In his understanding of art and the role of the artist, Stendhal followed the Enlightenment. He always strived for accuracy and truthfulness in the reflection of life in his works.
First great novel Stendhal, “Red and Black,” was published in 1830, the year of the July Revolution.
Its title already speaks of the deep social meaning of the novel, of the clash of two forces - revolution and reaction. Stendhal took Danton’s words as the epigraph to the novel: “The truth, the harsh truth!”, and, following it, the writer based the plot on a true incident.
The title of the novel also emphasizes the main features in the character of Julien Sorel, the main character of the work. Surrounded by people hostile to him, he challenges fate. Defending the rights of his personality, he is forced to mobilize all means to fight the world around him. Julien Sorel comes from a peasant background. This determines the social sound of the novel.
Sorel, a commoner, a plebeian, wants to take a place in society to which he has no right due to his origin. On this basis, the struggle with society arises. Julien himself defines well the meaning of this struggle in the scene at the trial, when he says his the last word: “Gentlemen! I do not have the honor of being in your class. In my face. you see a peasant rebelling against the baseness of his lot... But even if I were guilty, it wouldn’t matter. I see before me people who are not inclined to heed the feeling of compassion... and who want to punish me and once and for all frighten a whole class of young people who were born in the lower classes... had the good fortune to receive a good education and dare to join what the rich proudly called society."
Thus, Julien realizes that he is being judged not so much for the crime he actually committed, but for the fact that he dared to cross the line separating him from high society, tried to enter that world to which he has no right to belong. For this attempt, the jury should sentence him to death.
But Julien Sorel’s struggle is not only for his career, for personal well-being; The question in the novel is posed much deeper. Julien wants to establish himself in society, “get out into the public eye,” and take one of the first places in it, but on condition that this society recognizes him as a full-fledged personality, an extraordinary, talented, gifted, intelligent, strong person.
He does not want to give up these qualities, give them up. But an agreement between Sorel and the world of Renales and La Moley is possible only on the condition that the young man fully adapts to their tastes. This is the main meaning of Julien Sorel's struggle with the outside world. Julien is doubly a stranger in this environment: both as a person from the lower social classes, and as a highly gifted person who does not want to remain in the world of mediocrity.
Stendhal convinces the reader that the struggle that Julien Sorel is waging with the surrounding society is a struggle for life and death. But in bourgeois society there is no place for such talents. The Napoleon that Julien dreams of is already the past; instead of heroes, traders and self-satisfied shopkeepers have come; This is who became the true “hero” at the time in which Julien lives. For these people, outstanding talents and heroism - everything - are ridiculous. something that is so dear to Julien.
Julien's struggle develops in him great pride and increased ambition. Possessed by these feelings, Sorel subordinates all other aspirations and attachments to them. Even love ceases to be a joy for him. Without hiding negative aspects character of his hero, Stendhal at the same time justifies him. Firstly, the difficulty of the struggle he is waging: in
Oh, what a multi-colored fate! Is it red? Is it black? He will not repent of his fate, He will not even be able to repent of it / He will be able to have a little time: The road of life will end with a red glow on the guillotine.... God! Give me some love from now on! Frosty winter...
Louise de Renal is the mayor's wife, who has no influence on her husband, nor on the course of affairs in the city of Verrieres, entrusted to his care. According to local standards, almost a fool who misses “opportunities to get her husband to buy her a hat,” she amazes at first sight...
LUCIEN LEVEN (French: Lucien Leuwen) is the hero of Stendhal’s unfinished novel “Lucien Leuwen” (1834-1835, version of the title “Red and White”). The plot of the novel is inspired by the story of Ms. Gautier, who conceived a novel called “The Lieutenant.” Expelled from the Polytechnic in 1832...
The novel “Red and Black” (1831) was born from a newspaper chronicle about a criminal crime. It's interesting that crimes similar to that What Julenne Sorel did, several happened in France during the Restoration period. Young men (the names of Berthe and Laffargue have been preserved)...
