Coward or Hero?

In Short

Eugène Leclerc’s nineteenth-century story follows young Paul Bicquerot, a timid French boy growing up in the quiet town of Loches. Raised under the lingering shadow of terrifying tales told by his father's former orderly, Paul views ordinary animals, dark hallways, and school yard interactions as insurmountable threats. His stern retired captain father despairs of his son's passivity, while his loving mother offers gentle support. Through his eventual enrolment at school, a transformative friendship with a confident peer named Marc Sublaine, and the trial of public schoolyard taunts, Paul learns to face his irrational anxieties and find his inner strength.

The Story

The narrative begins in the household of Captain Bicquerot, a retired army officer living in Loches. Captain Bicquerot is deeply dismayed by his young son Paul’s sensitive and fearful nature. Discussing the boy with a visiting military colleague, Colonel Boissot, the captain rejects the colonel's suggestion of harsh physical discipline, choosing instead to urge Paul toward bravery through gentleness, despite his own underlying frustration. Paul’s intense cowardice stems from early childhood, when his father's imaginative orderly, Montézuma, used ventriloquism and exaggerated facial expressions to summon a fictional boogeyman named "Croquemitaine" whenever Paul misbehaved. Though no longer exposed to Montézuma, Paul remains haunted by the residue of those early frights, populating dark corners, staircases, and ordinary household animals with terrifying supernatural qualities.

As Paul grows, simple daily occurrences become grand trials. He finds brief solace in harmless solitary play, dressing in makeshift vestments to hold mock religious processions through the house, but he remains terrified of the backyard bantam-cock, strange dogs, and farm animals. When local physician Dr. Lombalot examines Paul, he declares through the pseudoscience of phrenology that the boy completely lacks the "bump of combativeness." Captain Bicquerot, anxious to build his son's character, sends Paul first to Miss Porquet’s day school and later to the local college.

At Miss Porquet’s school, Paul feels overwhelmed by wealthy, snobbish classmates like Arthur "The Count" de la Croulle. However, he finds a true protector and mentor in Marc Sublaine, a generous, self-assured boy. Guided by Marc’s steady presence during walks and games of Prisoner’s Base, Paul gradually learns to navigate his fears of aggressive dogs, turkeys, and schoolyard pranks. Though Marc's friendship shields him from the worst teasing, Paul still struggles to defend himself actively, much to his father's disappointment. Captain Bicquerot repeatedly demonstrates how to clench a fist and hit back, but Paul remains incapable of real conflict.

The turning point arrives after Paul enters college. His mother lovingly sews him a custom velvet jacket so he can look presentable, but the unique garment instantly makes him the target of relentless mocking from his peers. The boys label him "Beetle," circulating caricatures and chanting the name to a polka rhythm. Pushed past his breaking point by the ridicule directed at his mother's handiwork, Paul loses his temper and enters into a flurry of fistfights. Returning home with a black eye but victoriously unscathed in spirit, Paul reveals that he fought back repeatedly. Captain Bicquerot is overjoyed to discover his son's bad conduct mark for being "quarrelsome," realizing Paul is no coward after all. Decades later, Paul grows up to become a distinguished colonel, marries Marc's younger sister Marie, and disproves Dr. Lombalot's flawed phrenological theories once and for all.

How It Unfolds

Paternal concern and old soldiers Captain Bicquerot confers with Colonel Boissot regarding his son's extreme timidity, rejecting the colonel's proposed harsh physical punishments while harboring deep worry over Paul's lack of courage.

Ghosts of childhood fear Paul reflects on how the orderly Montézuma used ventriloquism and wild grimaces to summon the mythical monster Croquemitaine, planting irrational, long-lasting terrors in the boy's impressionable mind.

Sanctuary and home rituals To escape his anxieties, Paul entertains himself by constructing tiny altars, putting on makeshift surplices, and singing hymns, though he avoids the backyard out of terror of a small bantam-cock.

The phrenologist's verdict Dr. Lombalot examines Paul's head and proclaims that science dooms the boy to passivity, asserting that Paul lacks the physical skull bump associated with combativeness.

Entering the schoolyard Sent to Miss Porquet’s school, Paul faces the snobbery of rich classmates before being taken under the wing of Marc Sublaine, whose brave companionship helps him navigate daily anxiety.

The dark garden test Attempting to imitate Marc’s courage, Paul forces himself to walk into the pitch-black garden at night to retrieve his mother's lost scissors, confronting his phantom fears step by step.

