays with César.
In Port
The sailor who returns to port and finds his fiancée married to another.

Chapter companion notes

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