History in Vogue discussion

How many would abandon themselves to a caprice, a dream of love, if they did not fear that they would pay for a brief happiness with tears...

When I love a woman, everything else in the world is forgotten

Georges begins a relationship with Clotilde, but soon finds himself buried under debt and unable to control his spending. She takes an apartment for him where they can meet, and begins quietly leaving him money. At the Folies Bergere, they meet with a jealous Rachel and Clotilde leaves believing Georges has been seeing another woman.

Georges goes to Madeleine for help, who suggests he visit Madame Walter. He is soon invited to a party where he meets the Walter's two young daughters, and becomes the editor of the Echos. After a surprise meeting there with Clotilde, the two rekindle their relationship.

Forestier's health continued to decline. He and Madeleine go to Cannes, where Georges is summoned to help her ease his passing. After his death, Georges sees an opportunity and tells Madeleine he has always wished to marry her. He returns to Paris to wait for her answer.

I think that it is interesting that in Madeleine's wide circle of acquaintances, she asks GD to come and support her in her husband's last days.

Are these acquaintances just that and not one friend among them? She hasn't know GD all that long, but she seems to have not one else to call at such a time.

GD is no a steady rise at the newspaper, but why is it (and I'm going outside of the book itself) that he has time to call on (visit) all kinds of people during the day on social calls and to rendezvous during the day with Clothilde during work hours?

A marriage to Madeleine would definitely be helpful to him in terms of his career and also to rise to prominence socially--to expand his network. It is probably better to be married to a well-connected woman that a frequent dinner guest of one.

Georges is a loathesome human being. He's selfish, lazy, stupid and yet Mme. Forestier is so willing to help him and wants him by her side when her husband is dying. Georges is apparently God's gift to women - he apparently charms even little girls. I don't get the appeal. Clothilde is a knowing one. She not only calls the shots and has the money, she likes slumming it. What else is she into? Yet she seems completely naive about G's money problems and ignorant of pride.

I think Mme. Forestier has some grand plan for Georges for some reason and threw him at Clothilde. Maybe she thinks G is stupid so he is easy to control?

The only "benefit" that I can see for Madeleine to marry Georges is to keep a connection to the newspaper.

Think of women's lives in the 19th C. They had very little education, little intellectual stimulation. Their only best option was to make the best marriage that they could.

Madeline is clearly an intelligent woman and through her marriage to Forrestier and as attempted through marriage to GDuroy, she has a voice to be heard in writing articles (Via her husbands) on issues of the day.

I didn't realize this when I wrote my post above.

Madeline makes her motive clear in the next few chapters but at this point, I would think she would have MORE independence and freedom as a widow.

But as a widow, she will may not be able to "write" for the newspaper. That seems to be very important to her.

But I admit widows have more freedom than single and married women.

I think that she was trying to have what today might be called an "open" marriage in some circles. And perhaps this was her arrangement with Forrestier.