Lessons in physical defense Frustrated by Paul's passivity at college, Captain Bicquerot gives his son explicit instructions on how to form a proper fist and strike back against bullies.

The velvet coat provoke When Paul wears a striking new coat handcrafted by his loving mother, his schoolmates relentless mock him, nicknaming him "Beetle" and circulating offensive caricatures.

A sudden transformation Driven to fury by the insult to his mother's labor, Paul snaps and engages in multiple fistfights, earning a black eye along with the respect of his peers.

The colonel's triumph Paul grows into a high-ranking military officer, happily married and completely redeemed in the eyes of his father, thoroughly confounding the old doctor’s pseudoscientific predictions.

The People

• Paul Bicquerot wants deeply to please his parents and overcome the overwhelming frights that paralyze his daily life. Hindered by an overactive imagination and early childhood trauma, he gradually transforms from a helpless child into a courageous young man and ultimate military officer.
• Captain Bicquerot wants his son to display strength, resilience, and traditional martial spirit. Stood in the way by Paul's apparent lack of bravery, he vacillates between sharp frustration and profound parental tenderness, ultimately feeling immense pride when Paul finally stands up for himself.
• Madame Bicquerot wants only to protect and nurture her son, shielding him from harsh discipline and working late into the night to provide for him. Her boundless devotion inspires Paul's deepest affection and ultimately triggers his brave defense of her work.
• Marc Sublaine wants to play fairly, protect younger or weaker students, and enjoy his youth. Unbothered by danger, his natural confidence and loyal friendship serve as the crucial support system that allows Paul to overcome his anxieties.
• Montézuma wants to discipline and entertain young Paul during his time as an army orderly. Controlled by his own unrestrained imagination, his ventriloquism and scary stories inadvertently inflict lasting psychological fears on the boy.
• Dr. Lombalot wants to validate his pseudoscientific belief in phrenology. Hindered by actual human development, he stubbornly insists Paul can never be brave, only to be proven entirely wrong by Paul's eventual military success.

In Its Own Voice

“When I was quite little, I used often to be given in charge to my father’s orderly.”

Paul recalls the root of his nervous temperament, tracing his anxieties back to the well-meaning but terrifying tricks played by his father's subordinate.

“She searched in her work-basket, on the floor, in the table drawers, and at last she tapped her forehead and said: ‘To be sure! I remember now, I must have left them in the garden.’”

When his mother misplaced her tools after dark, Paul forced himself to brave the pitch-black yard alone, using his admiration for his best friend to fuel his trembling courage.

“He turned to me, and resting his first finger on my chest, exclaimed: ‘You! You have fought! Is it true?’”

Captain Bicquerot expresses complete astonishment upon reading Paul's negative conduct report from college, realizing with mounting joy that his son had finally engaged in physical battle.

What It's Really About

Beneath its gentle domestic narrative, Coward or Hero? explores the psychological roots of childhood anxiety and the process of building authentic resilience. The novel argues that true bravery is not the absence of fear, but the ability to act honorably despite it. It critiques well-intentioned but damaging parenting practices—specifically scaring children into obedience with boogeymen or relying on cold, rigid discipline. Through Dr. Lombalot, the story also parodies deterministic pseudosciences like phrenology that seek to limit human potential based on physical traits. Ultimately, the book asserts that love, stable friendship, and self-respect are far more powerful than harsh coercion or fixed traits in shaping a child's character.

Why Read It Today

This translation of Eugène Leclerc’s tale offers modern readers a charming, perceptive window into nineteenth-century French childhood and family life. Readers who appreciate classic coming-of-age stories like Tom Brown's School Days or the domestic warmth of Little Women will enjoy its gentle humor, subtle psychological insight, and touching portrayal of parent-child relationships. The prose is clean, direct, and accessible, avoiding overly dense period jargon while maintaining an authentic historic atmosphere.

The book's minor difficulties lie primarily in its cozy nineteenth-century pacing and its occasional focus on obsolete historical fads like phrenology. Modern readers might also find the heavy emphasis on physical fistfights as the ultimate test of manhood to be a relic of its era's masculine ideals. However, these period elements are handled with an underlying irony and warmth that prevent them from feeling modernly objectionable. What lingers after reading is the novel's sweet empathy for the secret, terrifying inner lives of sensitive children, alongside the comforting reminder that early anxieties do not have to dictate a person's ultimate destiny.