I loved the truth… And where is she? .. Everywhere one thing
Hypocrisy or at least charlatanry,
Even the most virtuous, even the most
Great!
Stendhal
The subtitle of the novel “Red and Black” by Stendhal is “The Chronicle of the 19th Century.” In fact, the novel can be considered a chronicle of timelessness, which became the era of Restoration for France. After the Great French Revolution, after the rapid rise and fall of Napoleon, there came a reaction, smothering the sprouts of everything new, bold, progressive. The revived nobility and strengthened bourgeoisie struggled to prevent smart and talented people from coming to power, fearing new coups. Ambitious young men from poor families remembered with longing for the time of the revolution, when estate and property restrictions were not an obstacle to the path to glory.
One such latecomers to young people was the hero of the novel “The Red and the Black”
by Julien Sorel. A clever, capable, but fragile and dreamy boy from childhood seemed like a burden to the family of a carpenter. He began to study Latin from a local priest, realizing that physical labor was not for him, and hoping for a spiritual career. Julien was not devout, but very early used to portray piety: otherwise he would not get into the seminary. He hypocritically consciously, justly believing this is his only weapon in the struggle for existence.
Thanks to her success in Latin, Julien becomes a tutor in the house of the mayor of the city of M. de Renal. He feels himself in the camp of the enemy, reacting painfully to the rudeness of the local nobility: “And here, as in his father’s sawmill, he deeply despised the people among whom he lived, and felt that they also hated him.” The wife of the mayor, Madame de Renal, he also at first considered an enemy, strove to achieve victory over her with the help of a not very worthy weapon – his own youth and attractiveness. He achieved small victories with the perseverance of this commander. But the unforeseen happened: Julien fell
in love, for the first time, for real. For luck or for misfortune, Madame de Renal was not a sophisticated socialite who used to change lovers, but a pure, noble, honest woman who sincerely considered herself a sinner. Her remorse eventually ruined her, too, and Julien. Due to anonymous letters, Sorel was forced to leave the mayor’s house and enter a theological seminary. And here, in spite of the habit of hypocrisy, he made several mistakes. Julien did not know that the mind and knowledge should be concealed in order not to arouse the hatred of the coarse and ignorant fellow practitioners and the suspicions of the mentors: “After many months of relentless zeal, Julien still retained the look of a man of thought.” The rector of the seminary, abbot Pirar, chosen by him for spirituality and honesty, was not in the credit of his superiors, and therefore Sorel was treated with suspicion. In addition, he was caught reading outside books – this crime was punished particularly severely. Those Jesuit methods, by which he sought to achieve his goals, it turns out, betrayed his nature when applied against him. Due to anonymous letters, Sorel was forced to leave the mayor’s house and enter a theological seminary. And here, in spite of the habit of hypocrisy, he made several mistakes. Julien did not know that the mind and knowledge should be concealed in order not to arouse the hatred of the coarse and ignorant fellow practitioners and the suspicions of the mentors: “After many months of relentless zeal, Julien still retained the look of a man of thought.” The rector of the seminary, abbot Pirar, chosen by him for spirituality and honesty, was not in the credit of his superiors, and therefore Sorel was treated with suspicion. In addition, he was caught reading outside books – this crime was punished particularly severely. Those Jesuit methods, by which he sought to achieve his goals, it turns out, betrayed his nature when applied against him. Due to anonymous letters, Sorel was forced to leave the mayor’s house and enter a theological seminary. And here, in spite of the habit of hypocrisy, he made several mistakes. Julien did not know that the mind and knowledge should be concealed in order not to arouse the hatred of the coarse and ignorant fellow practitioners and the suspicions of the mentors: “After many months of relentless zeal, Julien still retained the look of a man of thought.” The rector of the seminary, abbot Pirar, chosen by him for spirituality and honesty, was not in the credit of his superiors, and therefore Sorel was treated with suspicion. In addition, he was caught reading outside books – this crime was punished particularly severely. Those Jesuit methods, by which he sought to achieve his goals, it turns out, betrayed his nature when applied against him. Despite the habit of hypocrisy, he made several mistakes. Julien did not know that the mind and knowledge