Within a Budding Grove

Main Characters and Their Development

• Marcel — the main character and narrator, a young man experiencing his first romantic infatuations and discoveries. At the beginning of the book, he is full of romantic illusions and dreams, but gradually confronts the reality and complexities of human relationships. His development involves transitioning from a naive perception of the world to a more mature understanding of himself and others.
• Gilberte Swann — Marcel's first love, the daughter of Charles Swann and Odette. She appears to Marcel as an ideal of beauty and refinement, but over time he begins to see her as an ordinary person with her own flaws. Their relationship goes through phases of infatuation, disappointment, and friendship.
• Albertine Simonet — one of the girls Marcel meets in Balbec. She becomes the object of his passion and jealousy. Albertine embodies mystery and unattainability for Marcel, fueling his interest and desire to possess her.
• Charles Swann — Gilberte's father, a friend of Marcel's family. His love story with Odette, told in the previous volume, serves as an example for Marcel of complex and contradictory relationships.
• Odette de Crécy — Gilberte's mother, Charles Swann's wife. In the book, she is portrayed as a woman whose beauty and charm have a strong influence on those around her, but whose relationships with her husband and daughter are full of tension and misunderstanding.