A Very Easy Death

Main Characters and Their Development

• The main character—Simone de Beauvoir's mother, Madame de Beauvoir—appears before the reader in the last months of her life, as illness mercilessly destroys her body and familiar routines. Her image is filled with dignity and fragility, combining fear and courage in the face of the inevitable end. Throughout the narrative, Madame de Beauvoir is revealed not only as a mother but as an independent person, whose memories, regrets, and hopes become especially vivid in moments of parting with life. Simone, the daughter, is not only an observer but a participant in this tragic process. Her inner world is filled with complex emotions: pain, compassion, guilt, and attempts to understand and accept her mother's departure. The relationship between mother and daughter moves from estrangement and restraint to a deep, almost silent unity, where words become unnecessary and gestures take on special meaning. Secondary characters—Simone's sister Hélène and the medical staff—serve as a backdrop, highlighting the intimacy and drama of the main storyline, and reveal different facets of human care, compassion, and helplessness in the face of death.