Stendhal's novel "Red and Black" is the pinnacle French realism. There is amazing detail here, and the political, social and psychological realities of the time are described in detail. However, the hero of the novel, Julien Sorel, belongs to romantic heroes, therefore, his existence in circumstances typical of the era turns into a tragedy.
“Red and Black” is a book whose title has been making readers think and analyze what is behind it for many years. When reading the work, the answer to this question does not become obvious and assumes multiple options, which everyone resolves for themselves. Direct associations appear primarily with internal state Julien Sorel, who combined the desire to find himself, accomplish a feat, become an educated person, but at the same time self-interest, vanity, and the goal of achieving success by any means. The title also indicates the general theme of the work. These two colors: red and black, in their combination symbolize a certain anxiety, a struggle that occurs within people and around them. Red is blood, love, desire, black is base motives, betrayal. In their mixture, these colors give rise to the drama that occurs in the lives of the heroes.
Red and black are the colors of roulette, a symbol of passion, which has become the life force of the main character. He alternately bet on the red (on the help of his mistresses, on his charm, etc.) and on the black (on deceit, meanness, etc.). This idea is prompted by the fatal hobby of the author himself: he was a passionate gambler.
Another interpretation: red is a military uniform, black is a priest’s cassock. The hero rushed between dreams and reality, and this conflict between the desired and the actual destroyed him.
Also, the combination of these colors forms the tragic ending of the ambitious hero: blood on the ground, red and black. The unfortunate young man could do so much, but he could only stain the earth with the blood of his mistress.
In addition, many researchers suggest that the contrasting combination of colors means the main conflict of the novel - the choice between honor and death: either shed blood or allow oneself to be denigrated.
What is this book about?
Stendhal tells readers about the life of a young man, Julien Sorel, who gets a job as a tutor in the house of Mr. de Renal and his wife. Throughout the book, the reader observes the internal struggle of this purposeful person, his emotions, actions, mistakes, managing to be indignant and empathize at the same time. The most important line of the novel is the theme of love and jealousy, complex relationships and people's feelings different ages and different positions.
The young man’s career took him to the very top and promised many joys, among which he was looking for only one - respect. Ambition pushed him forward, but it also drove him into a dead end, because the opinion of society turned out to be more valuable to him than life.
The image of the main character
Julien Sorel is the son of a carpenter, fluent in Latin, a smart, purposeful and handsome young man. This is a young man who knows what he wants and who is ready to make any sacrifice to achieve his goals. The young man is ambitious and smart, he craves fame and success, dreaming first of a military career and then of a career as a priest. Many of Julien’s actions are dictated by base motives, a thirst for revenge, a thirst for recognition and worship, but he is not negative character, but rather a contradictory and complex character, placed in difficult living conditions. The image of Sorel contains the character traits of a revolutionary, a gifted commoner who is not ready to put up with his position in society.
The plebeian complex makes the hero ashamed of his origin and look for a way to another social reality. It is this painful conceit that explains his assertiveness: he is sure that he deserves more. It is no coincidence that Napoleon, a native of the people who managed to subjugate dignitaries and nobles, becomes his idol. Sorel firmly believes in his star, and that’s all, and therefore loses faith in God, in love, in people. His unscrupulousness leads to tragedy: trampling on the foundations of society, he, like his idol, finds himself rejected and expelled by it.
Topics and issues
The novel raises many issues. This is a choice life path, and the formation of character, and the conflict of a person with society. To consider any of them, it is important to understand the historical context: the Great French revolution, Napoleon, the mindset of a whole generation of youth, Restoration. Stendhal thought in these categories; he was one of those people who personally saw the breakdown of society and were impressed by this spectacle. In addition to the global problems that are social character and are associated with the events of the era, the work also describes the complexities of relationships between people, love, jealousy, betrayal - that is, what exists outside of time and is always perceived by readers close to the heart.
