# Madame Willemsens — Shorts from Scenes from Private Life character guide

> Madame Willemsens in Shorts from Scenes from Private Life by Honoré de Balzac.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Mme. Willemsens, Willemsens, Mme, Marie Willemsens

**First appearance:** 0013-the-deserted-woman

## Snapshot

A pale, prematurely aged woman living in rural seclusion with her son, her melancholy calm hiding a history she never speaks of.

## Who they are

Madame Willemsens is the mystery at the center of her village—watched by neighbors hungry for any interest to break their narrow days, she keeps her distance with a girlish coiffure and a face marked by sorrow. Her slender figure, her hollow eyes, and her deceptive composure suggest a woman who has retreated from the world rather than been defeated by it. Her devotion to her son and her refusal to explain herself make her the emotional enigma that draws the curious reader forward, promising a revelation worth the wait.

## In the story

### [The Purse](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/shorts_from_scenes_from_private_life_se/chapters/the-purse)

Referred to as the Baronne Leseigneur; she is the mother of Adélaïde, a widow of a naval officer, living in reduced circumstances.

### [La Grande Bretêche](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/shorts_from_scenes_from_private_life_se/chapters/la-grande-bret-che)

The innkeeper (Madame Lepas) who reveals details about the Spanish prisoner and the fifteen thousand francs.

### [La Grenadière](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/shorts_from_scenes_from_private_life_se/chapters/la-grenadi-re)

The ailing mother living at La Grenadière, whose health deteriorates throughout the chapter; she wears paint to conceal her pallor and devotes herself to her children.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/shorts_from_scenes_from_private_life_se/characters/madame_willemsens
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/shorts_from_scenes_from_private_life_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/shorts_from_scenes_from_private_life_se/characters