Camille characters

Appears from the start

The unnamed observer who attends the sale of a celebrated courtesan's possessions and buys her copy of Manon Lescaut. His curiosity brings him into contact with Armand Duval, whose account of Marguerite Gautier's final years becomes the main narrative.

Appears from the start

A famous young Parisian courtesan whose elegance, extravagant habits, and customary bouquet of camellias made her widely known. She has recently died of consumption when the narrator first learns of her, and the auction of her belongings exposes how quickly fashionable society has reduced her life to gossip and objects for sale.

First appears in chapter 3

A young man who arrives distraught after Marguerite's auction and seeks the inscribed book bought by the narrator. His grief is plainly personal, and he becomes the narrator's friend before explaining the history of his love for Marguerite.

First appears in chapter 6

Marguerite's worldly friend and neighbor, familiar with the practical arrangements and financial pressures of Parisian society. She helps Armand gain entry to Marguerite's circle and often acts as an intermediary between the lovers.

First appears in chapter 6

A sociable acquaintance of both Armand and Marguerite who helps bring them together in Paris. He belongs comfortably to the theatrical and fashionable world surrounding Marguerite without sharing Armand's intense attachment.

First appears in chapter 7

Marguerite's loyal maid, responsible for the household's daily routines and for caring for her mistress during bouts of illness. Her position gives her a close view of Marguerite's private suffering behind her public life.

First appears in chapter 10

A wealthy older admirer who supports Marguerite and treats her with paternal concern, partly because she resembles his dead daughter. His money offers security but also imposes conditions on how she may live.

First appears in chapter 10

A wealthy young man accepted in Marguerite's established social circle. His ability to pay for access to that world makes him a source of jealousy for Armand and a reminder of the arrangements on which Marguerite has depended.

First appears in chapter 17

Armand's respectable, protective father. Alarmed by his son's attachment to Marguerite, he comes to intervene with the authority of family duty and conventional society behind him.

First appears in chapter 18

Armand's younger sister, whose prospects for a socially approved marriage become entangled with the Duval family's fear of scandal. She is chiefly present through the obligations others invoke on her behalf.

First appears in chapter 21

Another courtesan in Marguerite's Parisian circle. Armand turns to her after his break with Marguerite, drawing Olympe into a campaign meant to provoke and wound his former lover.