The main problem in the novel “Red and Black” is, of course, social injustice. A talented commoner cannot make his way into the ranks, even though he is smarter than the nobility and more capable. This person also does not find himself in his own environment: he is hated even in his family. Inequality is felt by everyone, so a gifted young man is envied and in every possible way prevented from realizing his skills. Such hopelessness pushes him to desperate steps, and the ostentatious virtue of priests and dignitaries only confirms the hero’s intention to go against the moral principles of society. This idea is confirmed by the history of the creation of the novel “Red and Black”: the author found a note in the newspaper about the execution of a young man. It was this brief account of someone else’s grief that inspired him to fill in the missing details and create a realistic novel dedicated to the problem of social inequality. He suggests that the conflict between personality and environment should not be assessed so unambiguously: people do not have the right to take Sorel’s life, because it was they who made him this way.
What is the meaning of the novel?
The story itself contained in the novel is not fiction, but real events that greatly impressed Standhal. That is why the author chose Danton’s phrase “Truth. Bitter truth". It so happened that one day, while reading a newspaper, the writer read about court case Antoine Berthe, from whom the image of Sorel was copied. In this regard, the social problems of the work become even more obvious, which characterizes a difficult era and makes us think about it. Then a person was faced with a very acute question of choice: to preserve his spiritual purity in poverty or to go straight ahead and head over heels to success. Although Julien chooses the second, he is also deprived of the opportunity to achieve something, because immorality will never become the basis of happiness. A hypocritical society will willingly close its eyes to her, but only for a certain time, and when it opens, it will immediately isolate itself from the criminal taken by surprise. This means that Sorel’s tragedy is a verdict on unprincipledness and ambition. The real victory of the individual is self-respect, and not the endless search for this respect from the outside. Julien lost because he could not accept himself for who he is.
Psychologism of Stendhal
Psychologism is characteristic feature Stendhal's creativity. It manifests itself in the fact that, along with the story about the actions and deeds of the character and the general picture of the events described, the author, at a higher level of analysis, describes the reasons and motives for the hero’s actions. Thus, the writer balances on the brink between boiling passions and the mind analyzing them, creating the feeling that at the same time when the hero commits an act, he is being continuously monitored. For example, this all-seeing eye shows the reader how Julien carefully hides his sentence from view: little Napoleon, whose veneration has already left its mark on the actions of the hero from the very beginning of his journey. This expressive detail points us to the soul of Sorel - a trembling moth striving for fire. He repeated the fate of Napoleon, winning the desired world, but failing to keep it.
Genre originality of the novel
The novel combines the features of romanticism and realism. This is evidenced by the vital basis of the story, filled with deep and varied feelings and ideas. This is a feature of realism. But the hero is romantic, endowed with specific features. He is in conflict with society, but at the same time he is outstanding, educated and handsome. His loneliness is a proud desire to rise above the crowd; he despises his environment. His intelligence and abilities tragically remain unnecessary and unfulfilled. Nature follows in his footsteps, framing the feelings and events in his life with its colors.
The work is often characterized as psychological and social, and it is difficult to disagree with this, since it unusually mixes the events of reality and a detailed assessment of the internal motives of the characters. Throughout the novel, the reader can observe a constant correlation between the outside world as a whole and inner world man, and it remains unclear which of these worlds is the most complex and contradictory.
Interesting? Save it on your wall!Stendhal's work played an important role in the development French literature. It marked the beginning of a new period - classical realism. It was Stendhal who first substantiated the main principles and program of the new movement, and then embodied them in his works with great artistic skill. The writer’s most significant work was his novel “Red and Black,” which the author himself quite accurately called a chronicle of the 19th century.
The plot of the novel is based on real events. Stendhal became interested in the case of a certain young man, the son of a peasant, who, wanting to make a career, became a tutor in the house of a local rich man, but lost his job because he was caught having an affair with the mother of his pupils. This young man's subsequent life was full of failures and losses, which ultimately led him to commit suicide. Taking this plot as the basis for his future work, Stendhal significantly modified, deepened and expanded it, covering all spheres of contemporary social life, and created, instead of a petty ambitious man, a heroic and tragic personality- Julien Sorel.
