Character Relationship Map: The Prize

Characters

• Isidore Pastouret (played by Bourvil) — protagonist

  A shy young man and the son of grocer Virginie Pastouret, Isidore is first sent to the market to buy food. After the committee finds no suitable woman for its virtue prize, it awards him 100,000 franc...

• Mme Husson (played by Germaine Dermoz) — supporting

  The organizer of a 100,000-franc prize intended to reward virtue, Mme Husson investigates young women as possible candidates and helps lead the committee's deliberations. When no woman is selected, sh...

• Virginie Pastouret, la mère (played by Pauline Carton) — supporting

  Virginie is Isidore's mother and sends her shy son to the market. During the committee's inquiry, she explains that he did not understand the significance of giving a flower from his coat to a woman a...

• Marie, la jeune paysanne (played by Yvette Etiévant) — supporting

  Marie is a young woman whom Isidore meets at the market while carrying out his mother's errand. She teases and kisses him despite his protests, and Mme Husson considers her as a possible candidate for...

• Mademoiselle Irène Cadenat (played by Suzanne Dehelly) — minor

  Mademoiselle Irène Cadenat challenges the assumptions behind the committee's investigation of young women and its narrow definition of virtue. She argues that Isidore's apparent innocence should not b...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Mme Husson → Marie, la jeune paysanne (Professional Candidate Assessor) — Mme Husson considers Marie for the prize while investigating young women in the area.

  Mme Husson wants to assess Marie as a possible candidate for the virtue prize.

• Virginie Pastouret, la mère → Isidore Pastouret (Family Mother And Son) — Virginie guides and defends her shy son during the virtue inquiry, then worries about him and the prize money after he leaves for Paris.

  The reference describes Isidore as Virginie's son and says she sends him to the market. She later explains his conduct to the committee and is relieve...

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Mademoiselle Irène Cadenat → Isidore Pastouret (Alliance Defender) — Irène argues against the committee's narrow judgment of Isidore's innocence during its deliberations.

  Irène challenges the assumptions behind the inquiry and argues that Isidore's apparent innocence should not be dismissed.

• Mme Husson → Isidore Pastouret (Narrative Prize Organizer And Recipient) — Mme Husson's search for a virtuous candidate leads to Isidore receiving the prize; she later questions whether he can retain both his money and virtue.

  Mme Husson organizes a 100,000-franc prize for virtue. After the committee finds no suitable woman, it awards the prize to Isidore, and Mme Husson lat...

• Marie, la jeune paysanne → Isidore Pastouret (Social Teasing Acquaintances) — Their encounter provides an early example of Isidore's awkwardness around women and becomes relevant to the committee's inquiry into virtue.

  At the market, Marie teases Isidore and kisses him despite his protests.

Story Analysis

A local virtue prize turns Isidore into an unlikely laureate, exposing the judgment behind the committee's standards and leaving his future uncertain.

Plot Progression

1. A Market Encounter — Virginie sends Isidore to the market, where Marie teases and kisses him. Mme Husson's search for a candidate begins with Marie and grows into an inquiry among local young women.
2. The Narrow Search — Mme Husson and local officials assess potential candidates, but behavior and difficult circumstances complicate their choices. The inquiry exposes how narrowly the committee defines virtue, while Irèn...
3. An Unexpected Laureate — The committee turns to Isidore and questions him about giving a flower to a woman. Virginie explains that he did not understand the significance, and the committee awards him the prize, declaring that...
4. The Prize and Paris — The celebration leaves Isidore agitated by the way others treat him as an example of virtue. After he wanders away, a witness reports that he continued beyond the lake and left for Paris; his telegram...