The Elegance of the Hedgehog

Camellias are a symbol of hope, beauty, and human connection. Barbery introduces this symbol as the title of Part 2 and in Part 2, Chapter 11 when Renée remembers a time when she found Jean Arthens in the courtyard transfixed by the flowers. He asks what the flowers are, and she tells him they are camellias, but his tumultuous life at the time leads him to forget. Renée also reminisces about seeing camellias on moss in the background of the film The Munekata Sisters, and seeing them there made her remember to see the beauty in the simple things in life. Kakuro also pauses this same movie to discuss the camellias on the moss when he and Renée watch it together in Part 4. Near the end of the book, Jean visits Renée once again, and he is much healthier and has cleaned up his life. He tells her that her camellias were a bright light of beauty in his darkest times. This shakes Renée because it is evidence in her theory that beauty can be found in small things. Most people wouldn’t notice camellias, but Jean’s psyche holds onto camellias as a talisman and give him something to live for. Jean’s attachment to camellias revives Renée’s belief in small things and beauty. It also affects Renée because she hadn’t previously considered how her actions could save others. While Renée was of the belief that no one in her building noticed her, Jean noticed her and her camellias, which ultimately saves him. She dwells on camellias for a few chapters, emphasizing the value in the beauty of both the small things and the hope that derives from genuine human connections. Camellias return as an important symbol as Renée dies: In her moment of death, Renée sees the faces of her loved ones, images she calls “[m]y camellias.”