The mayor of a small provincial town, Mr. de Renal, decides to hire a tutor in order to slightly increase his prestige in the local society. He invites Julien Sorel, the son of a carpenter, to this job, the young man has long and diligently studied theology and other sciences, the priest notes his outstanding abilities. Previously, Julien dreamed of a military career, but the situation has changed significantly since the reign of Napoleon, and now for young man from a simple family, only the road to the theological seminary is open.
Julien is very ambitious and ready to achieve success in life by any means, although he understands how difficult it will be with his most modest origin and lack of funds and connections.
Madame de Renal has a negative attitude towards the idea of a spouse, she does not like at all what will be between her and her three sons stranger. The woman is afraid that the new tutor will behave rudely with her children and even allow himself physical violence towards them. But with great surprise she sees Julien, who is very attractive in appearance, who at first behaves timidly and modestly, trying not to attract attention to himself.
Soon everyone in the house really begins to respect the young tutor, who is really fluent in Latin and easily quotes the new testament. Julien really likes the maid Eliza, the girl tells him through the priest that she has received a fairly solid inheritance and wants to become his wife. However, the young Sorel firmly refuses this option, in his ambitious dreams he sees the conquest of the capital, although he does not tell anyone about his plans.
In the summer, the Renal family rests on their estate in the countryside, the mistress of the house constantly spends time in the company of her sons and their tutor. Gradually, the woman falls in love with Julien, realizing that the young man is at least ten years younger than her and is unlikely to be able to experience reciprocal feelings for her. As for the youngest man himself, he wants to win this secular lady for his own self-affirmation, in order to settle accounts with the owner, who always treats him arrogantly and dismissively.
Madame de Renal sharply rejects the first attempts of rapprochement by Julien, but then she begins to seem so beautiful to him that he completely forgets about all his conceited plans, he feels that he is madly in love with this woman. For a short time, both feel infinitely happy, but then one of the boys becomes seriously ill, and it seems to the mother that she is being punished for the sin of adultery she has committed. She forbids Julien to see her, but rumors about their relationship are already circulating throughout the city, and the wife of Madame de Renal becomes aware of this. The woman convinces her husband that she was slandered, but the young man is forced to leave his native place and enroll in a seminary.
During his studies, Julien encounters obvious hostility from his comrades, they envy his knowledge and abilities, besides, Sorel thinks too freely and broadly, which is completely unacceptable for a future clergyman. He manages to get closer only to the abbot Pirard, whom his colleagues are trying in every possible way to survive from the seminary.
The abbot is on excellent terms with the Marquis de La Mole, who has a certain influence at court. It is this man who offers Pirard to move to Paris. After some time, the abbot recommends that the aristocrat hire Julien as a secretary, characterizing him as a talented, energetic and at the same time very decent person, despite his low origin.
For the first time, being in the house of the Marquis, the young man meets his daughter Matilda, a beautiful, but cold and arrogant girl, who at first does not arouse his sympathy at all. Julien quickly gets used to the work entrusted to him, the owner is very pleased with him, Sorel also learns to dress appropriately and behave correctly in society.
However, with Matilda, he continues to be aloof, noting at the same time that the girl is clearly not stupid and she is bored in the circle of her aristocratic acquaintances. Mademoiselle de La Mole sincerely honors family legend about a certain Comte de La Mole, beloved of the famous Margaret of Navarre, whose execution took place in 1574.
Gradually, Julien begins to talk more often with Matilda, he is really interested in her, it even seems to the young man that this girl aristocratic background quite capable of loving him. Mademoiselle de La Mole herself understands that she has fallen in love with her father's secretary, and she is very excited by the thought that she, the daughter of the Marquis, is not indifferent to the son of the most ordinary carpenter.
The girl writes a letter to Sorel with a story about her feelings and invites him to her bedroom at night. Julien hesitates, he suspects that Matilda's friends could organize a cunning trap for him, but still decides to go on a date, not forgetting about weapons. The young people bond for the first time, but the next morning Matilda is horrified by what she has decided to do, and she again begins to behave with Julien completely detached.
A young man, on the advice of one of his acquaintances, is trying to arouse a feeling of jealousy in a young aristocrat, and he succeeds. Matilda again finds herself in Julien's arms, and soon informs her father that she is expecting a child and intends to become the wife of her lover. The Marquis is furious about what happened, but the girl insists on her own, and Matilda's father decides to create a worthy position in society for the future son-in-law. Julien becomes a hussar lieutenant, but almost immediately after leaving for the regiment, the bride asks him to return.
It turns out that Monsieur de La Mole turned to Madame de Renal, wanting to know as much as possible about his daughter's fiancé. In her response letter, the young man turns out to be a hypocrite, an unscrupulous careerist, ready to go to any meanness in his own interests. The young man realizes that the Marquis will never allow him to become his daughter's husband.
Arriving at home, Sorel sneaks into the church, where the traditional Sunday mass takes place, and fires a pistol at Madame de Renal. Once under arrest, he learns that he did not kill the woman, but only wounded her. Julien feels almost happy, believing that he can now freely leave this life.
Matilda, having learned that her lover is likely to be executed, tries in every possible way to mitigate his fate, using all her connections and sparing no means. However, all her efforts are in vain, after the death sentence, Madame de Renal visits former lover in prison and reports that the letter for the Marquis was written by her confessor.
Julien feels amazing peace, realizing that he can only love this woman. On the day of execution, the young man behaves confidently and dignifiedly, Mademoiselle de La Mole buries his head after everything is completed. Three days later, it becomes known about the death of Madame de Renal.
M. de Renal, mayor of the French town of Verrieres in the Franche-Comté district, a smug and conceited man, informs his wife of the decision to take a tutor into the house. There is no special need for a tutor, just the local rich Mr. Valno, this vulgar loudmouth, always competing with the mayor, is too proud new couple Norman horses. Well, Mr. Valno now has horses, but there is no tutor. M. de Renal had already made arrangements with Papa Sorel that his younger son. The old curé, M. Chelan, recommended to him the son of a carpenter, as a young man of rare ability, who had been studying theology for three years and was brilliant in Latin. His name is Julien Sorel, he is eighteen years old; this is a short, fragile-looking young man, whose face bears the stamp of a striking originality. He has irregular, but delicate features, large black eyes that sparkle with fire and thought, and dark brown hair. The young girls look at him with interest. Julien never went to school. He was taught Latin and history by a regimental doctor, a participant in the Napoleonic campaigns. Dying, he bequeathed to him his love for Napoleon, the cross of the Legion of Honor and several dozen books. From childhood, Julien dreams of becoming a military man. In the time of Napoleon, for a commoner, this was the most the right way make a career and go out into the world. But times have changed. Julien realizes that the only path open to him is to become a priest. He is ambitious and proud, but he is ready to endure everything in order to make his way.
Madame de Renal does not like her husband's idea. She adores her three boys and the thought of someone else standing between her and her children drives her to despair. She is already imagining a disgusting, rude, disheveled guy who is allowed to yell at her children and even spank them.