The writer was primarily interested in the hero’s spiritual world, the ways of formation and change of his character and worldview, his complex and dramatic interaction with environment. What was important for him was not the intrigue itself, but the internal action transferred into the soul and mind of Julien Sorel. Stendhal's hero, before deciding to take an action or deed, subjects himself and the situation to strict analysis and enters into a dialogue with himself. In the world of self-interest and profit, Julien stands out for his absolute indifference to money, honesty and fortitude, perseverance in achieving goals, unbridled courage and energy. However, he comes from a lower, disadvantaged class. And it remains like this always and everywhere: in the mansion of Monsieur de Renal, in the Valno house, in a Parisian palace or in the courtroom of Verrieres. Hence revolutionary orientation his way of thinking and views. The son of the Marquis de La Mole says this about him: “Beware of this energetic young man! If there is a revolution again, he will send us all to the guillotine.” And so thinks the entire aristocratic entourage of Sorel, including Mathilde de La Mole. “Isn’t this the new Danton?” - she thinks, trying to understand what role her lover can play in the revolution.
However, Julien Sorel is most passionate about the pursuit of his own glory. The basis of his worldview is most clearly visible in the episode when Sorel watches the flight of a hawk. More than anything else, he would like to become like this proud bird, freely soaring in the skies. He would also like to rise above the world around him. And these desires crowd out all other thoughts and aspirations of the hero. “This was Napoleon’s fate,” he thinks. “Maybe the same thing awaits me...” Inspired by the example of Napoleon and firmly confident in his own omnipotence, in the omnipotence of his will, energy, and talent, Julien makes bold plans to achieve his goal. However, the hero lives in an era when it is impossible to make a decent career and achieve fame in an honest way. Hence the main tragedy, the contradiction of this image. Julien's independent and noble spirit collides with his ambitious aspirations, pushing the hero onto the path of hypocrisy, revenge and crime. He, according to Roger Vaillant, is forced to rape his noble nature in order to play the vile role that he imposed on himself.
The author shows how complex and contradictory his hero’s path to fame becomes. We see how along this path Julien gradually loses his best human qualities how vices increasingly fill his bright soul. And he ultimately achieves his goal - he becomes Viscount de Verneuil and the son-in-law of the powerful Marquis. But Julien does not feel happy, he is not satisfied with his life. After all, despite everything, it still retains alive soul. Sufficiently spoiled by the world and his own ambition, Sorel is not yet fully aware of the reasons for his dissatisfaction. And only the fatal shot at Louise de Renal revealed the truth to him. The shock that the hero experienced after committing a crime turned his whole life upside down and forced him to rethink all his previous values and views. The tragedy that occurs morally cleanses and enlightens the hero, freeing his soul from the vices instilled by society. Now the illusory nature of his ambitious aspirations for a career, the inconsistency and fallacy of his ideas about happiness as an invariable consequence of fame, were fully revealed to him. His attitude towards Matilda, whose marriage was supposed to confirm his position in high society, also changes. She now becomes for him a clear embodiment of his ambitious aspirations, for the sake of which he was ready to make a deal with his conscience. Realizing his mistakes, feeling the insignificance of his previous aspirations and ideals, Julien refuses the help of the powers that be who are capable of freeing him from prison. So the natural principle, the pure soul of the hero, takes over; he dies, but emerges victorious in the fight against society.
In his understanding of art and the role of the artist, Stendhal followed the Enlightenment. He always strived for accuracy and truthfulness in the reflection of life in his works.
Stendhal's first great novel, The Red and the Black, was published in 1830, the year of the July Revolution.
Its title already speaks of the deep social meaning of the novel, of the clash of two forces - revolution and reaction. Stendhal took Danton’s words as the epigraph to the novel: “The truth, the harsh truth!”, and, following it, the writer based the plot on a true incident.
