The Red and the Black
- Seeker
- Jun 5, 2022
- 1 min read
Julien Sorel is the son of a poor carpenter and wants to be more. He dreams of climbing the social ladder to become a great man like Napoleon. When an opportunity arises, Julien takes it, but quickly learns that life in the upper class is not what he expected. The Red and the Black was one of the earliest examples of a novel that analyzed its character’s psychology regarding love. Julien does not fall madly in love like a traditional romantic hero would. Instead, he follows a romantic formula that Stendhal believed drove all romantic interaction. The Red and the Black also explored the idea of being obsessed with the past because the present is so dissatisfying. Julien’s story is a tragic examination of how our passions betray us and our past sins never remain unburied in the end.
Publication
Author - Stendhal
Country - France
Language - French
Genre - Psychological, Historical Fiction, Bildungsroman
Publication date - 1830
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