Perestroika In Paris

Frida is a German Shepherd dog. She quietly lives on the Place de Trocadero streets after her owner, Jacques, died and left her on her own. Because of her time with Jacques, and her time alone without him, Frida is skeptical of the world and possessive of the few things that belong to her—whether they truly belong to her or not. This skepticism makes Frida’s character a foil to Paras’s naivete. Despite the challenges of living outdoors, Frida refuses to go inside buildings; to her, buildings equate to prisons behind which animals get trapped and can never escape. 

Frida is a primary character through whom readers experience the world of the novel, presented through a third-person limited point of view. Smiley focuses on how Frida observes human living and Frida is a primary vehicle for the theme of Animals as a Vehicle for Commentary on Human Life. Because of her status in the world, Frida experiences the wastefulness of human nature. She digs through trash and finds wasted food that would otherwise still be acceptable; she watches humans pass by perfectly good services and refuse to help each other; this causes her to step in and help Madame when Madame reveals her limitations. Despite her previous abandonment, Frida grows to trust people again and becomes loyal to Etienne and his great-grandmother, Madame. When Madame passes, Frida’s instincts are the first sign—she barks and is upset, though she does not understand why; she only knows something significant has occurred. Her character arc demonstrates an increase in trust and a repair of the bond between humans and animals.

Raoul is an intellectual raven who lives in a nest above the Benjamin Franklin statue in Paris. He uses academic language, referring to birds by their Latin names (such as Corvus for ravens), and often acts like he is above other characters. His ability to fly symbolizes his belief that he sits loftily above his peers and only needs to come down to their level when it suits his interests. Despite his aloof nature, Raoul works to educate his friends about the world around them; he explains death to Frida, confidence and risk to Sid, and nature to Paras. 

Raoul’s character arc requires him to learn humility. His lofty intellect makes him brash against his peers. Only once Sid, the scared duck whom Raoul most criticizes for his “commonness” acquires perspective and starts discussing the world on Raoul’s level does the raven consider that he does not need to fly above his peers to feel important—he can feel important by helping them when they are in need. Sid drives this point home for Raoul, particularly when Raoul becomes hopelessly lost while flying with the confidence of a younger bird and crashes, landing somewhere unfamiliar to him: on the racetrack where Paras started her journey. After his humbling return flight home, Raoul spends less time elevating himself above his friends and, instead, finds ways to help them elevate themselves alongside him.

Madame de Mornay, known primarily as “Madame” lives with her grandson Etienne in her large manor house. She does not trust schools or most people; she allows Etienne to learn through the vast resources available in her library, rather than from formal schooling. She insists on living independently, with only assistance from Etienne to clear paths for her in the snow and aid while grocery shopping. Although Madame’s property is valuable, she lives on a relatively modest income.

Madame’s function in the narrative challenges the character archetype of the Caregiver. Traditionally, as the elder relative, Madame would be expected to care for Etienne, who has not yet reached maturity. However, their dynamic is flipped—Madame is blind and deaf, and therefore cannot care for anyone, least of all herself. She asserts her independence, creating a paradoxical character who insists on her independence and living in the place where she has memories. Madame’s character is symbolic of the challenges of isolation and the effects of this on her dependent, Etienne. When Madame acknowledges her age, she must admit she has made no preparations for Etienne after her death. Because she cannot function without Etienne’s assistance, it is too late for her to make arrangements for him. She has no one else or systems she trusts to care for him. The onus then falls on Paras and her friends to plan for Etienne’s future where Madame fails. The problematic nature of Madame’s decisions helps highlight the significant connection between the animals and Etienne, representative of wider networks and support.

Etienne is Madame’s eight-year-old great-grandchild. He lives with Madame in the de Mornay residence. He has had limited social interactions beyond Madame, the animals he befriends, and the people he must interact with while shopping and taking Madame to mass. Despite his young age, Etienne has had to mature quickly as Madame’s caregiver. Though he spends his life alone, he is kind-hearted and friendly toward animals, which helps him create a trusting bond between himself, Paras, Frida, and their friends. His relationship with the animals is used in the novel to emphasize his youth, vulnerability, and playfulness and to highlight the pathos of his situation as an isolated, caregiving child.

Narratively, Etienne fills the role of the Caregiver archetype. He sacrifices his time and interactions with peers to care for his great-grandmother. He extends his sacrifice and loyalty first to Paras, then to Frida, and the rats and other friends who live with or visit them. His downfall is that he has no ambition of his own. He sets goals, but they are immediate goals—such as learning to ride Paras. Because he spends so much of his time caring for others, he does not take the time to manage his own needs and discover his passions. At the end of the novel, he has been able to form hopes for the future which will provide security for him.

Etienne’s secondary function in the novel is to demonstrate the progression of Paras’s character arc and to serve as the linchpin of the theme of The Bonds Between Humans and Animals. Etienne is the only character who interacts with all the animals. Through this, Smiley explores the different ways in which the animals behave and interact with people, enabling comparison of their different roles in the allegorical narrative.

Kurt is one of the two rats living in the de Mornay residence. He is the son of the other rat, Conrad, and is the more adventurous of the two rats—he regularly explores the house to gather any food Etienne leaves behind and dreams of exploring the outside world to find a mate. In many ways, his curiosity matches Paras’s, though his connection with his father places a limit on his adventuring spirit. 

Kurt functions as the novel’s Lover archetype. Though he wants to explore the world, his primary guide is his heart. He wants to pursue love and he romanticizes the outside world. When his father explains the dangers associated with the world beyond the de Mornay walls, Kurt still feels pulled to explore and search for a female rat to fall in love with. 

Kurt’s desires guide the novel’s climax and conclusion and foreshadow the group’s eventual departure from the house. All other animal characters come and go from the home as they please; Kurt, like Etienne, does not leave often. When he leaves the house for the first time inside the grocery cart, it symbolizes isolation not lasting forever. Kurt’s departure prepares the way for the wholesale change that occurs following Madame’s death.