The Madwoman of Chaillot, written by Jean Giraudoux

Review made by Eleonor Nolan.
September 29, 2022.

Synopsis:

In the Parisian café Chez Francis, located in the Plaza del Alma, four businessmen meet to discuss how to carry out an excavation, without raising suspicions, to expropriate the oil that, according to their conjectures, is in the subsoil of the city. This gentleman are the Baron de Tomard, the President of an anonymous association, the Stockbroker, and the Prospector.

Events don’t go as planned for this characters. One of their hatch man, hire to murder the only enemy that stands in their way, fails in his mission and reveals his bosses’ intentions to the Madwoman of Chaillot. The woman, a middle-aged lady in decline, is informed of the veracity of these sayings by the street performers, vendors, and beggars who frequent the Chez Francis café.

The Madwoman of Chaillot decides to take matters into her own hands. With this determination, she schedules an interview with her closest friends that will take place in the basement of her apartment. After their chitchat, a secret trial is held, in the absence of the accused, in which the Presidents of all existing associations, the Barons, the Stockbrokers, the Prospectors, and other partners of one and others are sentenced to death in a desperate attempt to prevent the destruction of Paris.

Analysis of the work:

A glass of Port; confidences between scammers

Sitting at the table, engrossed in their personal interests, by a pact of loyalty, the four men reveal their worst misdeeds, providing precise data on their crimes.

▪Baron de Tomard

He spent his family fortune on sexual pleasures, selling each of his properties to support the live style of each of his lovers.

As the estate name became more French, the female name became also more exotic. My last property was Frotteau, and the name of my last mistress, Anouchka On one occasion, he extorted one of these women for some compromising letters that he kept with his own.

—The Madwoman of Chaillot, by Giraudoux [Translation of the Spanish Version]; Universal Basic Library, Publishing Center of Latin America, year 1970; page 8 and 9.

On one occasion, he extorted one of these women for some compromising letters that he kept with his own. The girl, unable to pay what was stipulated to recover the correspondence, shot herself in the forehead on Thursday, May 3, 1927. However, the young woman “did not die, she only went blind” (pages 19 and 20).

▪The President

Since his youth, he was involved in any trade that would allow him to survive, the more dishonest the better: already setting up a pornographic library in the boarding school where he lived; already burying the corpses of dogs in the animal cemetery as part of his tasks as messenger for the newspaper “La Fronde”; already as Sarah Bernhardt’s baggage carrier; already as a bicycle mechanic for the cyclist Jaqueline. His luck took a promising turn the day he began associating with homeless who spent the day smoking, drinking or indulging in debauchery.

My contacts, and by “contacts” I mean people I worked for in my early teens, left me hungry, humiliated and ragged, so I became quite chummy with those expressionless and nameless faces that I had observed in the middle of the crowd, in hidden stalking (…); each of these lifeless masks, shaken by nervous tics, riddled with smallpox

—The Madwoman of Chaillot, by Giraudoux [Translation of the Spanish Version]; Universal Basic Library, Publishing Center of Latin America, year 1970; page 7.

The President was responsible for the sinking of the ship “Santa Bárbara” after having insured it for three times its value.

▪The Stock Broker

Moved by the love that his mother professed for him, he devoted his life to pleasing this woman. Day and night he worked to get money to give her corsets, snuffboxes, jewelry and precious stones. At fifteen, he took a briefcase found on the street; at eighteen, he posed nude for a pornographic film; later, he dedicated himself to expelling tenants at the request of the Charonne usher; then, he was hired by a commission agent who sent him to Buenos Aires to expel the Italian families who lived in a refugee house; subsequently, he dedicated himself to the wheat trade; finally, he became a commission agent following the example of his boss. In the year 1932, he was treasurer, as well as depositary of the “Bonds and Relief for those affected by the Floods of the Midi” for a period of twenty-four hours, stealing a large sum of money to buy his mother a birthday present.

My mother is still alive. The abuse of fats and Benedictine slowly erases her conscience, but every April 17 she recognizes me and holds out to me, to receive a new gift, her hand overloaded with bracelets and rings from which I hope I don’t have to deprive her —dear mother!— until a day still far away…

—The Madwoman of Chaillot, by Giraudoux [Translation of the Spanish Version]; Universal Basic Library, Publishing Center of Latin America, year 1970; page 25.

