A Simple Heart

Content Warning: This section of the guide refers to sexual assault and physical abuse.

Chapter 2 travels back to Félicité’s childhood. She is born into a working-class family, and her parents die when she is young. She is taken from her siblings as a result of her parents’ death, having been adopted by a farmer who instructs her to watch over his herd of cattle. He is not a loving figure in her life; he beats her, fails to provide what she needs, and even accuses her of stealing money from him, throwing her out of his house in response. She finds work at another farm where she is more appreciated and is given the task of watching the chickens.

When Félicité turns 18, she meets a well-off young man named Théodore while they are both attending a dance in the village nearby. As they are walking together, Théodore attempts to rape her, leaving when she screams. When she next encounters him, she is dubious about his intentions toward her, but he insists that he was intoxicated during the incident. Eventually, she falls in love with him. When she continues to deny his sexual advances, he asks her to marry him, though Félicité initially suspects that he is not serious.