Imagine her surprise when she sees a pale, frightened boy in front of her, who seems to her unusually handsome and very unhappy. However, less than a month passes, when everyone in the house, even M. de Renal, begins to treat him with respect. Julien carries himself with great dignity, and his knowledge of Latin is admirable - he can recite any page of the New Testament by heart.
Madame de Renal's maid, Eliza, falls in love with the young tutor. In confession, she tells Abbé Chelan that she has received an inheritance and now wants to marry Julien. The cure is sincerely happy for his pet, but Julien resolutely refuses the enviable offer. He is ambitious and dreams of glory, he wants to conquer Paris. However, he skillfully hides it.
"Red and Black" summary by chapter you can read to resume in memory of all important details novel.
Stendhal "Red and Black" summary by chapter
You can read "Red and Black" a short chapter reduction in 30-40 minutes.
Chronicle of the 19th century
"Red and Black" summary part 1
The town of Verrières is perhaps one of the most picturesque in all of Franche-Comté. White houses with peaked red-tiled roofs sprawl along the hillside, where mighty chestnut trees rise from every hollow. There are many sawmills in the area, which contribute to the growth of the welfare of most of the inhabitants, who are more like peasants than city dwellers. There is also a wonderful flower factory in the city, owned by the mayor.
The mayor of the city of Verrières, Monsieur de Renal, holder of several orders, looked very sedate: hair with gray hair, an aquiline nose, dressed in all black. At the same time, there was a lot of self-satisfaction in the expression of his face, what a limitation was felt. It seemed that all the talents of this man boiled down to making anyone who was guilty of him pay on time, with the payment of his own debts, to drag out as long as possible. The mayor owned a large and beautiful house, built on the proceeds of the churchyard, with a beautiful garden surrounded by a cast-iron grate,
On a hillside, a hundred feet above the River Doubs, a beautiful city boulevard stretched, overlooking one of the most picturesque corners of France. The locals greatly appreciated the beauty of their region: it attracted foreigners, whose money enriched hotel owners and brought profit to the whole city.
The cure of Verrieres, M. Chelan, who at eighty years of age retained his iron health and iron character, had lived here for fifty-six years. He baptized almost all the inhabitants of this city, every day he married young people, as he once married their grandfathers.
Now he was going through the worst of his days. The fact is that, despite the disagreement of the city mayor and director of the charity house, the local rich Mr. Valno, the curate facilitated visits to the prison, hospital and charity home by visitors from Paris, Mr. Appert, whose liberal views were very disturbing to the wealthy owners of the city's houses. First of all, they worried Monsieur de Renal, who was convinced that he was surrounded on all sides by liberals and envious people. In order to oppose himself to these manufacturers, who penetrated the moneybags, he decided to take a tutor for his children, although he did not see any particular need for this. The mayor opted for the younger son of the lumberjack Sorel. He was a young theologian, almost a priest, who knew Latin very well, and besides, he was recommended by the curate himself. Although Mr. de Renal still had some doubts about his decency, because the young Julien Sorel was the favorite of the old doctor, Chevalier of the Legion of Honor, also, most likely, secret agent liberals, because he was a member of the Napoleonic campaigns.
The mayor informed his wife of his decision. Madame de Renal, a tall, stately woman, was considered the first beauty. There was something ingenuous and youthful in her appearance, in her demeanor. Her naive grace, some kind of hidden passion, could perhaps captivate the heart of a Parisian. But if Madame de Renal knew that she was capable of making an impression, she would burn with shame. The fruitless courtship of Monsieur de Valno brought loud glory to her virtue. And since she avoided any entertainment in Verrieres, they began to say about her that she was too proud of her origin. Madame de Renal, on the other hand, wanted only one thing - that no one would interfere with her wandering around her magnificent garden. It was a simple soul: she never condemned her husband and could not admit to herself that she was bored with him, because she could not imagine that there could be other, more tender relations between spouses.
Father Sorel was extremely surprised, and even more delighted, by M. de Renal's proposal regarding Julien. He could never understand why such a venerable man could have thought of taking his parasite son and offering him three hundred francs a year with a table and clothes.
Approaching his workshop, Father Sorel did not find Julien at the saw, where he should have been. The son sat astride the rafters and read a book. There was nothing more hated for old Sorel. He could still forgive Julien his nondescript building, which was of little use for physical work, but this passion for reading drove him crazy: he himself could not read. A powerful blow knocked the book out of Julien's hands, and the second blow fell on his head. Covered in blood, Julien jumped to the ground, his cheeks glowing. He was a short youth of about eighteen, rather frail, with irregular but delicate features and brown hair. Big black eyes, which in a moment of calm sparkled with intelligence and fire, now burned with the most fierce hatred. The slender and flexible camp of the young man testified more to dexterity than to strength. From his earliest years, his pensive appearance of excessive pallor led his father to the idea that his rash was not a tenant in this world, and if he survived, he would become a burden for the family. Everyone in the household despised him, and he hated his brothers and his father.
Julien did not study anywhere. The retired doctor, to whom he became attached with all his heart, taught him Latin and history. Dying, the old one bequeathed to the boy his cross of the Legion of Honor, the remnants of a small pension and thirty or forty volumes of books.
The next day old Sorel went to the mayor's house. Seeing that the mayor really wanted to take his son, the cunning old man ensured that Julien's allowance was raised to four hundred francs a year.
Meanwhile, Julien, having learned that a position of educator awaits him, left home at night, deciding to hide his books and the cross of the Legion of Honor in a safe place. He took it all to his friend Fouquet, a young lumber merchant who lived high in the mountains.
It should be said that he made the decision to become a priest not so long ago. From childhood, Julien raved about military service. Then, as a teenager, he listened with bated breath to the stories of the old regimental doctor about the battles in which he participated. But when Julien was fourteen years old, he saw the role of the church in the world around him.
He stopped talking about Napoleon and announced that he was going to become a priest. He was constantly seen with the Bible in his hands, he memorized it. Before the good old curate who instructed him in theology, Julien did not allow himself to express other feelings than piety. Who would have thought that in this young man with a tender girlish face lurked an unshakable determination to endure everything in order to make his way, and this, first of all, meant breaking out of Verrieres; Julien hated his homeland.
He repeated to himself that Bonaparte, an unknown and poor lieutenant, had become the master of the world with the help of his sword. In the time of Napoleon, military prowess was necessary, but now everything has changed. Now a priest at the age of forty is paid three times as much as the most famous Napoleonic generals.
But one day he nevertheless betrayed himself with a sudden flash of that fire, which tormented his soul. Once at a dinner, in a circle of priests, where he was presented as a real miracle of wisdom, Julien suddenly began to ardently extol Napoleon. To punish himself for his indiscretion, he tied his right arm to his chest, pretending to dislocate it, and walked like that for two whole months. After this punishment, invented by him, he forgave himself.
