Red and Black

Author: Stendhal
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-08-01
Features: The Red and the Black primarily depicts the ambitious yet brief life of Julien Sorel. The novel follows Julien's experiences as the plot, from the profit-driven provincial town of Verrières to the provincial capital of Besan?on and the capital of Paris. From the gloomy seminary to the shadowy legitimist group, from his love life and religious activities to secret political meetings, it vividly portrays the social scene under King Charles X. Julien is the son of a carpenter and the owner of a sawmill. This talented young man, under the influence of an elderly military doctor, embraces Enlightenment ideas. He despises his humble birth and low status, yearning for the era of Napoleon and dreaming of entering the upper class, hoping to eventually join the military. Later, he sees that a priest's income is three times that of a marshal under Napoleon, so he decides to conceal his views and prepare to climb the ladder of priests and bishops. At the age of nineteen, recommended by Father de Rênal, Julien becomes a private tutor in the mayor's family, beginning to interact with high society. He sees the hypocrisy of these people and even fantasizes that if he were the mayor, justice and fairness would prevail. However, the cunning of the court deeply affects him. He learns to flatter and often says one thing while meaning another. The love of the mayor's wife, Madame de Rênal, satisfies his vanity, and his ambiguous relationship with her forces him to enter the isolated seminary of Besan?on. His free-thinking and desire to rise above his station are further suppressed there, and he feels as though each day lasts an eternity. Yet every minute, he feigns goodness, eventually becoming a lecturer in theology and earning the favor of the archbishop. Soon, factional struggles within the seminary affect Julien. He becomes the private secretary of the Marquis de Molé. Amidst intrigue and hypocrisy, Julien advances rapidly and gains the marquis's and favor. His extraordinary demeanor also ignites the love of the marquis's daughter, Mathilde, who is dissatisfied with her life. He achieves his ambitions by conquering Mathilde. However, just as he is on the verge of triumph and rising to prominence, the aristocracy and the clergy conspire to set a trap, forcing the mayor's wife to write a letter exposing him, and the marquis cancels the engagement between Julien and Mathilde. Enraged, Julien attempts to shoot the mayor's wife, who is praying, though she is not killed, he is executed and sent to the guillotine, ending his brief life.