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Volume 2, Chapter 7
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Mysteries of Udolpho, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Marriage, Love, and Inheritance
The Wonders of Nature
Mystery and Superstition
Mortality
The Value of Education and Art
Summary
Analysis
Meanwhile, Valancourt is still at Thoulouse, and he continues to suffer in Emily’s absence. He goes to visit his brother’s house, then gets summoned to join a battalion headed to Paris. After a couple weeks, Valancourt’s gloom lifts a little and he begins seeking out ways to amuse himself. He begins spending time in the social circle of a beautiful woman named Countess Lacleur. His brother gives Valancourt letters of introduction to meet even more new people, including a young widow, the Marchioness Champfort. Valancourt still feels pain when he thinks of Emily, so he tries to forget her.
Although Valancourt has been a model of virtue for much of the story, this passage questions the nature of his character. It asks whether he was only good because of Emily’s influence, and whether it’s possible for him to become corrupted or even forget Emily when she’s away from him. Notably, Valancourt begins to live this decadent lifestyle in Paris, suggesting that the urban environment might contribute to his looser morals compared to the purer and more natural environment of the Pyrenees where he met Emily.
Themes