Madame de Renal did not like her husband's idea. She imagined a rude slob who would yell at her favorite boys, and maybe even flog. But she was pleasantly surprised to see a frightened peasant lad, still just a boy, with a pale face. Julien, seeing that a beautiful and elegant lady calls him "master", affectionately talks to him and asks not to chop her children if they do not know the lessons, he simply melted.
When all her fear for the children was finally dissipated, Madame de Renal was surprised to notice that Julien was unusually handsome. her eldest son was eleven, and she and Julien could become comrades. The young man admitted that for the first time he enters a strange house and therefore needs her protection. “Mistress, I will never beat your children, I swear to you before God,” he said and dared to kiss her hand. She was very surprised by this gesture, and only then, after thinking, she was indignant.
The mayor issued Julien thirty-six francs for the first month, taking from him the word that old Sorel would not receive a single sous from this money and that henceforth the young man would not see his relatives, whose manners were not suitable for the children of de Renal.
Julien was given new black clothes and appeared before the children as if respectfulness personified. The tone in which he addressed the children struck Madame de Renal. Julien told them that he would teach them Latin, and demonstrated his amazing ability to recite entire pages from Holy Scripture, and with such ease, as if he spoke his native language.
Soon the title "master" was assigned to Julien - from now on, even the servants did not dare to deny his right to do so. Less than a month after the arrival of the new teacher in the house, Monsieur de Renal himself began to treat him with respect. The old curé, who knew about the capture of the young man by Napoleon, did not maintain any relationship with the master to Renal, so no one could betray them Julien's long-standing passion for Bonaparte; he himself spoke of him only with disgust.
The children adored Julien, but he did not feel any love for them. Cold, fair, unemotional, but beloved nonetheless, because his appearance dispelled boredom in the house, he was a good teacher. He himself felt only hatred and disgust for this high society, where he was admitted to the very edge of the table.
The young tutor considered his mistress a beauty and at the same time hated her for her beauty, seeing this as an obstacle on his path to prosperity. Madame de Renal was one of those provincial women who at first may seem silly. She had no life experience, did not try to show off in a conversation. Endowed with a subtle and proud soul, in her unconscious pursuit of happiness, she often simply did not notice what these rude people were doing, with whom fate surrounded her. She showed no interest in what HER person said or did. The only thing that, in fact, she paid attention to was her children.
Madame de Renal, the wealthy heiress of a God-fearing aunt, brought up in a Jesuit monastery and given in marriage at sixteen years old to an elderly nobleman, in her whole life has never felt or seen anything that even remotely resembled love. And what she learned about from several novels that accidentally fell into her hands seemed to her something completely exceptional. Thanks to this ignorance, Madame de Renal, completely carried away by Julien, was in complete bliss, and it did not even occur to her to reproach herself for that.
It so happened that Madame de Renal's maid, Eliza, fell in love with Julien. In confession, she confessed this to the Abbé Chelan and said that she had received an inheritance and now would like to marry Julien. The cure was sincerely happy for Eliza, but, to his surprise, Julien resolutely refused this offer, explaining that he had decided to become a priest.
In the summer, the de Renal family moved to their estate in Vergy, and now Julien spent whole days with Madame de Renal, who was already beginning to realize that she loved him. But did Julien love her? Everything he did to get closer to this woman, whom he certainly liked, he did not at all out of true love, which, alas, he did not feel, but through a false idea that this is how he can win heroic battle with the class that he so hated.
To confirm his victory over the enemy, at a time when Monsieur de Renal scolded and cursed "these crooks and Jacobins who stuffed their wallets," Julien showered passionate kisses on his wife's hand. Poor Madame de Renal asked herself: “Am I really in love? After all, never in my life have I experienced anything like this terrible mara for my husband! No pretense has yet stained the purity of this innocent soul, which was deluded by a passion it had never experienced.
Within a few days, Julien, consciously carrying out his plan, proposed to her. “I also have to succeed in this woman,” his petty vanity continued to whisper to him, “because when it later occurs to someone to reproach me with the miserable title of tutor, I can hint that love prompted me to do this.”
Julien got his way, they became lovers. On the night before the first meeting, when he told Madame de Renal that he would come to her, Julien did not remember himself from fear. But when he saw Madame de Renal, so beautiful, he forgot all his vain calculations. At first he feared that he would be treated as a lover-servant, but then his fears dissipated, and he himself, with all the ardor of youth, fell in love with unconsciousness.
Madame de Renal suffered because she was ten years older than Julien, and had not met him before, when she was younger. Julien, of course, such thoughts never crossed his mind. To a large extent, his love was still rather vanity: Julien was glad that he, a poor, insignificant, miserable creature, possessed such a beauty. high position his beloved involuntarily raised him in his own eyes. Madame de Renal, in turn, found spiritual pleasure in the fact that she had the opportunity to instruct in any trifles this gifted young man, who, as everyone believed, would go far. However, remorse and fear of exposure hourly tormented the soul of the poor woman.
Madame de Renal's youngest son suddenly fell ill, and it began to seem to her that this was God's punishment for sin. “Hell,” she said, “hell, after all, it would be a mercy for me: it means that I would be given a few more days on earth, with him ... But hell in this life, the death of my children ... And yet, perhaps at this price my sin would be atoned for... Oh great God, do not forgive me at such a terrible cost! These unfortunate children, are they guilty before you! I'm the only one to blame! I have sinned, I love a man who is not my husband.” Fortunately, the boy recovered.
Their affair could not long remain a secret to the servants, but Monsieur de Renal himself did not know anything. The maid Eliza, having met Mr. Valno, shared the news with him: her mistress was having an affair with a young tutor. That same evening M. de Renal received an anonymous letter informing him of his wife's infidelity. The lovers guessed who the author of the letter was and worked out their plan. Having cut out letters from the book, they composed their anonymous letter, using paper donated by Mr. Valeno: “Ladies. All your adventures are known, and those interested in putting an end to them have been warned. Guided by my good feelings for you, which have not completely disappeared, I suggest that you break up with this boy once and for all. If you are so prudent as to take this advice, your husband will believe that the message he received is false, and he will be left in this delusion. Know that your secret is in my hands: tremble, unhappy! The time has come when you must bow to my will.”
Madame de Renal herself handed over to her husband a letter, received as if from some suspicious person, and demanded that Julien be released immediately. The scene was played brilliantly - Monsieur de Renal believed her. He quickly realized that by refusing Julien, he would thereby cause scandals and gossip in the city, and everyone would decide that the tutor of reality was his wife's lover. Madame de Renal helped her husband to establish himself in the idea that everyone around them simply envy them.
Interest in Julien, slightly warmed up by talk of his affair with Madame de Renal, intensified. The young theologian was invited to the homes of wealthy townspeople, and Pope Valno suggested that he become a tutor to his children, increasing his allowance by eight hundred francs. The whole city was actively discussing the new love story. For their own safety and to avoid further suspicion, Julien and Madame de Renal decided to separate.
