Augustine

Charcot uses Augustine as a test case to secure funding and legitimacy for his neurological research. The dramatic demonstration where he hypnotizes her and provokes a staged fit that ends with an orgasm is specifically designed to impress the roomful of doctors and convince them to support his work. The spectacle succeeds, earning enthusiastic approval and permission to continue his examinations.

The fall paradoxically awakens sensation in Augustine's previously paralyzed side. While the exact mechanism isn't medically explained in the film, the escape and subsequent physical trauma seem to break whatever psychological or neurological hold had kept her in a state of partial paralysis. This moment marks a turning point where her body responds to her will to be free.

Charcot's fascination evolves from purely medical curiosity into something more personal and problematic. He becomes attracted to Augustine, sneaking into her room at night to observe her while she sleeps. The boundary between physician and observer blurs as he develops genuine feelings for her, even as he continues to treat her as a subject for his research. This crossing of professional lines is central to the film's exploration of power dynamics.

When Charcot returns from Bordeaux, he discovers Augustine has been refusing food. He personally spoon-feeds her, insisting she must eat if she hopes to be well enough for his treatment. This moment demonstrates both his control over her and his continued investment in her wellbeing, though it also reinforces the unbalanced power dynamic where her survival depends on his attention.

Charcot attempts to hypnotize Augustine to induce a seizure for his medical academy lecture, but the performance falters. Augustine leans in and whispers that she is cured, flexing her hand to prove she has regained sensation. This failure represents a shift in power - Augustine now controls her own body and chooses to reveal her recovery on her own terms rather than as part of Charcot's demonstration.

Augustine begins menstruating during her time at the hospital, which is noted as a sign of her continuing sexual and physiological development. For Charcot, this represents progress in understanding her condition - her body is maturing naturally despite the neurological symptoms. The moment also highlights her transition from childlike dependence toward womanhood, adding complexity to the film's themes of body autonomy and medical objectification.

Augustine escapes because she feels trapped by her dependence on Charcot and his refusal to let her leave. Despite his promises to help her once her condition improves, she recognizes that his treatment keeps her bound to the hospital. Her escape represents a reclaiming of autonomy - she chooses unknown freedom over continued participation in his program, even if that means leaving behind the security of his care.

The relationship is defined by extreme power imbalance. Charcot controls Augustine's fate - he can release her or keep her institutionalized, and he frames her condition as something only he can cure. Augustine is dependent on him for survival, food, and freedom. As time passes, Charcot crosses boundaries by entering her room at night and developing romantic feelings, while Augustine feels increasingly trapped despite his promises to help her.

While helping a fellow patient behead a chicken, Augustine feels faint at the sight of blood and loses consciousness. When she regains consciousness, she opens both eyes fully and can see normally again, though she still lacks sensation on one side. This incident shows her body's unpredictable responses and marks one of the few moments where she regains partial function, though sensation does not return.

During the demonstration for doctors, Charcot hypnotizes Augustine and provokes a staged fit that culminates in an orgasm before she collapses. This controversial display is presented as a breakthrough in understanding hysteria and earns enthusiastic approval from the audience. The moment establishes Charcot's willingness to use Augustine's body for spectacle and sets up the film's exploration of medical exploitation and blurred boundaries between treatment and manipulation.

Augustine experiences a violent fit during dinner service that leaves her partially paralyzed - she loses feeling on one side of her body and one eye becomes unable to move. The exact neurological cause isn't medically explained in the film, but Charcot examines her and notes she shows no sensation where most people would expect it, a discrepancy that both unsettles and fascinates the medical staff.

Charcot refuses Augustine's requests to leave and find work elsewhere, insisting that he will help her once her condition improves. However, his refusal appears driven more by his desire to continue his research than by genuine concern for her health. Keeping Augustine institutionalized ensures he maintains access to his key case study and the potential for further demonstrations and professional advancement.