The title of the novel also emphasizes the main features in the character of Julien Sorel, the main character of the work. Surrounded by people hostile to him, he challenges fate. Defending the rights of his personality, he is forced to mobilize all means to fight the world around him. Julien Sorel comes from a peasant background. This determines the social sound of the novel.
Sorel, a commoner, a plebeian, wants to take a place in society to which he has no right due to his origin. On this basis, the struggle with society arises. Julien himself well defines the meaning of this struggle in the scene at the trial, when he says his last word: “Gentlemen! I do not have the honor of being in your class. In my face you see a peasant who rebelled against the baseness of his lot... But even if I were guilty, it wouldn’t matter. I see before me people who are not inclined to heed the feeling of compassion... and who want to punish me and once and for all frighten a whole class of young people who were born in the lower classes... who had the good fortune to receive a good education and dare to join what the rich proudly call society.”
Thus, Julien realizes that he is being judged not so much for the crime he actually committed, but for the fact that he dared to cross the line separating him from high society, tried to enter that world to which he has no right to belong. For this attempt, the jury should sentence him to death.
But Julien Sorel’s struggle is not only for his career, for personal well-being; The question in the novel is posed much deeper. Julien wants to establish himself in society, “to enter allsoch.ru - 2001-2005 people”, to take one of the first places in it, but on the condition that this society recognizes him as a full-fledged personality, an extraordinary, talented, gifted, intelligent, strong person .
He does not want to give up these qualities, give them up. But an agreement between Sorel and the world of Renales and La Moley is possible only on the condition that the young man fully adapts to their tastes. This is the main meaning of Julien Sorel's struggle with the outside world. Julien is doubly a stranger in this environment: both as a person from the lower social classes, and as a highly gifted person who does not want to remain in the world of mediocrity.
Stendhal convinces the reader that the struggle that Julien Sorel is waging with the surrounding society is a struggle for life and death. But in bourgeois society there is no bridge for such talents. The Napoleon that Julien dreams of is already the past; instead of heroes, traders and self-satisfied shopkeepers have come; This is who became the true “hero” at the time in which Julien lives. For these people, outstanding talents and heroism are ridiculous - everything that is so dear to Julien.
Julien's struggle develops in him great pride and increased ambition. Possessed by these feelings, Sorel subordinates all other aspirations and attachments to them. Even love ceases to be a joy for him. Without hiding the negative aspects of his hero's character, Stendhal at the same time justifies him. Firstly, the difficulty of the struggle he is waging: having come out alone against everyone, Julien is forced to use any weapon. But the main thing that, in the author’s opinion, justifies the hero is the nobility of his heart, generosity, purity - traits that he did not lose even in the minutes of the most brutal struggle.
The episode in prison is very important in the development of Julien's character. Until then, the only incentive that guided all his actions, limiting his good motives, was ambition. But in prison he becomes convinced that ambition has led him down the wrong path. In prison, there is also a reassessment of Julien's feelings for Madame de Renal and Mathilde.
These two images seem to mark the struggle of two principles in the soul of Julien himself. And in Julien there are two beings: he is proud, ambitious and at the same time a person with with a simple heart, almost childish, spontaneous soul. When he overcame ambition and pride, he moved away from the equally proud and ambitious Matilda. And the sincere Madame de Renal, whose love was deeper, became especially close to him.
Overcoming ambition and the victory of true feelings in Julien’s soul lead him to death.
Julien gives up trying to save himself. Life seems unnecessary and aimless to him; he no longer values it and prefers death on the guillotine.
Stendhal was unable to resolve the question of how a hero who had overcome his errors but remained in bourgeois society should have rebuilt his life.