Meanwhile, Pope de Renal threatened to publicly expose the machinations of "that scoundrel Valno" and even challenge him to a duel. Madame de Renal understood what this could lead to, and for what 2:00 she was able to convince her husband that he should now be friendly with Valeno. Finally, Pope de Renal, by his own mind, reached an idea that was extremely difficult for him in relation to money: it is too unprofitable for them that now, in the midst of city gossip, Julien should remain in the city and go to the service of Mr. Valeno. For de Renal's victory over his opponent, it is necessary that Julien leave Verrieres and enter the seminary in Besancon, as advised by the youth's mentor, the Abbé Chelan. But in Besancon it was necessary to live on something, and Madame de Renal begged Julien to accept money from her husband. The young man consoled his arrogance with the hope that he would take this amount only as a loan and pay it with interest within five years. However, in last moment he flatly refused the money, to M. de Renal's great delight.
On the eve of his departure, Julien managed to say goodbye to Madame de Renal: he secretly crept into her room. But their meeting was bitter: it seemed to both that they were parting forever.
Arriving in Besancon, he went to the gates of the seminary, saw a gilded iron cross and thought: “This is it, this is hell on earth, from which I can’t get out! Legs wobbled.
The rector of the seminary, Mr. Pirard, received a letter from the curé Chelan of Verrieres, in which he praised Julien's understanding, memory and remarkable abilities and asked for scholarships for him if he made the necessary examinations. Abbe Pirard examined the young men at 3:00 and was so impressed by his knowledge of Latin and theology that he admitted him to the seminary, albeit on a small stipend, and also showed great mercy by settling in a separate cell.
The new seminarian had to choose a confessor for himself, and he settled on Abbé Pirard, but soon learned that the rector had many enemies among the Jesuits, and thought that he had acted recklessly, not suspecting what this choice would mean for him later.
All the first steps of Julien, dug up that he acts cautiously, turned out, like the choice of confessor, too Providence. Deluded by that arrogance inherent in people with imagination, he took his intentions for facts that came true, and considered himself an unsurpassed hypocrite. "Alas! This is my only weapon! - He reasoned. - If there were other times now, I would earn my bread by deeds that would speak for themselves in the face of the enemy.
Approximately ten seminarians were surrounded by a halo of holiness: they saw visions. The poor youths hardly left the infirmary. Even hundreds of seminarians combined strong faith with tireless diligence. They worked in such a way that they could hardly drag their legs, but there was little sense. The rest were just dark ignoramuses that were hardly able to explain what latin words which they visualized from morning to night. It seemed to these simple peasant children that it was much easier to earn a living by learning a few words in Latin than to dig in the ground. From the very first days, Julien decided that he would quickly succeed. “In any work, people with a head are needed,” he reflected. “Napoleon I would become a sergeant, among these future priests I will be a senior vicar.”
Julien did not know one thing: being the first was considered a sin of pride in the seminary. Since the time of Voltaire, the French Church has realized that its real enemies are books. Great advances in the sciences, and even in the sacred sciences, seemed suspicious to her, and not unreasonably, because no one could interfere educated person go to the side of the enemy! Julien worked hard and quickly mastered the knowledge, very useful for a minister of the church, although, in his opinion, they were completely false and did not arouse any interest in him. He thought that everyone had forgotten about him, not suspecting that Monsieur Pirard had received and burned many letters from Madame de Renal.
To his detriment, after many months of training, Julien still retained the appearance of a thinking person, which gave the seminarians reason to hate him in unison. All the happiness of his companions consisted mainly in a trivious dinner, they all felt reverence for people in clothes made of fine cloth, and education consisted in boundless and unconditional respect for money. At first Julien almost choked with contempt for them. But in the end, pity stirred in him for these people, convinced that spiritual glanders would provide them with the opportunity for a long time and constantly enjoy this great happiness - a hearty dinner and warm clothes. His eloquence, his white hands, his excessive cleanliness - all aroused hatred for him.
Abbot Pirard appointed him as a tutor from the New and Old Testament. Julien was overjoyed: this was his first promotion. He could dine by himself, and he had a key to the garden, where he walked when no one was there.
To his great surprise, Julien realized that they began to hate him less. His reluctance to resort to conversation, his retreat was now regarded as a feeling dignity. His friend Fouquet, on behalf of Julien's family, sent a deer and a wild boar to the seminary. This gift, which meant that Julien's family belonged to a stratum of society that should be treated with respect, dealt a mortal blow to envious people. Julien received the right to superiority, consecrated by prosperity.
At this time, recruitment was taking place, but Julien, as a seminarian, was not subject to conscription. He was deeply shocked by this: “Now the moment has come for me that twenty years ago would have allowed me to enter the path of heroes!
On the first day of the trials, gentlemen, the examiners were very angry that they had to constantly put Julien Sorel, the favorite of the Abbé Pirard, in the first place in their list. But on last exam one clever examiner provoked Julien to read Horace, immediately accused him of this, which was quite an unholy occupation, and the eternal enemy of Abbé Pirard, Abbé Freeler put the number 198 in front of Julien's name.
For ten years now, Freeler had been trying with all his might to remove his opponent from the position of rector of the seminary. Abbot Pirard did not engage in intrigues and zealously fulfilled his duties. But the Lord endowed him with a bilious temperament, and such natures deeply feel resentment. He would have resigned a hundred times already if he had not been convinced that he was really useful in his post.
A few weeks later, Julien received a letter from a certain Paul Sorel, who identified himself as his relative, with a check for five hundred francs. The letter said that if Julien intended to continue to study the famous Latin authors with the same thoroughness, he would receive the same amount annually.
Julien's secret benefactor was the Marquis de La Mole, who for many years had to litigate with the Abbé Frieler on the same estate. In this suit, he was assisted by the abbot Pirard, who took up the matter with all the passion of his nature. Monsieur de Friler was extremely offended by such insolence. Constantly corresponding with the abbot Pirard on one matter, the marquis could not help but appreciate the abbot, and little by little their correspondence acquired a friendly character. Now the abbot Pirard told his deputy the story of Julien and how they wanted to force him, the abbot, to resign.
The marquis was not stingy, but until now he had never been able to get the abbot to accept any amount from him. Then it occurred to him to send five hundred francs to the abbot's favorite pupil. Soon Pirard received letters from the Marquis de La Mole: he invited him to the capital and promised one of the best parishes near Paris. The letter forced the abbot to finally make a decision. In a letter to the bishop, he detailed the reasons that forced him to leave the diocese, and entrusted him to take the letter to Julien. His Eminence received the young abbot very graciously and even presented him with eight volumes of Tacitus. This very fact, to Julien's great surprise, caused an unusual reaction from those around him: they began to prevent him.
Soon word came from Paris that Abbé Pirard had been assigned to a wonderful parish four leagues from the capital. The Marquis de La Mole received Abbé Pirard in his Parisian mansion and mentioned in conversation that he was looking for a quick-witted young man who would take care of his correspondence. The abbot suggested that he take Julien Sorel, praising his energy, intelligence and high soul. So, Julien's dream to get to Paris became a reality.
