The trial of Madame Caillaux and her murder of journalist Henry Calmette symbolized French culture to its core. Edward Berenson combines the trial with French society's attitudes by incorporating courtroom behavior to express Belle Epoque's values and drama to capture the reader's feelings. Although the book is supposed to be about the trial surrounding the murder of Henry Calmette, Berenson primarily uses the courtroom antics of the characters as examples French culture. With each chapter a specific characteristic of French society is explained in detail. However, the main underlying them…
