En):The paper, a case study in modern French usage and style, deals with the question of the linguistic norm in Muriel Barbery's novel, The Elegance of the Hedgehog (2006).The point is to show how the self-educated main character, Renée Michel, concierge in an elegant Parisian block of flats, refutes the stereotyped image of her social position through her immense culture and her refined usage of French.The study gives a detailed survey of lexical and grammatical forms of usage in various registers of speech in Renée's linguistic performance and concludes with the idea that Renée's deep respect for the norms of standard French is a special form of revolt against the intellectual negligence characterizing the rich inhabitants always ready to show their superiority over her.