Catherine Certitude
by Patrick Modiano and Illustrations by Jean-Jacques Sempe, Kids' Muse Notes by Anji Brenner
Readers might wonder what really happens in Catherine Certitude.
Superficially, the story is told by a woman looking back on her life as a
young girl who lived with her father and went to school in Paris. Not so
unusual or exciting. But what is really going on? We wonder whether
Catherine's father is a shady dealer of illegal goods or a legitimate
businessman, whether the fussy business partner is a petty opportunist or a
great poetic talent, and whether Catherine sees her father for who he is, or
for what he dreams. In the end, we don't know the answers to these
questions, but the real subject of the story sneaks to the surface: the
unconditional love between a father and his daughter. Though not for
reluctant readers, certain six-year olds will listen attentively and
twelve-year-olds will be drawn into the multiple interpretations of the
characters and the lovely line drawings by New Yorker illustrator
Jean-Jacques Sempe.
Things to think about and discuss:
1. Catherine, before she begins her story about her life as a child, says,
"We're nobody special; just New Yorkers, like so many others. Only one thing
in my life is out of the ordinary: before we came to America I spent my
childhood in Paris, in a neighborhood of the 10th arrondissement. That was
almost thirty years ago." How do you think Catherine feels about this "out
of the ordinary" part of her life?
2. Odile invites Catherine to a cocktail party given by her parents. What do
you think of Mr. Certitude's behavior? What do you think Catherine thinks of
her father's behavior?
3.When "The Pill" lectures Catherine on her report card, she takes off her
glasses and "couldn't hear him any more." There are many instances in the
book where Catherine and sometimes her father take off their glasses. They
want to tune out, to have everything around them become "soft and fuzzy." If
you wear glasses, do have similar experiences? If you don't wear glasses, do
you attempt to achieve the same sensation in other ways?
4. Catherine's father and Mr. Casterade have a curious relationship. Though
Catherine's father originally hired Mr. Casterade as his secretary, Mr.
Casterade later became his partner. Who do you think has the upper hand in
this relationship?
5. Mr. Certitude tells Catherine he knows her dance teacher from years
before and that she does not really have a Russian accent. When Catherine
says "You should have talked to her and called her by her real name," Mr.
Certitude replies: "No, I could never do that to her. You have to let her
dream, her and her customers." Why do you think Mr. Certitude feels this
way?
6. Do you think Mr. Certitude is a good father?
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