Stendhal's novel "Red and Black". The main character, his origin and teachers. Napoleon in his destiny. Stendhal 1783-1842 Red and Black published 1830 The main character, Jucien Sorel, is 18 years old, not tall, fragile, his face bears the sadness of striking originality, not regular, but delicate facial features, large black eyes, dark chestnut hair. Girls like him. I never went to school. Dreams of making a career. Ready to do anything to make way. A retired regimental doctor taught him Latin and history. Dying, he bequeathed his love for Napoleon, the cross of the Legion of Honor and books. Julien took lessons to learn the new testament and make his way. I have been studying the blessing for 3 years and know Latin brilliantly. Gelien's teacher is the old priest Mr. Shelan. Julien is the son of the carpenter Sorel. The father is petty and wants to profit from the sale of his son, his brothers beat him. Napoleon: Julien believes that becoming a military man during Napoleon's time is the surest way to make a career. He has admired Napoleon since childhood.
18. Characteristics of Julien Sorel, the main stages of his life.
In his understanding of art and the role of the artist, Stendhal followed the Enlightenment. He always strived for accuracy and truthfulness in the reflection of life in his works. Stendhal's first great novel, The Red and the Black, was published in 1830, the year of the July Revolution. Its title already speaks of the deep social meaning of the novel, of the clash of two forces - revolution and reaction. As the epigraph to the novel, Stendhal took Danton’s words: “The truth, the harsh truth!”, and, following it, the writer based the plot on a true incident. The title of the novel also emphasizes the main features in the character of Julien Sorel, the main character of the work. Surrounded by people hostile to him, he challenges fate. Defending the rights of his personality, he is forced to mobilize all means to fight the world around him. Julien Sorel comes from a peasant background. This determines the social sound of the novel. Sorel, a commoner, a plebeian, wants to take a place in society to which he has no right due to his origin. On this basis, the struggle with society arises. Julien himself well defines the meaning of this struggle in the scene at the trial, when he says his last word: “Gentlemen! I do not have the honor of belonging to your class. In my face you see a peasant rebelling against the baseness of his lot... But even if It would be all the same if I were guilty. I see before me people who are not inclined to heed the feeling of compassion... and who want to punish me and once and for all frighten a whole class of young people who were born in the lower classes... who had the good fortune to receive a good education. and dare to join what the rich proudly call society.” Thus, Julien realizes that he is being judged not so much for the crime he actually committed, but for the fact that he dared to cross the line separating him from high society, tried to enter that world to which he has no right to belong. For this attempt, the jury should sentence him to death. But Julien Sorel’s struggle is not only for his career, for personal well-being; The question in the novel is posed much deeper. Julien wants to establish himself in society, “get out into the public eye,” and take one of the first places in it, but on condition that this society recognizes in him a full-fledged personality, an extraordinary, talented, gifted, intelligent, strong person. He does not want to give up these qualities, give them up. But an agreement between Sorel and the world of Renales and La Moley is possible only on the condition that the young man fully adapts to their tastes. This is the main meaning of Julien Sorel's struggle with the outside world. Julien is doubly a stranger in this environment: both as a person from the lower social classes, and as a highly gifted person who does not want to remain in the world of mediocrity. Stendhal convinces the reader that the struggle that Julien Sorel is waging with the surrounding society is a struggle for life and death. But in bourgeois society there is no place for such talents. The Napoleon that Julien dreams of is already the past; instead of heroes, traders and self-satisfied shopkeepers have come; This is who became the true “hero” at the time in which Julien lives. For these people, outstanding talents and heroism - everything - are ridiculous. something that is so dear to Julien. Julien's struggle develops in him great pride and increased ambition. Obsessed with these feelings, Sorel subordinates all other aspirations and affections to them. Even love ceases to be a joy for him. Without hiding the negative aspects of his hero’s character, Stendhal at the same time justifies him. Firstly, the difficulty of the struggle he is waging: having spoken out alone against everyone, Julien is forced to use any weapon. But the main thing that, in the author’s opinion, justifies the hero is the nobility of his heart, generosity, purity - traits that he did not lose even in the moments of the most brutal struggle in the development of character. The episode in prison is very important for Julien. Until then, the only incentive that guided all his actions, limiting his good intentions, was ambition. But in prison, he becomes convinced that ambition led him in the wrong direction. In prison, Julien’s feelings for Madame de Renal are also reassessed. and to Matilda. These two images seem to mark the struggle of two principles in the soul of Julien himself. And in Julien there are two beings: he is proud, ambitious and at the same time a man with a simple heart, an almost childish, spontaneous soul. When he overcame ambition and pride, he moved away from the equally proud and ambitious Matilda. And the sincere Madame de Renal, whose love was deeper, became especially close to him. Overcoming ambition and the victory of true feeling in Julien’s soul lead him to death. Julien gives up trying to save himself. Life seems unnecessary and aimless to him; he no longer values it and prefers death on the guillotine. Stendhal was unable to resolve the question of how a hero who had overcome his errors but remained in bourgeois society should have rebuilt his life.
