The Cloven Foot · Character

Chicot

A weary husband trapped in a marriage he cannot escape, Jack Chicot watches his wife's dangerous stage ascent with dread—and a secret wish for release.

supporting

Also known as Jack Chicot, Jack, Johnny, la belle Chicot, John Chicot

First appearance: La Chicot

As a supporting figure in The Cloven Foot, Chicot is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Jack Chicot, La Chicot's husband, a painter and critic who suffers silently under his wife's temper and regrets their marriage.

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Jack Chicot lives in the shadow of his wife's fame, a man whose eyes stay on the ground and whose hands stay in his pockets. He begs La Chicot to refuse the coral-bower stunt, but she mocks his concern and snaps her fingers under his nose. His visible dread—and the terrible truth that her death would free him—makes him the novel's most haunted figure, poised between duty and a longing he cannot name.

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See Chicot in La Chicot

Character Web

6 connections

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Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Extended cast and historical references
Core cast and family
Protagonist

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This scene is the dramatic climax because it marks the emotional peak where Laura’s trust and love are directl…

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In the story

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

La Chicot
Jack Chicot, La Chicot's husband, a painter and critic who suffers silently under his wife's temper and regrets their marriage.
La Chicot Has Her Own Way
Jack Chicot, the husband of La Chicot, feels trapped in a miserable marriage, working as a draughtsman and fearing for his wife's safety.
Days That Are Over, Dreams That Are Done
Returns home after a week's absence; his relief at his wife's condition is detected by Gerard.
XIV: “You Have but to Say the Word”
Jack Chicot is an absent, wandering husband; his marriage to La Chicot is nominal and strained.
Edward Clare Discovers a Likeness
Mentioned as a hard-working comic artist whose wife drinks heavily; he bears a strong likeness to a man Edward knows.
XVI: Shall It Be “Yes” or “No”?
Jack Chicot, La Chicot's husband, is mentioned as neglectful and nearly estranged, with La Chicot suspecting he has another woman.
XVII: Murder
Jack Chicot discovers his wife's body and raises the alarm, then disappears while supposedly fetching a policeman.
What the Diamonds Were Worth
The missing husband, presumed murderer; his paint box contains the suspected murder weapon.
XXVII: Desrolles Is Not Communicative
Chicot is the caricaturist and fellow lodger of Desrolles, suspected of murdering his wife. Desrolles suggests he may have drowned himself in the Thames.

Chapter companion notes

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See Chicot in La Chicot