Bonjour Tristesse

In the days following her confrontation with Anne, Cécile becomes increasingly fixated on the idea that Anne’s presence threatens to upend their lives. She spends her time alone, avoiding Cyril, preferring to dwell on her anxieties.

One afternoon, Elsa unexpectedly arrives to retrieve her belongings. Cécile notices Elsa’s transformation—she’s tanned, stylish, and striking. Cécile draws Elsa into a private conversation and tells her that Raymond is unhappy and being manipulated into marriage by Anne. She convinces Elsa to disrupt the engagement by appearing to kindle a romance with Cyril to provoke Raymond’s jealousy.

When she next sees Anne, Cécile is overcome by guilt, and she tries to compensate by showing Anne affection. She briefly considers telling Anne the truth but refrains, believing Anne might not understand. Later, Cécile affirms her intention to abandon her plan and focus on studying. She imagines becoming more like Anne—intelligent, poised, and accomplished.

Reflecting on her interaction with Elsa, Cécile experiences the thrill of intentional persuasion for the first time. Though she regrets achieving it through deceit, she recognizes the power of words and influence, imagining one day using those abilities in love.

The morning after a night of drinking, Cécile visits Cyril, feeling unwell and uncertain. Cyril, overjoyed to see her, expresses deep concern and confesses his love for her. He reveals he has considered giving up law to marry her. Cécile, surprised and touched but uninterested in marriage, deflects, saying that Anne and Raymond wouldn’t approve.

Elsa joins them, and Cécile outlines her plan: Elsa will pose as Cyril’s romantic partner to provoke Raymond’s jealousy and drive a wedge between him and Anne. Though uncomfortable, Cyril agrees to go along with the scheme. Cécile enjoys the control she exerts over the situation.

As she rejoins Anne and Raymond on the beach, Cécile feels guilt and uncertainty. Just then, Cyril and Elsa sail past. Raymond is surprised and amused to see Elsa, but Anne watches Cécile. Anne says she regrets being too strict, and Cécile is affected by Anne’s kindness and momentarily feels overcome with remorse.

Cécile notes that her father shows no sign of jealousy, and she soon begins to feel genuinely uncomfortable watching Cyril and Elsa together. She resents their visible happiness and finds herself unable to sail or participate in activities she once enjoyed. Anne treats Cécile with sympathy.

During a brief encounter between Cécile, Raymond, and Elsa, Raymond expresses surprise at Elsa’s renewed beauty. Cécile provokes him by suggesting that age plays a role in romantic relationships. He insists, “If Anne hadn’t come along, it wouldn’t have been inevitable at all” (84).

One day, Anne catches Cécile wrapped in towels, staging a mock yoga session. Anne questions her about an essay she had claimed to be working on, and when Cécile does not respond, Anne criticizes her dishonesty. The encounter humiliates Cécile, who runs out of the house in anger and visits Cyril. She finds him sleeping and, after a brief exchange, they become physically intimate for the first time.

Afterward, Cécile walks home alone. She joins Anne on the terrace, where she struggles to light a cigarette, and her nervous movements draw Anne’s attention. Eventually, Anne helps her by lighting her cigarette. Cécile later recalls this moment as symbolic, noting how Anne’s gaze and her own inability to control her hands left her feeling vulnerable.

In the days following her encounter with Anne on the terrace, Cécile senses a shift in Anne’s behavior—though Anne had previously shown pity, she returns to strictness and discipline. After a disagreement at dinner over Cécile’s studies, Anne silently locks her in her room. Cécile, unaccustomed to punishment, initially panics and tries to escape. Once calm, she recognizes the act as a form of cruelty and fixates on the idea of revenge.

When Raymond releases her, Cécile feigns calm and says she will apologize to Anne. Concerned, Raymond asks if she is unhappy. Cécile agrees and implies that if things become too difficult, she might marry sooner than expected. The remark unsettles Raymond. Cécile continues to emphasize Anne’s superiority, saying, “Her life is really far more successful than ours” (93). Raymond appears shaken by the idea that Cécile may adopt Anne’s worldview.

Cécile apologizes to Anne, who attributes the quarrel to the heat. That evening, Cécile meets Cyril in the woods to update him on her plan. Cécile feels emotionally tied to him, experiencing a surge of possessiveness. She is surprised by the strength of her feelings and struggles with the idea of spending the night apart from him.

The next morning, Cécile takes her father for a walk with the intention of leading him past Elsa and Cyril, who are posing as sleeping lovers in the pine wood. The scene unfolds as planned: Raymond sees them and reacts with visible shock. Cécile urges him to move on quietly, but he mutters “The bitch! The bitch!” in anger (95). Though he insists he no longer loves Elsa, he admits that the sight still hurt. Cécile steers the conversation, encouraging Raymond to reflect on the loss of his influence over Elsa. Back at the villa, Raymond embraces Anne with sudden intensity, which surprises her. Cécile interprets the gesture as a sign of guilt and leaves the room.

In the afternoon, Cécile joins Cyril for a sail. They go out to sea alone, and the outing turns into another intimate encounter. They lie in the sun and talk, and Cécile feels peaceful and detached. She notes that her experience with Cyril has altered her perspective on love and vulnerability.

Meanwhile, Elsa grows impatient with the plan. She repeatedly questions Cécile about its progress and tries to cross paths with Raymond. Cécile is skeptical of Elsa’s romantic enthusiasm but continues to monitor her father’s behavior. Raymond becomes more affectionate toward Anne, which Cécile thinks is a sign of guilt. She worries that if something goes wrong before they return to Paris, the plan will fail. Meanwhile, she looks forward to continuing her relationship with Cyril in Paris.