Before leaving for the capital, Julien decided to secretly see Madame de Renal. They had not seen each other for fourteen months. It was a date full of references to past happy days love and stories about hard seminary life.
Although Madame de Renal whole year spent in piety and fear of God's punishment for sin, she could not resist the love of Julien. He spent not only the night, but the day in her room, and went only the next night.
"Red and Black" summary part 2
Marquis de la Mole, small skinny person, with a sharp eye, received the new secretary, ordered him to order a new wardrobe, including two dozen shirts, offered to take dancing lessons and gave him a salary for the first quarter of the year. Having visited all the masters, Julien noticed that they all treated him very respectfully, and the shoemaker, writing his name in a book, deduced: "Monsieur Julien de Sorel." “You will probably still turn into a veil,” Abbe Pirard noted sternly.
In the evening, a refined society gathered in the living room of the Marquis. There were also the young Comte Norbert de La Mole and his sister Mathilde, a young, slender blonde with a very beautiful eyes. Julien involuntarily compared her with Madame de Renal, and he did not like the girl. However, Count Norbert seemed to him charming in every way.
Julien began to fulfill his duties - he corresponded with the Marquis, learned to ride, attended lectures on theology. Despite the outward courtesy and goodwill of those around him, he felt completely alone in this family.
Abbe Pirard has gone to his parish. “If Julien is only a shaky reed, then let him die, and if he is a man of courage, let him make his way,” he reasoned.
The new secretary of the Marquis, this pale young man in a black suit, made a strange impression, and Madame de La Mole even suggested to her husband that they send him somewhere when they were gathering especially important people. “I want to prove the experience to the end,” replied the Marquis. “Abbe Pirard believes that we are doing wrong, oppressing the pride of people whom we bring closer to ourselves. You can only rely on what causes resistance. The owners of the house, Julien noted, were too used to humiliating people just for the sake of entertainment, so they did not have to rely on true friends.
In the conversations that took place in the living room of the Marquis, no jokes were allowed about the Lord God, about the clergy, people of a certain status, artists patronized by the court - that is, about something that was considered once and for all established; it was in no way encouraged to talk approvingly about Berenger, Voltaire and Rousseau - in short, about something that even slightly smacked of freethinking. Most importantly, it was forbidden to talk about politics, which could be talked about completely freely. Despite the good tone, in contrast to politeness, despite the desire to be pleasant, longing was read on all faces. In this atmosphere of splendor and boredom, Julien was attracted only by Monsieur de La Mole, who had great influence at court.
Once the young man even asked Abbot Pirard whether it was obligatory for him to dine every day at the table of the Marquis. "This is a rare honor!" exclaimed the abbot indignantly, a modest bourgeois by birth, who greatly valued dinner at the same table with the nobleman. Julien confessed to him that this is the most difficult of his duties, he is even afraid to fall asleep from boredom. A slight noise made them turn around. Juliet saw Mademoiselle de La Mole, who was standing and listening to their conversation. The conversation took place in the library, and Matilda came here for a book. This one wasn't born to crawl on his knees, she thought respectfully of her father's secretary.
Several months have passed. During this time, the new secretary became so comfortable that the marquis entrusted him with the most difficult tasks: to monitor the administration of his lands in Brittany and Normandy, and also to correspond with the notorious lawsuit with the Abbé de Friler. The marquis considered Julien quite a fit person for himself, because Sorel worked hard, was silent and intelligent.
Once in a cafe where Julien had driven a downpour, the young man encountered what tall new moon in a thick cloth coat, gloomily and intently examined him. Julien demanded an explanation. In response, the man in the frock coat burst into abuse. Julien challenged him to a duel. The man tossed him half a dozen business cards and left, shaking his fist.
Together with his second, a fellow rapier fighter, Julien went to the address indicated on the business cards to find Monsieur Charles de Beauvoisy. they were met by a tall young man dressed like a doll. But, unfortunately, it was not yesterday's offenders. Leaving the house of the cavalier de Beauvoisy in a bad mood, Julien saw yesterday's impudent - it was the coachman, who, apparently, stole the business card from the owner. Julien showered him with blows of the whip, and fired several shots at the footmen who rushed to the aid of their comrade.
The cavalier de Beauvoisy, who appeared at the noise, having found out what was the matter, declared with joking composure that now he too had grounds for a duel. The duel ended in one minute: Julien was shot in the arm. He was bandaged and taken home. "My God! So this is the duel? Only and everything? ' thought the young man.
As soon as they parted, the Chevalier de Beauvoisy recognized Julien in order to decide whether it would be proper to pay him a visit. To his regret, he learned that he had fought with a simple secretary of Monsieur de La Mole, and even through the coachman. There is no doubt that in society it will make an impression!
the same evening, the cavalier and his friend hurried to tell everyone that Monsieur Sorel, “by the way, a very kind young man,” was the natural son close friend Marquis de La Mole. Everyone believed this story. The Marquis, in turn, did not refute the legend that she was born.
... The Marquis de La Mole has not left the house for a month and a half - his gout has worsened. Now he spent most of his time with his secretary. He forced him to read newspapers aloud, to translate ancient authors from Latin. Julien spoke with the Marquis about everything, keeping silent only two things: his fanatical adoration of Napoleon, whose name dispelled the Marquis, and his complete disbelief, because this did not really suit the image of the future curate.
M. de La Mole was interested in this peculiar character. He saw that Julien was different from the other provincials who filled Paris, and treated him like a vulture, even became attached to him.
On behalf of the patron, Julien went to London for two months. There he became close friends with young Russian and English dignitaries and dined once a week with His Majesty's ambassador.
After London, the Marquis presented Julien with an order, which finally calmed the young man's pride, he became more talkative, did not feel insulted so often and did not take different words personally, if you look at them, they are really not quite polite, but in a lively conversation they can break out into anyone!
Thanks to this order, Julien was honored with a very unusual visit: the popes Baron de Valno came to visit him, who came to Paris to thank the minister for his title. Now Valeno set his sights on the post of mayor of the city of Verrieres instead of de Renal and asked Julien to introduce him to Monsieur de La Mole. Julien told the Marquis about Valeno and all his antics and tricks. “You will not only introduce this new baron to me tomorrow,” de La Mole told him, “but also invite him to dinner. It will be one of our new prefects." - "In that case," Julien said coldly, "I ask you for the position of director of the house of charity for my father." I see that you are on the mend.”
Once, going into the dining room, Julien saw Mathilde de La Mole in deep mourning, although none of the family was in black. Here is what Julien had to say about the "mania le de la Mole".
On April 30, 1574, the handsome youth of the time, Boniface de La Mole, beloved of Queen Marguerite of Navarre, was beheaded at the Place de Greve in Paris. Legend has it that Marguerite of Navarre secretly took the head of her executed lover, went to the foot of Montmartre Hill at midnight and buried it with her own hands in the chapel.