Composition
In 1830, Stendhal's novel The Red and the Black was published. The work has a documentary basis: Stendhal was struck by the fate of a young man sentenced to execution - Berthe, who shot the mother of the children whose tutor he was. And Stendhal decided to talk about young man, who could not find his place in the society of the 19th century.
Main character The novel is a young man from the provinces, endowed with a deep mind and imagination, but poor and ignorant. In the family, Julien felt like a stranger; he had no friends among his peers. “Everyone at home despised him, and he hated his brothers and father. In festive games in the city square, he was always beaten...” And the guys offended him not only for his physical weakness, but also because he was not like them, he was smarter. And therefore Julien plunged into loneliness, the world of imagination, where he “dominated.”
Julien dreamed of becoming one of the people. He saw that wealthy gentlemen had more than he did - they had position, money, respect. The desire to achieve a high position, like Napoleon, took possession of the young man. He, of course, realized that the opportunity to succeed in society depends not so much on his enormous abilities, but on the powerful, that is, the rich. This humiliated his pride, hence his protest, but he tried to maintain personal dignity even in front of people on whom he depended. Julien has not yet understood that the new society does not need smart individuals, but thoughtless performers.
By chance, Julien became the tutor of Mr. de Renal’s children. The young man feels only “hatred and disgust” towards the higher nobility and behaves independently. Apparently, thanks to this, “in less than a month after his appearance in the family of M. de Renal, even the owner himself began to respect Julien.” Only Madame de Renal treated the tutor as an equal. At first, Julien regarded the feeling that arose between him and Madame de Renal as a victory over life, but then this relationship grew into true love. For the main character, Madame de Renal became the only person who understood him and with whom it was easy and simple for him.
Wanting to make a career, Julien enters a theological seminary. He stands out among the dull seminarians for his erudition, knowledge, and ability to think. For this, both abbots and students hated him and gave him the nickname “Martin Luther.” But Julien steadfastly endures everything just to get a higher position in society.
Under the patronage of Abbot Pirard, Julien goes to Paris and becomes the secretary and librarian of the Marquis de La Mole. And here, in high society, Julien was able to command respect for himself. “This one won’t crawl,” Mathilde de La Mole thought about him.
Thanks to Matilda's love, Julien's dream could come true. The Marquis de La Mole assigned him an annuity, received the rank of hussar lieutenant and the name Chevalier de La Verne.
And suddenly everything dies. The Marquis de La Mole, having received from Madame de Renal a letter written under the pressure of a Jesuit confessor, where she exposes Julien as a hypocrite and seducer, greedy for the wealth of his victim, refuses consent to Matilda’s marriage with him. Julien rushes to Verrieres, buys pistols, enters the church where Madame de Renal is praying, and shoots her.
His dreams and hopes were cut short by these shots. Prisoner Julien is not afraid of death and does not feel the need for repentance. A sober analysis of what he has done tells him the logical conclusion: “I was cruelly insulted, I killed, I deserve to die.” Here there is indignation against the whole world, which rebelled against Julien because he, Sorel, dared to rise above his class.
Julien is executed. Who is to blame for this? The answer can be found in Julien's speech at the trial - an unjust society is to blame.