Renee is one of the main protagonists of “The Elegance of the Hedgehog” by Muriel Barbery, a book about two very different people who share the trait of superior intelligence and how they cope with hiding it from the world. Renee is a very complex and elaborate character in comparison to the other protagonist, Paloma. Throughout the course of the novel, Renee is a character who is revealed to be self-deprecating, superior-minded, apprehensive, and intelligent.
Renee sees herself in a very apologetic way for a number of reasons, such as that she believes that she is deficient in beauty, and that she is not meant to be so intelligent. Renee’s self-deprecation leads to her thinking that she is pitiful, especially in terms of beauty. An example …show more content…
This is due to Renee detecting the pretentious actions of the upper-class tenants. Renee conversing with Antoine Pallieres is an illustration of Renee’s superior-mindedness. Antoine talks about how Karl Marx had “completely changed the way [he] view[s] the world” (Barbery 17). In response to Antoine’s remark, Renee thinks and says many things that are critical, such as thinking that “he is a little cretin in his green duffle coat” for saying that, and telling him that he “ought to read The German Ideology” (17) to better understand Marx’s philosophy. This shows Renee’s contempt for the upper-class, whom she perceives is ignorant towards true intellect. Another example of Renee’s superiority complex is when she receives a note from Sabine Pallieres in which she uses incorrect punctuation. Upon reading it, Renee considers it “an instance of blasphemy” (110) to influential poets who grew up poor, because Sabine is a rich woman in very bountiful conditions who couldn’t bother to use punctuation correctly. By witnessing actions that she considers are inferior to her own philosophies, Renee’s superior-mindedness is …show more content…
This trait is evident throughout the book, as Renee panics when people become suspicious of her intelligence or her interest. Renee’s interactions with Ozu are an example. When she realizes that Ozu suspects her of abstract interests when speaking to him for the first time, Renee “shudder[s involuntarily]” (Barbery 135), and explains the cause of the action as the “[human will] mak[ing] use of itself to [stop feeling emotional when opposed to emotion]” (136). This shows that Renee becomes uneasy at the thought of other people knowing her true self. Another example is Renee’s reaction to Ozu sending her a copy of Russian classic “Anna Karenina”. This shows that Ozu knows that Renee is knowledgeable. Renee panics, and has the feeling of “[an] existing inner living space [being] replaced by another” (173). In her prolonged panic, Renee becomes despaired, and decides that “there is only one thing for [her dismay to dissipate]” (175), and that is to lie low and not make contact with anyone after sending a mediocre thank-you note to Ozu. This shows Renee’s anxiety upon contacting others and acknowledging that they know that she is intelligent. By supposing that others suspect her true self, and by finding herself in a situation where a person discovers the truth, Renee’s anxiety trait becomes
Renee sees herself in a very apologetic way for a number of reasons, such as that she believes that she is deficient in beauty, and that she is not meant to be so intelligent. Renee’s self-deprecation leads to her thinking that she is pitiful, especially in terms of beauty. An example …show more content…
This is due to Renee detecting the pretentious actions of the upper-class tenants. Renee conversing with Antoine Pallieres is an illustration of Renee’s superior-mindedness. Antoine talks about how Karl Marx had “completely changed the way [he] view[s] the world” (Barbery 17). In response to Antoine’s remark, Renee thinks and says many things that are critical, such as thinking that “he is a little cretin in his green duffle coat” for saying that, and telling him that he “ought to read The German Ideology” (17) to better understand Marx’s philosophy. This shows Renee’s contempt for the upper-class, whom she perceives is ignorant towards true intellect. Another example of Renee’s superiority complex is when she receives a note from Sabine Pallieres in which she uses incorrect punctuation. Upon reading it, Renee considers it “an instance of blasphemy” (110) to influential poets who grew up poor, because Sabine is a rich woman in very bountiful conditions who couldn’t bother to use punctuation correctly. By witnessing actions that she considers are inferior to her own philosophies, Renee’s superior-mindedness is …show more content…
This trait is evident throughout the book, as Renee panics when people become suspicious of her intelligence or her interest. Renee’s interactions with Ozu are an example. When she realizes that Ozu suspects her of abstract interests when speaking to him for the first time, Renee “shudder[s involuntarily]” (Barbery 135), and explains the cause of the action as the “[human will] mak[ing] use of itself to [stop feeling emotional when opposed to emotion]” (136). This shows that Renee becomes uneasy at the thought of other people knowing her true self. Another example is Renee’s reaction to Ozu sending her a copy of Russian classic “Anna Karenina”. This shows that Ozu knows that Renee is knowledgeable. Renee panics, and has the feeling of “[an] existing inner living space [being] replaced by another” (173). In her prolonged panic, Renee becomes despaired, and decides that “there is only one thing for [her dismay to dissipate]” (175), and that is to lie low and not make contact with anyone after sending a mediocre thank-you note to Ozu. This shows Renee’s anxiety upon contacting others and acknowledging that they know that she is intelligent. By supposing that others suspect her true self, and by finding herself in a situation where a person discovers the truth, Renee’s anxiety trait becomes