Character Bios

Character Bio
King Louis XVI

Louis-Auguste, more famously known as King Louis XVI, was king of France from 1774- 1792 and husband to the equally infamous Marie Antoinette. He was born August 24, 1754, to the son of King Louis XV and Marie-Josèphe of Saxony, his wife. He spent his childhood shunned by his parents, even though he was one of the few ones left. Without the care of his parents, he turned to academics, and lock making as a way to occupy his time.

At age fourteen, he married the dauphin of Austria, Marie Antoinette. After his fathers death in 1774, he ascended to the throne, with his wife at his side.

He is a relatively short man. As a young man, he was, if not handsome, then at the very least passably attractive. But as the years passed, his likeness to a pig grew. This is why, on our graphic novel, he is depicted as one. his hair is a dull brown, always covered by a white wig.

He was very educated, being one of the first French monarchs to master English, and to study the philosophy of the enlighteners. Still, because of his apparent shunning of the government, he was viewed coldly by his people as a simpleton who did not deserve the monarchy.

From the beginning, its evident that Louis was not cut out for the job of king. as a child, he was studious and introverted. This did not change as he grew. He was a timid and quiet man, and soon much of his people grew to resent him. He tried to make the right decisions for his country, but was easily led astray by people of the court who's wishes differed from his. He was not a bad man, in fact, his timidity led him to be honest. But it was that same timidity that earned him a bad name. He was reputed as disloyal to his country because of it.

Because of his shyness, he shunned court life. Instead, he spent his time hunting, studying, making locks, etc.

In our story, he is depicted as a pig, because he is always portrayed as a sort of bumbling fool. And a pig is the animal equivalent of that.

Jacque

Character Bio

Jacque is the other important male figure in our novel. He lives with his parents and his three siblings (two younger sisters and one younger brother). He is, even as a child and more pronouncedly as he ages, quite tall for his age. His body frame is slim, but not thin. His hair is a dark brown, almost black. He is quiet, and keeps his feelings close, but is very perceptive and does his best to help those around him. He is, in both appearance and personality, very different from his friend Marie, but as they say, opposites attract. While she is adventurous, he is cautious. Marie is not particularly well educated, having only been extensively taught in religion. Jacque, meanwhile, has extensive teaching in reading, writing, arithmetic, as well as religion. As Marie tends to busy herself in the gossip of the country, he gravitates towards the more serious topics of the oncoming war.

At the beginning of the story, he is the same age as Marie, only about 9 years old. They officially become friends when Jacque decides he is going to teach Marie how to read in secret. Through the 15 years this book encompasses, he matures greatly, and his views on the world he lives in change dramatically as the tension around him increases exponentially.

From childhood, he and Marie have been close friends. He has always been there when she needed help. He has experienced the same events in his countries history, although even his take on them is different. Perhaps it’s because they are so different that Marie and Jacque seemed to gravitate towards one another. But no matter what, they are the closest of friends, and help each other through the hardships they face.

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