LeMaitre defies Robespierre for Susan
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
LeMaitre impatiently dismisses the Jailer's attempts to speak with him. The Jailer insists he has an important message from Robespierre.
The Jailer relays Robespierre's urgent summons to LeMaitre concerning a matter of utmost importance, then LeMaitre confirms that the young girl (Susan) has been locked away, ordering that she remain imprisoned under guard.
LeMaitre threatens the Jailer with the guillotine if he disobeys the order to keep the girl locked up. Lemaitre then leaves.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Fearful and isolated (implied by her absence and the urgency of the Doctor’s need to secure her release)
Susan is referenced indirectly as the 'young girl' locked in her cell, her imprisonment serving as the focal point of LeMaitre’s defiance. Though physically absent, her presence looms over the confrontation, symbolizing the Doctor’s vulnerability and the high stakes of LeMaitre’s power play.
- • To survive her imprisonment and await the Doctor’s intervention
- • To remain a source of leverage for the Doctor’s negotiations with LeMaitre
- • That the Doctor will find a way to free her, despite the odds
- • That her imprisonment is a deliberate tactic to manipulate the Doctor
Ruthlessly focused (masking any internal conflict with outward confidence)
LeMaitre dominates the scene with cold authority, dismissing Robespierre’s urgent summons to focus on ensuring Susan’s imprisonment. His body language—sharp gestures, impatient tone—reinforces his control, while his threat of execution silences the Jailer. He leaves abruptly, confirming Susan’s confinement, his actions revealing a calculated risk to defy Robespierre for personal gain.
- • To maintain control over Susan’s imprisonment as leverage against the Doctor
- • To defy Robespierre’s authority temporarily to secure his personal vendetta
- • That his authority in the Conciergerie is absolute, even over Robespierre’s immediate demands
- • That the Doctor’s desperation to free Susan will force him into a disadvantageous bargain
Terrified and resigned (aware of the consequences of defying LeMaitre)
The Jailer enters the scene visibly anxious, delivering Robespierre’s message with trembling urgency. LeMaitre’s dismissal and threat of execution reduce him to fearful compliance, his posture and tone reflecting submission. He confirms Susan’s imprisonment but offers no resistance, his actions driven by survival instinct in the face of LeMaitre’s authority.
- • To avoid execution by obeying LeMaitre’s orders
- • To relay Robespierre’s message without provoking LeMaitre’s wrath
- • That LeMaitre’s authority in the Conciergerie is absolute and unchallengeable
- • That Robespierre’s summons is irrelevant compared to LeMaitre’s immediate demands
Robespierre is referenced indirectly through the Jailer’s urgent message, his demand for LeMaitre’s immediate presence framing the power struggle. Though …
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Robespierre’s urgent summons message is thrust into the scene by the Jailer, its contents—'immediately' and 'a matter of the utmost importance'—serving as a direct challenge to LeMaitre’s authority. The message embodies Robespierre’s power, its dismissal by LeMaitre symbolizing his willingness to risk political fallout for personal gain. The physical act of handing over the message and LeMaitre’s subsequent disregard of it create a tension between institutional demand and individual defiance.
Susan’s prison cell door is the symbolic and literal barrier at the heart of this confrontation. LeMaitre’s insistence that it 'under no circumstances' be opened frames Susan’s imprisonment as a deliberate tactic to manipulate the Doctor. The door’s unyielding presence—mentioned but unseen—reinforces the fragility of Susan’s situation and the high stakes of LeMaitre’s power play. Its locked status is both a physical constraint and a narrative device, driving the tension between LeMaitre’s defiance and Robespierre’s authority.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The narrow, damp corridor of the Conciergerie serves as a claustrophobic stage for LeMaitre’s defiance, its confined space amplifying the tension between the characters. The flickering torchlight and echoing footsteps create an atmosphere of urgency and danger, while the corridor’s role as a transit point between cells and administrative areas underscores its function as a battleground for power. The location’s oppressive mood—cold, damp, and restrictive—mirrors the ideological constraints of the Revolutionary Government and the personal stakes of Susan’s imprisonment.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
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Themes This Exemplifies
Thematic resonance and meaning
Key Dialogue
"JAILER: But Citizen. / LEMAITRE: Later! / JAILER: But. / LEMAITRE: I said, not now."
"JAILER: I've just had a message from the First Deputy, Citizen. Robespierre says he wants to see you immediately. It's a matter of the utmost importance. / LEMAITRE: Yes, yes. Has the young girl been locked away?"
"LEMAITRE: She shall remain in her cell, do you understand? Under no circumstances is the door to be opened. / JAILER: Just as you say, Citizen. / LEMAITRE: And if that order is disobeyed, I'll have you guillotined."