The Wild Ass’s Skin (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: Honoré Balzac
- First Published: 1831
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Allegory
- Time of Work: Early nineteenth century
- Setting: Paris, France
- Genres: Long fiction, Fantasy, Bourgeois fiction
- Subjects: Magic or magicians, Suicide, Gambling, Superstition, Nineteenth century, Paris, Storytelling, Faustian bargains, Bankruptcy or financial crisis, Duels or dueling, Debtors or creditors
- Locales: Paris, France
Characters Discussed
Raphael de Valentin (rah-fa- EHL deh vah-leh[n]-TA[N]), a reckless young man who learns that one must pay for everything in life. A poor, struggling law student and writer, he finds a wild ass’s skin with magic powers in an antique shop in Paris. The skin grants all his wishes but shrinks in size with each wish; when it disappears, the owner dies. Raphael uses the magic powers to find material happiness with money, food, drink, and women. The skin keeps shrinking, however, and as it does he becomes unhappy again. He finds a brief respite when he marries his former landlady’s daughter, but death approaches inexorably.
Rastignac (rahs-teen-YAHK), an adventurer and gambler. A friend of Raphael de Valentin, he finds work for Raphael as a hack writer and editor by introducing him to influential friends, including Countess Foedora. On occasion, he gambles on Raphael’s account, winning large sums of money for him.
Pauline de Valentin, Raphael’s wife, whom he marries shortly before his death. Pauline’s first appearance is as the daughter of Raphael’s landlady. Pauline admires him and does household chores for him; she even gives him money from her little hoard. When she meets Raphael later, she is rich, her long-lost father, an army captain believed lost in Siberia, having returned home with a fortune. She tries to commit suicide by strangling herself when she sees her husband dying.
Foedora (few-doh-RAH), a mysterious countess. She is a widow but refuses to marry a second time or take a lover, much to the disappointment of Raphael, who loves her passionately.
Emile (ay-MEEL), a friend to whom Raphael tells the story of his unhappy life. Emile merely laughs at his friend’s troubles.
Mme Gaudin (goh-DA[N]), Raphael’s mother-in-law and erstwhile landlady.
Bibliography:
Kanes, Martin. Balzac’s Comedy of Words. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1975. Chapter 3 deals with The Wild Ass’s Skin, exploring the problem of creativity.
Pritchett, V. S. Balzac. London: Chatto and Windus, 1973. A chapter on The Wild Ass’s Skin puts the novel into its biographical context.
Robb, Graham. Balzac. London: Picador, 1994. A comprehensive biographical and critical study. The Wild Ass’s Skin is discussed in chapter 8, “Absolute Power.”
Testa, Carlo. Desire and the Devil: Demonic Contracts in French and European Literature. New York: Peter Lang, 1991. Part one of the study deals with “Balzac’s Laicized Demonism,” including a detailed analysis of The Wild Ass’s Skin.
Weber, Samuel. Unwrapping Balzac: A Reading of “La Peau de chagrin.” Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1979. The only full-length study of the work.
Navigate
- The Wild Ass’s Skin (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
- The Wild Ass’s Skin (Masterplots, Revised Second Edition)
- The Wild Ass’s Skin (Cyclopedia of Literary Places)
See Also:
Honoré de Balzac (Cyclopedia of World Authors)Honoré de Balzac (Mystery and Detective Fiction)Honoré de Balzac (Dictionary of World Biography)Honoré de Balzac (Censorship)Honoré de Balzac (Short Fiction)Honoré de Balzac (Long Fiction)
- Add The Wild Ass’s Skin to your favorites