Mademoiselle Bourienne

Marya Bolkonskaya's companion

BOOK ONE

Part One

22 Jan: Chapter 22

Marya’s companion at Ball Hills. This French lady warns Marya of her father’s ill temper. Marya reproves her, saying she doesn’t want anyone to “judge” her father in this way.

23 Jan: Chapter 23

Marya’s French companion is seemingly always there and always smiling. Or crying, if the moment requires it.

24 Jan: Chapter 24

The old prince tells her that Andrei is another fan of Napoleon. The French lady insists she is not a Bonapartist.

25 Jan: Chapter 25

When Andrei leaves Bald Hills, we learn that he does not like Mademoiselle Bourienne, but that his father does. And Marya tells us that the Bolkonskys took her in as an orphan; she is very nice and kind and reads to Nikolai in the evenings.

Book 1 Part 3

18 Feb: Chapter 3

She helps Liza get Marya ready to see the Kuargins. “Chirping like birds”, they seem oblivious to Marya’s well of sadness.

19 Feb: Chapter 4

Mademoiselle Bourienne looks more animated than ever before. In Anatole, she sees her dream of a Russian prince who will carry her off.

20 Feb: Chapter 5

Mademoiselle Bourienne paces the conservatory “vainly expecting someone.” The next day, she went first back to the conservatory to meet Anatole. Marya disturbs them, and Bourienne screams and runs away. Later, Marya comforts her and tells her that she “understands all.”

Book 2 Part 5

16 May: Chapter 2

Lonely and isolated in Moscow, Marya becomes irritable: losing her temper with little Nikolai and attacking Mademoiselle Bourienne.

28 May: Chapter 7

The count and Natasha visit the Bolkonskys. Ilya Rostov is afraid and makes his excuses to avoid an encounter with the terrifying prince. An optimistic Natasha and a nervous Marya have a stilted conversation in the obstructive presence of Mademoiselle Bourienne.

11 June: Chapter 21

Mademoiselle Bourienne steals Natasha’s letter to Marya and shows it to the old prince.

BOOK THREE

Book Three, Part One

Chapter 8

On his way to the western front, Andrei stops at Bald Hills and argues with his father about Mademoiselle Bourienne. Despite Marya imploring him to forgive and forget, Andrei leaves his family on bad terms without remorse or regret.

Book Three, Part Two

Chapter 2

After Andrei left Bald Hills, he broke off relations with Mademoiselle Bourienne. Marya interprets this as done to wound her.

Chapter 8

Mademoiselle Bourienne finds Marya in the garden to tell her that her father’s is dying.

Chapter 10

After her father’s funeral, Marya shuts herself away. She thinks of her ‘own spiritual baseness’ at desiring her father’s death and her sense of freedom now he is gone. When Mademoiselle Bourienne comes to comfort her, she lets her, and they are briefly partners in sorrow. But Bourienne’s advice to ask for French protection inflames her Bolkonsky spirit.

BOOK FOUR

Book 4, Part 1

Chapter 14

Mademoiselle Bourienne comes with Marya to Yaroslavl to see Andrei.