Character Relationship Map: Cousin, Cousine

Characters

• Marthe (played by Marie-Christine Barrault) — protagonist

  Marthe is a secretary and the bride's daughter, married to Pascal. After discovering Pascal's affair with Karine, she grows increasingly close to Ludovic through lunches, swimming, outings, and shared...

• Ludovic (played by Victor Lanoux) — protagonist

  Ludovic is the groom's nephew, a dance instructor who changes occupations every three years, and Karine's husband. He tells Marthe about Pascal and Karine's affair, then develops a close friendship an...

• Karine (played by Marie-France Pisier) — supporting

  Karine is Ludovic's wife and Pascal's affair partner. She is absent with Pascal during the wedding reception, and their relationship is later exposed through both Ludovic's disclosure and compromising...

• Pascal (played by Guy Marchand) — supporting

  Pascal is Marthe's husband and Karine's affair partner. He claims to have ended his affairs, but admits to being with Karine and later returns to his habitual philandering. His jealousy, drunken behav...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Pascal → Karine (Romantic Affair Partners) — Their affair destabilizes both marriages and triggers the central romantic conflict.

  Ludovic tells Marthe that Pascal is having an affair with Karine, and Pascal admits that he had Karine three times in the bushes.

• Ludovic → Karine (Family Spouses) — Their unstable marriage forms a parallel to Marthe and Pascal's troubled relationship.

  Ludovic is described as Karine's husband, and the plot later states that Karine leaves Ludovic and then returns.

• Marthe → Pascal (Family Spouses) — Their marriage is repeatedly tested by Pascal's infidelity.

  Marthe waits for her husband Pascal after the wedding reception, and Pascal later promises that she will be his only partner.

• Marthe → Ludovic (Family Cousins By Marriage) — Their family connection provides the social setting for their first meeting and continued contact.

  The plot identifies Marthe and Ludovic as cousins related by marriage who meet at a family wedding.

Story Dynamics

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

• Pascal → Ludovic (Conflict Marital Rivals) — Their marriages become connected through reciprocal betrayal and romantic competition.

  Pascal's affair with Ludovic's wife precedes the growing intimacy between Ludovic and Marthe, creating a reciprocal romantic entanglement.

• Marthe → Karine (Conflict Jealous Rivals) — Their jealousy links them as emotional rivals within the two marriages.

  The plot states that Karine and Pascal become jealous when Marthe and Ludovic begin spending more time together.

Story Analysis

Two married relatives transform a playful family connection into a deliberate love affair while their existing marriages unravel around them.

Plot Progression

1. A Wedding Sparks Curiosity — Marthe and Ludovic meet at a family wedding and gradually discover an easy rapport. Their spouses' secret sexual encounter introduces an undercurrent of marital betrayal.
2. Affairs Come To Light — Ludovic reveals Pascal's affair with Karine, and Pascal offers an unconvincing promise of fidelity. Compromising wedding slides expose the affair during a family gathering overshadowed by a death.
3. Friendship Becomes Intimate — After the funeral, Marthe and Ludovic deepen their friendship through swimming, shopping, cinema, and playful tests of their spouses' jealousy. They initially insist that their special bond remain pla...
4. Marriage And Convention Collapse — A second wedding descends into fighting and drunken disruption, while Marthe and Ludovic repeatedly choose each other's company. They finally reject the idea that their relationship must remain platon...
5. A Shared Life Begins — Marthe and Ludovic begin a sexual relationship and enjoy domestic intimacy together. Despite continuing instability in their marriages, they spend Christmas together and leave their families as a coup...