# Zélie St. Pierre — Villette character guide

> Zélie St. Pierre in Villette by Charlotte Brontë.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Mademoiselle St. Pierre, The St. Pierre, St. Pierre

**First appearance:** 0007-viii-madame-beck

## Snapshot

A graceful, coquettish teacher at Madame Beck's pensionnat whose polished charm pleases M. Emanuel for an hour and dries like dew before the next.

## Who they are

Mademoiselle St. Pierre presides at M. Emanuel's lessons with tact and seeming attention, the very picture of a teacher who knows how to please. Yet her feeling will not last: in an hour it is dried like dew, vanished like gossamer, and her coquetry sets her in quiet contrast to Lucy's plainer, more enduring presence. She matters because she shows what surface charm buys in the pensionnat — and what it cannot.

## In the story

### [XIV: The Fête](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/villette_se/chapters/xiv-the-f-te)

The Parisienne teacher is described as corrupt, prodigal, and hated by Lucy after a brief conflict.

### [XV: The Long Vacation](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/villette_se/chapters/xv-the-long-vacation)

Teacher; mentioned as being in Paris with relatives during the vacation.

### [Monsieur's Fête](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/villette_se/chapters/xxix-monsieur-s-f-te)

Zélie orchestrates the bouquet ceremony and publicly excuses Lucy's non-participation, revealing her own designs on M. Paul.

### [M. Paul Keeps His Promise](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/villette_se/chapters/xxxiii-m-paul-keeps-his-promise)

Lies to M. Paul about Lucy's whereabouts, saying she is in bed.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/villette_se/characters/zelie_st_pierre
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/villette_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/villette_se/characters