Maria Chapdelaine

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death.

Louis Hémon gives each of Maria’s suitors a last name that reflects something about their character, turning last names into an important motif. François Paradis’s last name, translated from French, means “paradise.” As his name suggests, the free-spirited and adventurous François promises Maria an idyllic life. He is the only one of her suitors for whom Maria feels true love. Their brief time together is spent in blissful reverie, with the blooming landscape around them reflecting their happiness. Maria describes their love as “a thing apart—a thing holy and inevitable” (34).

François’s last name also foreshadows the tragic end of his love affair with Maria. In Catholic tradition, paradise is not a place for mortals, but rather for the souls of the deceased. François’s death shatters Maria’s brief earthly paradise and her hopes of marrying for love. The choice she is left with is a utilitarian one: Depart for the city with Lorenzo Surprenant, or remain in the woods with Eutrope Gagnon.

Lorenzo Surprenant’s last name means “surprise,” and his unexpected return to Québec to court Maria is just that. Surprenant woos Maria with promises of a more comfortable and affluent life in Boston.