Mademoiselle de La Mole, who, by the way, was called Matilda-Marguerite, annually on April 30 put on mourning in honor of the ancestor of her family. Julien was amazed and touched by this romantic story. Accustomed to the complete naturalness of Madame de Renal, he did not find anything in Parisian women but affectation, and did not know what to talk about with them. Mademoiselle de La Mole was an exception.
Now he talked to her for a long time, walking clear spring days garden. Yes, and Matilda herself twisted everyone in the house, treated conversations with him condescendingly, almost in a friendly tone. He found out that she was very well-read, the thoughts that Matilda uttered during her walks were very different from what she said in the living room. Sometimes she was so fired up and spoke with such sincerity that she did not at all resemble the former arrogant and cold Matilda.
A month has passed. Julien began to think that this beautiful proud woman liked him. “That would be funny if she fell in love with me! The colder and more respectfully I deal with her, the more she seeks my friendship. Her eyes light up as soon as I appear. My God, how beautiful she is! he thought.
In his dreams, he tried to possess her and then leave. And woe to anyone who would try to detain him!
Mathilde de La Mole was the alluring bride in all the Faubourg Saint-Germain. She had everything: wealth, nobility, high birth, intelligence, beauty. A girl her age, beautiful, smart - where else could he find strong feelings how not in love? But her noble cavaliers were too boring! Walking with Julien brought her pleasure, she was carried away by his pride, his subtle mind. And suddenly Matilda thought that she had the good fortune to fall in love with this commoner.
Love appears to her only as a heroic feeling, something that was encountered in France during the time of Henry III. Such love is not able to cowardly retreat in front of obstacles, it pushes to great things. To dare to love a person who is so far from her in his social position - there is already greatness and zeal in this. Let's see if her chosen one will fall worthy of her!
The terrible suspicion that Mademoiselle de La Mole was only pretending to be indifferent to him, in order to make him a laughingstock in front of her gentlemen, dramatically changed Julien's attitude towards Matilda. Now, with a sullen, icy look, he answered her glances, rejecting the assurances of Friendship with caustic irony, and firmly decided that in any case he would not let himself be deceived by any signs of attention that Matilda made him.
She sent him a letter - an explanation. Julien felt moments of triumph - he, a plebeian, received recognition from the daughter of a nobleman! The carpenter's son won!
Mademoiselle de La Mole sent him two more letters, saying that she was waiting for him in her room at one in the morning. Suspecting that this might be a trap, Julien hesitated. But then, in order not to look like a coward, he decided. Putting the ladder up to Matilda's window, he quietly got up, holding a pistol in his hand and surprised that he had not yet been seized. Julien did not know how to behave, and tried to hug the girl, but she, pushing him away, ordered first of all to lower the stairs down. “And this is a woman in love! thought Julien, and she still dares to say that she loves! Such composure, such prudence!
Matilda was seized with a painful sense of shame, she was horrified at what she started. “You have a courageous heart,” she told him. “I confess to you: I wanted to test your courage.” Julien felt proud, but this did not at all resemble the spiritual bliss that he experienced from meeting Madame de Renal. In his feelings now there was nothing tender - only the stormy delight of ambition, and Juliet was ambitious above all.
That night Matilda became his mistress. Her love impulses were somewhat deliberate. Passionate love was for her rather a kind of model that needed to be imitated, and not something that arises by itself. Mademoiselle de La Mole felt that she was fulfilling a duty to herself and her lover, and therefore no dignity arose in her soul. “The poor man has shown a completely irreproachable courage,” she said to herself, “he must be happy, otherwise it will be cowardice on my part.”
In the morning, getting out of Matilda's room, Julien went on horseback to the Meudon forest. He felt more amazed than happy. Everything that had stood high above him the day before was now near, or even much lower. For Matilda, there was nothing unexpected in the events of that night, except for the grief and shame that seized them, instead of the heady bliss that is described in the novels. “Was I wrong? Do I love him? ' she said to herself.
In the days that followed, Julien was greatly surprised by Matilda's unusual coldness. An attempt to talk to her ended in crazy reproaches that he seemed to imagine that he had some special rights to her. Now the lovers blazed with furious hatred for each other and declared that everything was over between them. Julien assured Matilda that everything would forever remain an unshakable mystery.
A day after their confession and breakup, Julien was forced to admit to himself that he loved Mademoiselle de La Mole. A week has passed. He tried again to talk to her about love. She insulted him, saying that she could not recover from horror, she gave herself to the first person she met. "To the first person you meet?" - Julien exclaimed and rushed to the ancient sword, kept in the library. He felt that he could have killed her on the spot. Then, looking thoughtfully at the blade of the old sword, Julien sheathed it again and, with imperturbable calmness, hung it in its place. Meanwhile, Le de La Mole now recalled with enthusiasm that amazing moment when she was almost not killed, thinking at the same time: “He is worthy to be my master ... How much it would take to fuse together these wonderful young men from high society to achieve such an explosion of passion!
After dinner, Mathilde herself spoke to Julien and made him understand that she had nothing against a walk in the garden. she was drawn to him again. She told him with friendly frankness about her heartfelt experiences, described short-term hobbies with other men. Julien was subjected to terrible jealousy.
This ruthless frankness continued for a whole week. The topic of conversation, to which she constantly returned with such cruel devotion, was the same - a description of the feelings that Matilda felt for others. Her lover's suffering brought her pleasure. After one of these walks, mad with love and grief, Julien could not stand it. "You don't love me at all? And I'm ready to pray for you! he exclaimed. These sincere and so imprudent words instantly changed everything. Matilda, convinced that she was loved, immediately felt complete contempt for him.
Still, Le de La Mole mentally assessed the prospects for her relationship with Julien. She saw that before her was a man with an elevated soul, that his opinion did not follow the beaten path that mediocrity had paved. “If I become the friend of a man like Julien, who lacks only a fortune - and I have him - I will constantly attract everyone's attention to myself. My life will not go unnoticed, she thought. Not only will I not experience constant fear of the revolution, like my cousins, who are so in awe of the mob that they do not dare to shout at the coachman, I will certainly play some kind of big role, because the person I chose is a person with iron character and boundless ambition. What does he lack? Friends, money? I will give him both.”
Julien was too unhappy and too shocked to figure out such complicated love maneuvers. He decided that he had to risk and once again enter the room of his beloved: “I will kiss her for the last time and shoot myself!” Julien shot up the ladder in one gulp, and Matilda fell into his arms. She was happy, scolded herself for her terrible pride, and called him her master. At breakfast, the girl was very imprudent. One would think that she wanted to tell the whole world about her feelings. But after a few hours, she was already tired of loving and doing crazy things, and she became herself again. Such was this peculiar nature.
The Marquis de La Mole sent Julien on an extremely secret mission to Strasbourg, and there he met his acquaintance from London, the Russian Prince Korazov. The prince was delighted with Julie. Not knowing how to express his sudden favor to him, he offered the young man the hand of one of his cousins, a wealthy Muscovite heiress. Julien refused such a brilliant prospect, but decided to take another advice from the prince: to arouse jealousy in his beloved and, returning to Paris, begin to court the secular beauty Madame de Fervac.
