Octave Mouret

Mouret becomes the sole owner of Au Bonheur des Dames through luck after his wife dies. He feels gratitude to her for the good fortune she has brought him, but he is determined to consume the women of Paris, both as customers in his store, and as his mistresses. He is brutal in business, but understands the new commercial climate very well. Mouret predicts what will happen to the old trades, and feels no guilt about crushing the neighborhood businesses in his need to have his store take over the whole block as a beacon for the new Paris. Mouret believes he is a man of his time. He feels compelled to take action as the times call for progress and revolution. At first, he stakes his happiness on the success of his business. He is nervous that no one will come to his big sale, on...