The Lily of the Valley · Character

Madeleine de Mortsauf

The Mortsaufs' elder child, raised under her mother's anxious eye, she absorbs the household's tensions long before she can understand them.

supporting

Also known as Madeleine, Poor Madeleine, Mademoiselle Madeleine, Dear Madeleine

First appearance: the lily of the valley

As a supporting figure in The Lily of the Valley, Madeleine de Mortsauf is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Madeleine grows up in a home where her father's rages and her brother's frailty dictate the rhythm of every day, and she learns early to read silences. Her mother's fierce, watchful love shapes her, yet also burdens her with expectations she cannot yet meet. She stands as the next generation of the family's sorrow, a quiet witness to the drama Félix narrates.

See Madeleine de Mortsauf in the lily of the valley Book page

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

Character Web

13 connections

A slice of how Madeleine de Mortsauf sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Family
Friendship
Other

Character groups

Mortsauf household circle
Protagonist

+8 more in the full Character Web

Open in reader

Relationships

Comte de Mortsauf
family · negative
Father and daughter, with the Comte's erratic behavior causing tension and fear in… How this plays out →
Jacques de Mortsauf
family · positive
Félix de Vandenesse
friendship · positive
Henriette de Mortsauf
family · positive
Félix de Vandenesse
friendship · positive
Félix de Vandenesse
friendship · positive
Henriette de Mortsauf
family · positive
Comte de Mortsauf
family · negative
Father and daughter, with the Comte's erratic behavior causing tension and fear in… How this plays out →
Jacques de Mortsauf
family · positive
Comte de Mortsauf
family · negative
Father and daughter, with the Comte's erratic behavior causing tension and fear in… How this plays out →

Comte de Mortsauf
Father and daughter, with the Comte's erratic behavior causing tension and fear in Madeleine.
Jacques de Mortsauf
Brother and sister, sharing a bond of suffering under their father's tyranny and their mother's care.
Félix de Vandenesse
Félix acts as a kind older figure to Madeleine, who initially resents him but later grows fond of him.
Henriette de Mortsauf
Mother and daughter, sharing a close but strained bond as Henriette tries to protect Madeleine from the family's dysfunction.
Félix de Vandenesse
Félix acts as a kind older figure to Madeleine, who initially resents him but later grows fond of him.
Félix de Vandenesse
Félix acts as a kind older figure to Madeleine, who initially resents him but later grows fond of him.
Henriette de Mortsauf
Mother and daughter, sharing a close but strained bond as Henriette tries to protect Madeleine from the family's dysfunction.
Comte de Mortsauf
Father and daughter, with the Comte's erratic behavior causing tension and fear in Madeleine.
Jacques de Mortsauf
Brother and sister, sharing a bond of suffering under their father's tyranny and their mother's care.
Comte de Mortsauf
Father and daughter, with the Comte's erratic behavior causing tension and fear in Madeleine.

Relationship notes

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

See Madeleine de Mortsauf in the lily of the valley