At dinner at the de La Malles' house, he sat down next to the marshal where Fervach, and then spoke to her at length and at length. Matilda, even before the arrival of Julien, made it clear to her acquaintances that marriage contract with the main contender for her hand - the Marquis de Croisenois - can be considered a settled matter. But all her intentions instantly changed as soon as she saw Julien. She waited for her former lover to speak to her, but he did not make a single attempt.
All subsequent days, Julien strictly followed the advice of Prince Korazov. His Russian friend gave him fifty-three love letters. It's time to send the first lady de Fervac. The letter contained all sorts of grandiloquent words about virtue - rewriting it, Julien fell asleep on the second page.
Matilda, finding out that Julien not only writes himself, but also receives letters from Madame de Fervac, rendered him a stormy scene. Julien did his best not to give up. He remembered the advice of Prince Korazov that a woman should be kept in fear, and although he saw that Matilda was deeply unhappy, he constantly repeated to himself: “Keep her in fear. Only then will she not treat me with contempt.” And he continued to copy and send letters to Madame de Fervac.
... One English traveler told about how he was friends with a tiger: he raised him, caressed him, but always kept a loaded pistol on his desk. Julien surrendered to his boundless happiness only in those moments when Matilda could not read the expression of happiness in his eyes. He invariably adhered to the rule prescribed for himself and spoke to her dryly and coldly. Meek and almost humble towards him, she now became even more arrogant with her family. In the evening, in the drawing room, she called Julien to her and, paying no attention to the rest of the guests, talked with him for a long time.
Soon Matilda happily informed Julien that she was pregnant and now felt his wife forever. This news struck Julien; it was necessary to report what had happened, to the Marquise de La Mole. What a blow awaited a man who wanted to see her daughter a duchess! .
When asked by Matilda if he was not afraid of the revenge of the Marquis, Julien replied: “I can feel sorry for the person who did so many good deeds for me, be sad for causing her disasters, but I am not afraid, and no one will ever frighten me».
An almost insane conversation took place with Matilda's father. Julien suggested to the marquis that he should kill him, and even left a suicide note. An enraged de La Mole expelled them.
Meanwhile, Matilda was going mad with despair. Her father showed her Julien's note, and from that moment on she was haunted by a terrible thought: did Julien decide to commit suicide? “If he dies, I will die too,” she declared. “And it will be your fault for his death. I swear that I will immediately put on mourning and inform everyone that I am the widow Sorel ... Keep this in mind ... I will not be afraid or hide. ” Her love reached madness. Now the marquis himself was at a loss and decided to look at what had happened more soberly.
The marquis pondered for several weeks. All this time Julien lived with the Abbé Pirard. Finally, after much deliberation, the marquis decided, in order not to disgrace himself, to give the future spouses land in Languedoc and create Julien a certain position in society. He got a patent for it hussar lieutenant in the name of Julien Sorel de La Verne, after which he must go to his regiment.
Julien's joy was boundless. “So,” he said to himself, “my romance is finally over, and I have only myself to thank. I managed to make this monstrous proud woman fall in love with me ... her father cannot live without her, and she without me.
The marquis did not want to see Julien, but through the Abbé Pirard gave him twenty thousand francs, adding: the Pope de La Verne must consider that he received this money from his father, whom it is not necessary to name. M. de La Vernet might think it appropriate to give a gift to M. Sorel, carpenters in Verrieres, who took care of him as a child.
For a few days the Chevalier de La Verne prancing on an excellent Alsatian stallion, which cost him six thousand francs. He was enrolled in the regiment with the rank of lieutenant, although he had never been a second lieutenant. His impassive appearance, stern and almost evil eyes, pallor and constant composure - all this made him talk about him from the very first day. Very quickly, his impeccable and very restrained politeness, resourcefulness in shooting and swordsmanship got the wits out of their minds to joke loudly with him. Julien sent five hundred francs to his tutor, the former cure of Verrieres, M. Chelan, and asked him to distribute them to the poor.
And in the midst of his ambitious dreams, a thunderstorm broke out. A messenger arrived at Julien with a letter from Matilda: she demanded his immediate return to Paris. When they met, Matilda showed him a letter from her father: he accused Julien of greed and said that he would never agree to this marriage. It transpired that the Marquis had asked Madame de Renal to write down any information about former caregiver her children. The email response was terrible. Madame de Renal wrote in great detail, referring to her moral duty, that poverty and greed prompted this young man, capable of extreme hypocrisy, to bring together a weak and unhappy woman, and thus create a position for himself and go out into the people. Julien does not recognize any laws of religion, and one of the ways to succeed for him is the seduction of a woman.
“I dare not condemn Monsieur de La Mole,” Julien said, having read to the end, “He acted correctly and wisely. What father would agree to give his beloved daughter to such a man? Farewell! Sitting in the mail coach, Julien rushed to Verrieres. There, at a gunsmith's shop, he bought a pistol and entered the church.
there was a good tidings bell ringing. All the high windows of the temple were covered with dark red curtains. Julien stopped behind Madame de Renal's shop. At the sight of this woman who loved him so much, Julien's hand trembled and he missed. Then he fired again and she fell. Julien was seized, handcuffed and imprisoned. Everything happened so quickly that he did not feel anything and after a few seconds he was sleeping like a dead dream.
Madame de Renal was not mortally wounded. One bullet pierced her hat, the second hit her shoulder and - strange thing! - Bounced off the humerus, hitting the wall. Madame de Renal had for a long time longed with all her heart to die. The letter to Monsieur de La Mole, whom her real confessor forced her to write, was the last despair of HER soul. To die at the hands of Julien she considered bliss for herself. As soon as she regained consciousness, she sent the maid Eliza to the jailer Julien with several louis and a request for God's sake not to treat him cruelly. .
The investigator came to the prison. “I committed murder with premeditated intentions,” Julien declared. “I deserve death and I am waiting for it.”
Then he wrote to Le de La Mole: “I have avenged myself… Unfortunately, my name will get into the papers and I will not be able to disappear from this world unnoticed. Please excuse me for this. In two months I will die... Never speak of me, even to my son: silence is the only way to honor my memory. You will forget me. show worthy firmness in these circumstances. Let what is to happen happen secretly, without angering you ... A year after my death, marry Monsieur de Croisenois, I order you as your husband. My last words are addressed to you, as well as my last ardent feelings.
He began to think about repentance: “And what, in fact, should I repent of? I have been abused in the most cruel way, I have killed, I deserve to die, but that is all. I'm dying after settling accounts with humanity. There is nothing more for me to do on earth.” After some time, he learned that Madame de Renal was still alive. And only now Julien felt remorse for the crime he had committed: “So she will live! - He repeated. - She will live, and forgive, and will love me ... "
Mathilde de La Mole arrived at Verrieres, with a passport in the name of Madame Michelet, dressed as a commoner. She quite seriously suggested that Julien commit a double suicide. It seemed to her that she saw in Julien the resurrected Boniface de La Mole, but only more heroic.
