The Mother

Summary

The Mother is a novel by François Mauriac that explores themes of faith, morality, and hypocrisy within the bourgeois society of France. The story is narrated through the eyes of a young nephew of one of the key characters, Bransiac. At the heart of the plot is Brigitte Pian, a widow living with her late husband's two older children. She is portrayed as a deeply devout Catholic whose aspirations for moral perfection and religious fanaticism have a detrimental impact on those around her. Her faith and methods of upbringing create conflicts within her family and society. This woman, embodying the traits of a Pharisee—hypocrisy and self-assuredness in her moral righteousness—unintentionally causes pain to others without realizing it. The novel is rich with psychological portraits, sharp moral dilemmas, and provides a deep analysis of the characters' motivations, posing questions about the essence of true virtue and religiosity.