▪The prospector

Hiding his true identity, he engaged in smuggling rhino horn from Malaysia. Seeing his life at risk, when police found out about the transactions in which he was involved in, he headed to Sumatra where he took refuge. There he befriended the chief of a tribe and ended up marrying his daughter. His then-wife revealed to him the location of an oil source considered sacred, access to which was prohibited for white men. He showed the mine to the highest ranking members of the Lloyd Company who offered him a job as a specialist in the study of the subsoil for the detection of oil deposits. His wife, due to the betrayal committed, was stoned to death. Since then, he has dedicated himself to oil exploitation even in areas without this natural resource.

I confess that I am disoriented. Everywhere, in these neighborhoods where I distinguish the effluvium of iron bitumen, of platinum, a stronger effluvium comes from the dead generations, from the living lovers, and dissipates the other or clouds it. Everywhere the human adventure amuses itself by confusing me at the expense of the mineral experience…

—The Madwoman of Chaillot, by Giraudoux [Translation of the Spanish Version]; Universal Basic Library, Publishing Center of Latin America, year 1970; page 18.

An insane evening; dialogues between lunatics

In the afternoon, the Madwoman of Chaillot gathers with Gabrielle and Constance, in the basement where the owner of the building has allowed her to take a nap every day. Josephine joins them later.

▪Constance, the madwoman of Passy

Considered one of the crazy women of Paris, she lives up to her reputation for her flamboyant personality.

a) Dicky, the imaginary dog

After the death of her beloved pet, Constance embalmed the poor thing, thus becoming part of the decoration of her bedroom. Then, she replaced Dicky’s company with the evocation of his animal form when he was still alive. Dicky, as an illusion of his owner’s perceptive senses, behaves with the same restlessness as before his death; constantly barking and climbing on Aurelia and Gabrielle’s knees whenever he is near to one or the other. Constance often leaves Dicky in her apartment, pretending to have brought him with her to her friends’ get-togethers.

If I am hellish, you are cruel! You think I don’t know the truth about Dicky! Do you think I’d rather have it alive and bustling? You have Adolf. Gabrielle has her birds. I have nothing but Dicky. Do you think I would play the role of an idiot if having him in our thoughts around us wasn’t the condition for him to come back from time to time? Next time I won’t bring it anymore

—The Madwoman of Chaillot, by Giraudoux [Translation of the Spanish Version]; Universal Basic Library, Publishing Center of Latin America, year 1970; page 55.

b) Three meows

To enter Constance’s room it is necessary to meow three times before she decides to open, otherwise the door remains closed; lest it be that some thieves or murderers are trying to breaking in and stealing her belongings.

Aurelia: … Parenthetically, we turned out to be very funny, Gabrielle and I, imitating the big cat at your door when we go to visit you.
Constance: All you have to do is stop meowing together. You make a terrible noise!

—The Madwoman of Chaillot, by Giraudoux [Translation of the Spanish Version]; Universal Basic Library, Publishing Center of Latin America, year 1970; page 60.

▪Gabrielle, the madwoman of San Suplicio

Calmer than Constance in her demeanor, she also has somewhat curious attitudes that are worth mentioning.

a) The voices of the sewing machine, and the heater

The objects in Gabrielle’s house have the peculiarity of speaking from time to time. They usually take turns doing it, expressing themselves spontaneously or according to the questions that Gabrielle asks them. For several months the voices have spoken hidden in the sewing machine; Gabrielle managed to convince them to move to the heater.

Aurelia: Where do your voices come from right now? Always from the sewing machine?
Gabrielle: From my heater. I like it more. I don’t have to undo the liner to pick it up again. And they are not very encouraging at the moment. Yesterday they kept telling me to release my canaries. Let them go! And, this morning, what they were saying was not unrelated with Aurelia’s confidences: Paris… Anguish!… Paris… Anguish!

—The Madwoman of Chaillot, by Giraudoux [Translation of the Spanish Version]; Universal Basic Library, Publishing Center of Latin America, year 1970; page 62.

b) The mysterious guest

Gabrielle also suffers from hallucinations. Occasionally, an imaginary entity suddenly appears at her friends’ houses when she goes to visit them.

Oh, Gabrielle has all her rights! Gabriela has had the right, for fifteen days, to pretend to bring to our meetings a guest whose name she has not even told us, and who, surely, exists only in her imagination

—The Madwoman of Chaillot, by Giraudoux [Translation of the Spanish Version]; Universal Basic Library, Publishing Center of Latin America, year 1970; page 54.

