Le Havre

Le Havre is the community in France's Normandy region where the majority of the main characters live and work. It is located on an estuary where the Seine River meets the English Channel. It is described vividly as Marianne makes her way through the desolate streets to get to the hospital after hearing of Simon's accident. She observes, "Opulent villas overlooking the garbage dump of the poor part of town, vast and perfectly apportioned gardens, private institutions, and somber-colored sedans, gradually changing to decrepit building and suburban houses with verandas and little gardens, small cement courtyards where mopeds and beer crates stood in puddles of brown rainwater" (37). It seems to be a relatively ordinary middle class town.

The hospital in Le Havre

Simon is taken to the hospital in Le Havre after his accident; this is where Dr. Révol, Thomas, and Cordélia Owl work, and...