Who is Madame from Never Let Me Go and what is their importance?

Madame is a French or Belgian woman who visits Hailsham a few times every year and carries away with her the best of the artwork and poetry created by the students. Rumors abound that she has a kind of gallery where she exhibits these works. Her behavior while at Hailsham is strained and the students, led by Ruth, develop a theory that she is afraid of them. This turns out to be a correct impression, as Madame later confirms to Kathy and Tommy at the end of the novel.

Madame's true mission is to gather evidence that the young clone children have souls and are entitled to humane treatment. The nature of their souls is revealed in their artwork.