▪Aurelia, the madwoman of Chaillot

She is the most extravagant of the group of friends, both in her way of dressing and thinking.  Her recurring topics of conversation have been, for years, two.

a) The three meter long boa with golden feathers

Five years ago, Aurelia lost this garment at the Chez Francis café. She still has not found it despite her attempts to get it back. The errand boy has not been able to give her a satisfactory response regarding her complaints. Aurelia insists that the boa has been stolen from her. Still, she trusts that one day the thieves will repent of the crime they have committed and thus, she will recover this article of clothing.

b) Adolphe Bertaut

He was her lover during her youth. In his time, he was “the most handsome man in Paris”.  Aurelia loved him deeply, but Adolphe ended up leaving her for another woman. However, Aurelia continues to wait for him in the hope that he will return to her side, and declare his love for her.

Never again I turned the corner of Bizet Street. The last time I did it was the night we were coming back from “Denise”. You remember, don’t you? I was holding your arm that evening. Instead, I now walk through the Plaza of the United States. It is a difficult path to do for a woman of my age, you know? I always fall once or twice in winter due to the snow

—The Madwoman of Chaillot, by Giraudoux [Translation of the Spanish Version]; Universal Basic Library, Publishing Center of Latin America, year 1970; page 83.

▪Josephine, the madwoman of Concordia

More reasonable than Gabrielle and Constance, and to the same extent as Aurelia, her only oddity is seeing the ghost of Caserio walking in front of Marigny every Monday. Let us remember, just out of curiosity, that Caserio was responsible for the death of Carnot who died in Lyon in June 1893. To be fair, it is worth mentioning that Josephine cares little for Caserio’s ghost, since it is Carnot’s that she hopes to see come out of his grave at any moment.

A mop and a drowned man holdings hands

One minute… (She cleans the mirror, looks at herself, beautifies herself. The prospector has tried to get closer again, but the Madwoman’s vulture eye makes him desist.) Oh, are you opening your eyes? (Pierre has opened his eyes and stares at Irma in astonishment, who holds out her hands to him. He passes out again, exhausted. The Madwoman gets up and goes to sit in Irma’s place, who has been called from inside the kitchen. The Madwoman holds Pierre’s hands as well. Pierre wakes up suddenly, but instead of the beautiful young woman who had been taking care of him, he sees the Madwoman of Chaillot adorned with her giant iris.)

—The Madwoman of Chaillot, by Giraudoux [Translation of the Spanish Version]; Universal Basic Library, Publishing Center of Latin America, year 1970; page 29.

Irma, cleaning staff at the Chez Francis café, witnesses a curious scene while washing the dishes, wiping the tables, the floor, the toilet, etc. The lifeguard enters carrying a faint man who had tried to throw himself into the Seine River. Irma is fascinated by the young man’s beauty. Meanwhile, the Madwoman of Chaillot gets the suicide’s full attention when he regains consciousness as she pressures him to speak.

The drowned man is perplexed by the presence of this strange lady. He wishes to leave, he wishes to kill himself! Nonetheless, he is soon moved to hear the lady recount the details of her private life to the café’s customers. The drowned man falls in love with the Madwoman of Chaillot.

The Madwoman falls asleep and Irma tiptoes out. Pierre enters carrying the boa in his arms. He fixes his gaze on the Madwoman, kneels before her and takes her hands

—The Madwoman of Chaillot, by Giraudoux [Translation of the Spanish Version]; Universal Basic Library, Publishing Center of Latin America, year 1970; page 81.

However, the Countess, aware of the feelings that the mop professes for the young man, decides to play matchmaker. Thus, Irma and Pierre end up establishing a relationship of trust and commitment.

Irma and Pierre: What are you saying? You want us to hug, don’t you? Shall we hug, then?
Aurelia: You’ve known each other for three hours, and you’d like each other. Hug right away, otherwise it will be too late!
Pierre: Madam…
Aurelia: See how he already hesitates to face happiness, like all of his sex. Hug him, Irma. If two human beings who love each other let a single minute come between them, that minute turns into months, years, centuries. Friends, force them to hug, if not in a short time she will be Loma del Alma and he will grow a white beard…

—The Madwoman of Chaillot, by Giraudoux [Translation of the Spanish Version]; Universal Basic Library, Publishing Center of Latin America, year 1970; page 93.

Beggars, Merchants, and Artists. The Picturesque Comparsa of the streets of Chaillot

In the first act, several small-time characters follow one after the other: already the ragpicker, who bends down to pick up a bill that someone has dropped; already the deaf-mute, who makes his appearance at the Chez Francis café placing empty envelopes on the tables to receive alms from customers; already the shoelace seller, who offers a pair to the Baron de Tomard; already the juggler, who plays with balls, rings and clubs in the middle of the room; already the neighborhood singer, who only knows the opening verses of “La Bella Polonaise”; already the peddler, who for his part remembers some verses from a mazurka; already a drunken old man who pesters the clientele. Discreetly, each of them come closer to the table where the President, the Baron, the Stockbroker and the Prospector are having a heated debate, and stop cautiously to listen to their conversation. The President explodes with rage in the presence of such curious characters, including the Madwoman of Chaillot.

