The Red and the Black · Character

Madame de la Mole

The marquis's pious, conventional wife, whose salon sets the aristocratic tone Julien must navigate and whose anecdotes he studies like a foreign language.

supporting

Also known as de la Mole, madame de la Mole, Madame de La Mole

First appearance: Chapter XXXIV. The Hôtel De La Mole

As a supporting figure in The Red and the Black, Madame de la Mole is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Described by Abbé Pirard as a devout, polite, and insignificant woman of aristocratic prejudices.

In the storyChapter XXXI. The Pleasures Of The CountryOpen this moment free

Presiding over one of the great houses of the Faubourg Saint-Germain, she embodies the decorum and dullness of legitimist Paris, forever invoking the heroic days of the League. Julien reads Brantôme and D'Aubigné partly to hold his own in her conversation, treating her as a barometer of the world he must conquer. Her conventionality sharpens the contrast with her brilliant, restless daughter, and her salon is the stage on which Julien's Parisian ambition is tested.

See Madame de la Mole in Chapter XXXI. The Pleasures Of The Country Book page

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

Character Web

23 connections

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

Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Julien's Parisian circle
Protagonist

+18 more in the full Character Web

Open in reader

Narrative arc

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

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

Mathilde’s pride—her defining trait—shatters here as she openly begs Julien for reassurance, weeping and admit…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

Follow the arc while reading

In the story

Madame de la Mole appears across 10 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Chapter XXXI. The Pleasures Of The Country
Described by Abbé Pirard as a devout, polite, and insignificant woman of aristocratic prejudices.
Chapter XXXII. Entry Into Society
Imposing and impertinent, she barely acknowledges Julien.
Chapter XXXIV. The Hôtel De La Mole
Suggests sending Julien away on business days, rewards the baron Le Bourguignon with a prefectship, and embodies the aristocratic boredom.
Chapter XXXV. Sensibility And A Great Pious Lady
Sometimes makes fun of Julien; shows interest in the Baron de la Joumate as a potential husband for her daughter.
Chapter XLIII. A Plot
Her disdainful looks toward Julien are remembered by him, fueling his resentment.
Chapter XLIV. A Young Girl’s Thoughts
Mathilde asks her permission to go to Villequier, but she dismisses the request.
Chapter XLIX. The Opera Bouffe
Calls Mathilde to the opera and reprimands her for her distraction.
Chapter L. The Japanese Vase
Distressed by the breaking of her Japanese vase, which she treasures as a family heirloom.
Chapter LVI. Moral Love
Praises Julien to Mathilde, contributing to Mathilde's irritation.
Chapter LXI. Frighten Her
Accompanies Mathilde and Julien back to the hôtel, talks incessantly to prevent them from speaking.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Madame de la Mole unlock in the free preview.

See Madame de la Mole in Chapter XXXIV. The Hôtel De La Mole

See Madame de la Mole in Chapter XXXI. The Pleasures Of The Country