Character Analysis
The Invisible Wife
Who's Therese, you say? Sure, she's responsible for a lot of Rousseau's domestic happiness. But Rousseau writes entire volumes of his life without mentioning her once. Here's what we know about the lady. Rousseau tells us "She was very shy, and so was I" (7.2.43). Therese and Rousseau have an awesome intellectual connection, but they prefer being out of the public eye as much as possible.
Therese is always concerned about being a good partner for Rousseau, but she's a smarty-pants in her own right: "Her shrewd answers and her general behavior, have won her universal esteem and compliments upon her qualities, upon which I have felt the sincerity" (7.2.46).
Not All Fun and Games
When Rousseau gets accused of blasphemy, Therese starts to realize that she's in for a wild ride. Everything comes to a head when the couple's temporary house in Geneva is attacked by some angry Rousseau-haters.
Rousseau immediately runs for Therese, who "had also got up and ran trembling towards me" (12.1.19). Surely, the lady didn't sign up for this nonsense. But Therese is steadfast in her loyalty, following Rousseau all the way from France to a remote island. All she wants is peace.
Therese's Timeline