These flesh and blood specters of freedom, of those who do not know the songs they have to sing, of speakers who turn out to be deaf and dumb, of pants torn at the buttocks, of flowers that are not flowers, of dining room bells that come out of the necklines (…) And if not… look at that crazy woman! The waiter installs her with the greatest courtesy, and without her going to have any aperitif, in the best place on the terrace. And the florist gives her a giant iris for free, which is placed in the buttonhole of her dressing gown… And Irma runs

—The Madwoman of Chaillot, by Giraudoux [Translation of the Spanish Version]; Universal Basic Library, Publishing Center of Latin America, year 1970; page 22.

Among the events in which these actors take part, the following stand out:

1) Allegation, and court case against the criminals

At the request of Josephine, Constance and Gabrielle, the ragpicker agrees to play the role of the President of the Underground Banking Union in the trial that will be held to pass the death sentence on the accused and his accomplices. The rest of the members of the audience, participate in the interrogation.

The Ragpicker: The poor are responsible for their poverty. Let them suffer the consequences! However, the rich should not suffer for their wealth!
Aurelia: Very well, continue. A little more, and you will be perfectly ignoble… If you are ashamed of that money, President, why do you keep it?
The Ragpicker: Who says I keep it?
The Juggler: Oh, you know you do! You are not so spendthrift as to give ten cents to the deaf and dumb

—The Madwoman of Chaillot, by Giraudoux [Translation of the Spanish Version]; Universal Basic Library, Publishing Center of Latin America, year 1970; page 73.

All the crazy characters make harsh recriminations, give different testimonies and make several accusations so that the convict confesses his felonies.

2) Celebration after the end of the judicial process

After the court pronounces its sentence, the Madwoman of Chaillot asks the Singer to sing the two verses he knows from “La Bella Polonaise”.

Aurelia: You’re right!… Constance (Addressing the singer.) You, sing! (Constance stands still)
The Singer: Do you want me to sing?
Aurelia: Yes! And hurry up. My time is precious.
The Singer: At your service, Countess. (Sings)
Entendes-tu la signal
De l’orchestre infernal?
[Do you understand the signal
Of the infernal orchestra?]
Constance: Oh! It is “La Bella Polonaise”. (Sings)
Belle, permets que j’enlace
avec grace
peine d’audace
[Beautiful, allow me to embrace
with grace
full of audacity…]
The Singer: I’m saved!

—The Madwoman of Chaillot, by Giraudoux [Translation of the Spanish Version]; Universal Basic Library, Publishing Center of Latin America, year 1970; page 79 and 80.

Hearing Constance sing, Josephine reappears and cheerfully carols the following verses of the song. Then, Gabrielle re-enters the room and joins her two friends and the Street Singer in singing the chorus.

Critique:

In the first few pages of the literary work, readers are introduced to the businessmen gathered in assembly at the Chez Francis café. They also get to know the secondary characters that usually hang out there. Among this crowd is the very Madwoman of Chaillot. At the very beginning, the aforementioned is far from being considered a transcendental character. However, the woman is, neither more nor less, the protagonist of this comedy in two acts.

As the story unfolds, the Madwoman of Chaillot loses her reputation as a crazy lady to become a measured and thoughtful character. It’s up to her to get rid of the evilness that’s haunting Paris. With this change in her characterization, her most picturesque attributes fade away and other characters begin to gain more relevance for their foolishness. At the end, the Madwoman of Chaillot, contradictorily, is nothing more than an insubstantial figure.

There is also an imbalance in the character development of the criminals when compared to the rest of the actors in this play. Giraudoux provides, with respect to the former, several details about their psychology that are irrelevant since they never reappear on the scene once their purposes become public knowledge. To understand the reason why the author has proceeded in this way, it is necessary to consider two opposite concepts of the work; the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly. The Madwoman of Chaillot represents ethics and morality. Thieves, on the other hand, symbolize injustice and misfortune. To emphasize these ideas, Giradoux delves into the personal history of these characters, thus making it clear that there is an evil force, as we have already mentioned, that must be defeated. When Giraudoux has succeeded in setting up this scenario, he only involves those minor characters who have to appease the social mood.

Conclusion:

Entertaining, unpredictable and hilarious, “The Mad Woman of Chaillot” captivates readers with its eccentric characters and its peculiar scenes. With a unique style, it’s a piece that transcends the writing of its time and refreshes the theatrical genre.

Qualification: 9/10 feathers