The Ladies' Paradise

The following morning, Madame Aurelie tells Denise to go to Mouret’s office. She enters, and her presence evokes, the narrator says, “a mixture of sympathy and anger” from Mouret (120). He begins to criticize her about the previous day but notices she has worked hard to improve her appearance. He tidies loose strands of her hair, but the gentleness of his touch does nothing to calm Denise’s anxiety. He tells her to continue this improvement. As he dismisses her, Denise notices the portrait of his late wife. She remembers hearing rumors that Mouret murdered her. The meeting improves Denise’s confidence, but she requires time to catch up to the demanding nature of the job. Her body aches from the physical strain, but, unlike many other sales assistants, she refuses to quit, even when Margeurite and Clara bully her. Madame Aurelie dislikes Denise’s lack of subservience. The watchman, Jouve, is kind, but his behavior seems disturbing to Denise. Though she smiles during her shift, she cries each night in her cold quarters.

One evening, Jean visits Denise. He asks her for 10 francs so that he can go on a date. Though she can barely afford to do so, she cannot bring herself to upset her brother. He leaves with the money. Denise struggles to sleep that night. She is desperate for money, as the other sales assistants conspire to ensure that she receives few commissions. She spends little, though she cannot help occasionally buying treats for Pepe. Though Denise has no friends, Pauline is nice to her. One night, while Denise is mending her shoes, Pauline breaks the rules by coming to visit Denise. They talk, with Pauline sympathetic to Denise’s troubles since she was in a similar position. Now, she receives a salary of 200 francs a month. Denise appreciates Pauline’s words. She shares her struggles, including the bullying she receives from the other staff. Only Jouve is nice to her, Denise says, but Pauline warns her that Jouve cannot be trusted. Pauline tells Denise that the staff treat every new arrival in this same way. Pauline suggests that Denise could take a male lover to alleviate her financial hardship. Denise cannot bring herself to do this. Pauline offers to introduce Denise to some of her boyfriend’s male friends. Denise refuses. Pauline lends Denise six francs to pay Pepe’s school fees. Denise reflects on the conversation, believing that she cannot bring herself to be with someone whom she does not love.

Following the conversation with Pauline, Denise realizes that the love affairs of the sales assistants are many and scandalous. Clara has a “queue of casual lovers” (132), while Marguriete has supposedly had a child out of wedlock. The shop assistants tell stories about the affairs between Madame Aurelie and a string of younger men.

During the day, romance is put aside because the male and female staff are so competitive. They function like cogs in the machine that is The Ladies’ Paradise. Since they are entering the off-season, however, Denise notices some flirting. Men such as Deloche smile at her, but she is only interested in Hutin, even though he does not notice her regular trips past his station. Hutin likes to pretend that his romantic endeavors involve middle-class customers rather than sales assistants, but this is a lie.

When spring arrives, Denise finally begins to receive a salary. She earns 300 francs and buys new clothes. The ladieswear and lingerie departments develop a fierce rivalry. A scandal erupts when Madame Aurelie’s son Albert is caught with a girl from the lingerie department. The girl is fired, and Madame Aurelie comes to resent Denise for being friends with Pauline, who works in the “enemy department” (137). As a result, Denise is the only girl from the department who is not invited to Madame Aurelie’s house in the country. Pauline invites the upset Denise to join her and her boyfriend, Bauge, on a trip instead. They go, and Denise begins to relax. When Pauline and Bauge enjoy intimate moments, however, Denise feels alone again. She begins to resent Pauline. Later, Pauline claims to have spotted Hutin on a boat filled with drunken revelers. They visit a busy restaurant in the evening, where Pauline spots Albert Lhomme with three “dubious-looking women” (144). The drunken revelers from the boat enter, and Denise recognizes Hutin with his arm around a woman. Denise feels a lump rising in her throat.

Bauge notices Denise’s discomfort and calls for the bill. Outside, Denise feels relieved. Henri Deloche appears and offers his arm. As they walk behind Pauline and Bauge, Deloche confesses his love for Denise. Not knowing how to respond, she cries. She tells Deloche that she sees him as a “friend, but nothing more” (148). She does not tell him that she has feelings for Hutin. Deloche begins to cry. As Denise comforts him, she learns that they are from the same town and have much in common.

The group returns to Paris, where Denise is shocked that Pauline plans to spend the night with Bauge. She adamantly refuses to allow Bauge to pay for her day’s expenses and then awkwardly leaves. She returns to her quarters at The Ladies’ Paradise, feeling humiliated. She runs into Mouret and tells him that she spent the day with a friend in the countryside. Mouret, feeling attracted to her, is concerned that she is referring to a lover. As she says goodnight and returns to her quarters, he watches her closely with affection.

As the slow season approaches, the staff fear for their jobs. Mouret and Bourdoncle issue orders to the department heads to fire unnecessary staff. Denise is the subject of malicious rumors from the other staff. They say that Jean is her lover and Pepe is her son. Jean pleads with Denise for money so he can carry on his many affairs. Denise is forced to take a second job repairing neckties, but she is not paid because the necktie store goes out of business. Pauline tries to help Denise. She warns her to avoid Jouve, who is known to demand sexual favors.

Denise runs into Hutin. His harsh tone embarrasses her and makes her question how she could have been attracted to him. Hutin has tried to damage Robineau’s reputation to take his job. During lunch, the staff eat their low-quality food in the dingy canteen. Hutin and Favier complain about the food. Mouret and Bourdoncle enter. They have heard the complaints and offer platitudes to put the matter aside. Then, they meet with Bouthemont, and the staff tries to eavesdrop on the conversation. Bouthemont complains to Mouret and Bourdoncle about Robineau’s mismanagement of the silk department. Mouret is initially angry to hear that Robineau helped a sales assistant find a second job. When he discovers that the assistant in question is Denise, however, he is willing to forget the matter.

When Robineau appears in the canteen, Mouret and Bourdoncle leave. The staff speculates on what they might have decided. When the lunch hour ends, the catering staff begins to clean the canteen. Though Denise would like to speak to Robineau, she goes to the women’s section of the canteen. When the women begin to leave, Denise lingers to seek out Robineau. When she is alone, however, Jouve approaches her. He quizzes her about Pauline, but Denise asks to be left alone. He invites her to eat with him in his private apartment and tries to kiss her. Denise, panicking, pushes him away. He falls and spills wine on himself. As he reacts angrily, Denise runs away.

That afternoon, Denise searches for Robineau. Instead, she runs into Jean, who demands 15 francs. As people watch, Denise pushes Jean into a backroom so that they can talk in private. Jean claims that his lover’s husband is threatening to kill him unless he can pay up. Denise shouts at Jean, accusing him of behaving in a disgusting manner. Jean cries. When Denise hears Jouve approaching, she panics. He accuses her of meeting her lover in the basement. Denise rushes back to her department while Jouve seeks out Mouret. Since Mouret is speaking with Robineau, however, Jouve settles for sharing his accusation with Bourdoncle. As a result, Bourdoncle and Madame Aurelie prepare to fire Denise, who tries to explain that Jean is her brother. Denise seeks Mouret, but before she enters his office, she has second thoughts. She collects her wages and leaves the store. She passes Robineau, who promises to resolve the issue. That evening, Robineau is fired. When Mouret learns that Denise has been fired, he is furious. Bourdoncle convinces him to leave the matter alone.