should be concealed in order not to arouse the hatred of the coarse and ignorant fellow practitioners and the suspicions of the mentors: “After many months of relentless zeal, Julien still retained the look of a man of thought.” The rector of the seminary, abbot Pirar, chosen by him for spirituality and honesty, was not in the credit of his superiors, and therefore Sorel was treated with suspicion. In addition, he was caught reading outside books – this crime was punished particularly severely. Those Jesuit methods, by which he sought to achieve his goals, it turns out, betrayed his nature when applied against him. Despite the habit of hypocrisy, he made several mistakes. Julien did not know that the mind and knowledge should be concealed in order not to arouse the hatred of the coarse and ignorant fellow practitioners and the suspicions of the mentors: “After many months of relentless zeal, Julien still retained the look of a man of thought.” The rector of the seminary, abbot Pirar, chosen by him for spirituality and honesty, was not in the credit of his superiors, and therefore Sorel was treated with suspicion. In addition, he was caught reading outside books – this crime was punished particularly severely. Those Jesuit methods, by which he sought to achieve his goals, it turns out, betrayed his nature when applied against him. so as not to arouse the hatred of the rude and ignorant fellow practitioners and the suspicions of the mentors: “After many months of relentless zeal, Julien still retained the appearance of a man of thought.” The rector of the seminary, abbot Pirar, chosen by him for spirituality and honesty, was not in the credit of his superiors, and therefore Sorel was treated with suspicion. In addition, he was caught reading outside books – this crime was punished particularly severely. Those Jesuit methods, by which he sought to achieve his goals, it turns out, betrayed his nature when applied against him. so as not to arouse the hatred of the rude and ignorant fellow practitioners and the suspicions of the mentors: “After many months of relentless zeal, Julien still retained the appearance of a man of thought.” The rector of the seminary, abbot Pirar, chosen by him for spirituality and honesty, was not in the credit of his superiors, and therefore Sorel was treated with suspicion. In addition, he was caught reading outside books – this crime was punished particularly severely. Those Jesuit methods, by which he sought to achieve his goals, it turns out, betrayed his nature when applied against him. In addition, he was caught reading outside books – this crime was punished particularly severely. Those Jesuit methods, by which he sought to achieve his goals, it turns out, betrayed his nature when applied against him. In addition, he was caught reading outside books – this crime was punished particularly severely. Those Jesuit methods, by which he sought to achieve his goals, it turns out, betrayed his nature when applied against him.
Thanks to the connections of the abbot of Pirard, Julien becomes secretary of the Marquis de La Mole, and soon, – and his right hand. He quickly assimilates in high society, contrasting the arrogance and lightness of nobles and their offspring with the haughty contempt of a commoner who has achieved everything by labor and who believes in his lucky star. His mind, manner of holding on, secret adherence to revolutionary ideals aroused the curiosity of the satiated, bored daughter of the Marquis of Mathilde. Their love was like a duel and did not in any way resemble Sorel’s bright and bright feeling for Madame de Renal. Despising the surrounding Matilda decided to marry Julien. Before him opened a brilliant career. And if it were not for the revenge of the Jesuits, who dictated to Madame de Renal a revelatory letter, he would have achieved everything he dreamed of.
Wanting to take revenge, he shoots Ms. de Renal and turns out to be sentenced to death. And then everything is superficial: hypocrisy, a thirst for glory, cruelty fly about his soul, like a peel. He finally becomes himself. His former love returns to him. And Julien refuses to ask for pardon. Why? Maybe because his ideas of honor and dishonor did not allow him to ask mercy from those he despised. In his last speech at the trial, Sorel for the first time openly talks about his ruined life and blames the high society who wants to punish in his person “this breed of people of low birth” who dare to “worm” into a good society.
Thus, an intelligent and worthy person ends his life, who decided to make a career, not disdaining at any cost. But Sorel dies precisely because, proclaiming full unscrupulousness in words, turns out to be in fact more honest and above those with whom his destiny confronts. Stendhal made his hero so recognizable that the book was banned by censorship, and the name of Julien Sorel still remains a household name for young ambitious men.
