The Red and the Black

“The truth, the harsh truth.” — Stendhal, The Red and the Black

The Red and the Black follows Julien Sorel, a young, ambitious man from a provincial French town, as he navigates the rigid social hierarchies of post-Napoleonic France. The novel is divided into two parts: Julien’s rise in the clergy (symbolized by black) and his entanglement in aristocratic society (symbolized by red).

Part One: The Rise of Julien Sorel

Julien, the son of a carpenter, is intelligent but scorned by his family. He secures a position as a tutor for the mayor of Verrières, M. de Rênal, and begins an affair with his wife, Madame de Rênal. Despite his lower-class origins, Julien charms her with his intellect and sensitivity. However, their affair is discovered, forcing Julien to leave for a seminary in Besançon.

At the seminary, Julien struggles with hypocrisy and political maneuvering among the clergy. His mentor, the Abbé Pirard, helps him secure a position as secretary to the Marquis de La Mole, a powerful aristocrat in Paris. This marks Julien’s transition from religious ambition to aristocratic intrigue.

Part Two: Paris and the Fall

In Paris, Julien impresses the Marquis with his intelligence and is tasked with diplomatic missions. He also attracts the attention of the Marquis’s daughter, Mathilde, who is fascinated by his rebellious spirit. Their passionate but tumultuous relationship alternates between love and power struggles. Mathilde becomes pregnant, and the Marquis reluctantly agrees to their marriage, elevating Julien’s social status.

However, Julien’s past catches up with him when Madame de Rênal, under pressure from her confessor, writes a letter denouncing him as a social climber. Enraged, Julien returns to Verrières and shoots her in church. Though she survives, Julien is arrested and sentenced to death. Refusing to seek clemency, he embraces his fate, declaring his disdain for the hypocrisy of society. The novel ends with his execution, while Mathilde and Madame de Rênal mourn him in their own ways.

Key Ideas

• Social mobility and the barriers of class in 19th-century France.
• The conflict between idealism and cynical ambition.
• Love as both a transformative and destructive force.
• The hypocrisy of religious and aristocratic institutions.
• The psychological depth of an antihero driven by pride and passion.

• Readers interested in psychological character studies and social critique.
• Fans of 19th-century French literature and realism.
• Those intrigued by themes of ambition, love, and societal constraints.