ABSTRACT
This chapter explores Suzanne Simonin’s efforts under forced confinement to not only navigate her rebellion amid the adversities she encounters, but also her efforts to reinvent herself so that she may find the freedom she envisions. Suzanne’s rebellion against her mother’s wishes could be viewed as a confirmation that Mme Simonin is a flawed mother: her lack of nurturing empathy as well as her repugnance of Suzanne’s resemblance to her biological father causes her to reject her daughter repeatedly. The combination of Soeur Sainte-Christine’s extreme measures and modifications in the convent and Suzanne’s direct acts of rebellion create anarchy and disorder in the convent. Thus, her quest to redefine herself and to create her own legitimacy warrants her rebellion and “bad” actions. She does place a great importance on language and truth as a testimony to her authentic search for freedom.
