What Is to Be Done? · Character
Mademoiselle Julie
A Parisian courtesan whose champagne-soaked candor and sudden gusts of dignity make her the most unpredictable guest at Vera's wedding celebration.
supporting
Also known as Julie, Julia, Julie Le Tellier
First appearance: Part II: First Love, and Legal Marriage
As a supporting figure in What Is to Be Done?, Mademoiselle Julie is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
A worldly and sympathetic figure who offers Viéra advice and warnings about Storeshnikof's intentions.
Julie arrives at the Lopukhovs' as a woman of the world, but within hours she is wrestling Vera on the sofa, weeping over virtue, and ordering breakfast offhand. Her worldly talk of dissipated lives both embarrasses and fascinates the sheltered Vera, who watches her like a doctor studying a beautiful face disfigured by disease. Yet Julie's genuine enthusiasm for the sewing workshop—and the customers she brings—makes her an unlikely ally in Vera's first bid for independence.
Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.
Character Web
30 connectionsA slice of how Mademoiselle Julie sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Other
Character groups
- Central progressive circle
- Vera's oppressive family
- Katerina's family and suitors
- Extended minor characters
+25 more in the full Character Web
Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This passage marks the dramatic climax because the speaker articulates a decisive psychological reversal: she…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingRelationships
- D
social · ambivalent
D and Mademoiselle Julie are acquaintances within the same social milieu, with no deep… How this plays out →
- D
social · ambivalent
D and Mademoiselle Julie are acquaintances within the same social milieu, with no deep… How this plays out →
- D
social · ambivalent
D and Mademoiselle Julie are acquaintances within the same social milieu, with no deep… How this plays out →
Relationship notes
How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.
See Mademoiselle Julie in Part II: First Love, and Legal MarriageIn the story
Mademoiselle Julie appears across 12 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
- Part I: The Life of Viéra Pavlovna in Her Parents’ Family
- II
- III
- IV
- V
- VI
- Part II: First Love, and Legal Marriage
- V
- +4 more
Chapter companion notes
Spoil-light check-ins for Mademoiselle Julie unlock in the free preview.
See Mademoiselle Julie in Part II: First Love, and Legal Marriage