Mathilde ran to lawyers, and finally, after a week of petitions, she managed to get an appointment with Monsieur de Friler. It took him only a few seconds to force Matilda to confess that she was the daughter of his powerful adversary, the Marquis de La Mole. After considering the use that could be obtained from this story, the abbe decided that he was holding Matilda in his hands. He let her know (of course he was lying) that he had the ability to influence the prosecutor and the jury in order to commute the sentence.
Julien felt himself unworthy of Matilda's selfless affection. And, in truth, he was uncomfortable with all her heroism: he recognized in him a secret need to amaze the world with his extraordinary love. “How strange,” Julien said to himself, “that such passionate love should leave me so indifferent.” Ambition died in his heart, and out of the dust a new feeling arose: he called it remorse. He was again dead in love with Madame de Renal and never mentioned his successes in Paris.
He even asked Mathilde to give their unborn child to a wet nurse in Verrieres, so that Madame de Renal could look after her. “Fifteen years will pass, and this love that you now feel for me will seem folly to you,” he told her and thought that in fifteen years Madame de Renal would adore his son, and Matilda would forget him.
Madame de Renal, as soon as she arrived at Besançon, immediately wrote letters to each of the thirty-six jurors, imploring them to acquit Julien. She wrote that she would not be able to live if an innocent person was condemned to death. After all, everyone in Verrieres knew that this unfortunate young man still found what an eclipse. She noted Julien's piety, excellent knowledge of the Holy Scriptures and begged the jury not to shed innocent blood.
On the day of judgment, the people of the whole province came together to Besançon. Within a few days there was not a single free corner left in the hotels. At first, Julien did not want to speak in court, but then surrendered to the persuasion of Matilda. Seeing Julien, the hall murmured sympathetically. He could not even have been twenty years old today; He was dressed very simply, but with great elegance. Everyone decided that he was much more beautiful than in the portrait.
In his last speech Julien said that he did not ask for any indulgence in court; his crime is terrible and he deserves to die. He also understands that his main crime lies in the fact that he, a man of low birth, who was fortunate enough to receive an education, dared to enter the so-called selective society.
In a few hours, he was sentenced to death.
Sitting in a casemate for those condemned to death, Julien recalled a story about how, on the eve of his death, yakDanton said that the verb "guillotine" cannot be declined at all times. You can say: I will be guillotined, but you cannot: I was guillotined. Julien refused to sign the appeal, now feeling courage enough to die with dignity.
An hour later, when he was sound asleep, he was awakened by someone's tears that dripped onto his hand - it was Madame de Renal. He threw himself at her feet, begging for forgiveness for everything. They hugged each other and wept for a long time. Madame de Renal confessed to him that he fatal letters was compiled by her confessor, and she only rewrote it, but Julien forgave her long ago.
Some time later, someone informed Monsieur de Renal about his wife's visit to the prison, and he demanded that she return home immediately. Matilda came, but her presence only irritated Julien.
Julien felt his loneliness more and more acutely and came to the conclusion that this was due to the fact that Madame de Renal was not next to him: “This is where my loneliness comes from, and not at all from the fact that there is no just, good, omnipotent God, alien to malice in the world. and flattery! Oh, if only he existed! I would fall at his feet. “I deserve death,” I told him, “but, great God, good merciful God, give me the one I love!
Madame de Renal, as if hearing his plea, ran away from home and obtained permission to see Julien twice a day. He took from her an oath promise that she would live and take under her care the son of Matilda.
On the day of the execution of Julien Sorel, the sun shone, flooding everything with its blessed light. Julien felt cheerful and calm.
Matilda accompanied her lover to the grave he had chosen for himself. The coffin was accompanied by a large procession of priests. Matilda, secretly from everyone, in a tightly curtained carriage, carried, laying on her knees, the head of the man whom she loved so much. Late at night, the procession reached the summit, and here, in a small cave, brightly lit by many candles, a funeral mass was celebrated. Matilda personally buried the head of her lover. Thanks to her care, the cave was decorated marble statues ordered for big money in Italy. And Madame de Renal did not break her promise. She did not commit suicide, but three days after Julien's execution, she died hugging her children.
Year of publication of the book: 1830
"Red and Black" book, which has earned recognition after the death of the author. The peak of its popularity came at the end of the 19th century, when the genre of literature began to dominate psychological prose. The same novel is considered one of the first works in this genre. No wonder, speaking about Stendhal, he said that this man wrote letters to the future. IN modern world interest in the work has not faded, and as more than 100 years ago, "Red and Black" is read by many of our compatriots. This allowed the book to take its rightful place in our rating.
The plot of the book revolves around Julien Sorel. He studies theology, but does not believe in God himself. He chose this direction as the easiest way to establish himself in society. Julien is ambitious, ambitious and smart enough. He believes that if he had been born during the time of Napoleon, he would have reached considerable heights. But while he is not a rich student, who is hired as a tutor in the house of Mr. de Renal.
Gradually, they start a relationship with Madame de Renal and she is cheating on her husband. When this becomes known to her husband, Julien is forced to leave the house, despite the attempts of lovers to allay the fears of Monsieur Renal. But the mind of a young man does not allow him to remain undestined. He amazes with his knowledge and manners of the rector of the seminary of Besancon - Abbe Pirard. Thanks to this, he gets a job in this seminary. But clouds are gathering over the abbot on the political and spiritual Olympus, and he is forced to leave the seminary.
Thanks to a friend, the Marquis de La Mole, the abbot receives a good parish just 4 leagues from Paris. But the marquis needs a secretary, and Pirard advises Julien Sorel. The young man impresses the marquis and he takes him to work. Julien tries his best and does an excellent job of coping with the position.
But the Marquis has a daughter, with whom Julien also begins an affair. The novel develops with varying success and the daughter of the Marquis even declares that she is pregnant from Julien, but at that moment a letter arrives from Madame de Renal. In it, she calls Julien a seducer and a careerist. Furious, Julien takes a pistol, goes to Madame de Renal and shoots her. And despite the fact that he does not kill, he is sentenced to death. And while in the cell, Julien realizes that he has always loved only Madame de Renal. They even reconcile with their beloved, but the sentence is carried out, and three days later Madame de Renal also dies.
The book "Red and Black" on the Top Books website
The current popularity of "Red and Black" to read is quite high largely due to the presence of the work in school curriculum senior classes. But even without schoolchildren, the novel is very popular and rightfully occupies a high place among. All this allowed the "Red and Black" book to take its rightful place in our rating.
You can read Stendhal's Red and Black on the Top Books website.
M. de Renal, the mayor of the French town of Verrières in the Franche-Comté district, a smug and conceited man, informs his wife of the decision to take a tutor into the house. There is no particular need for a tutor, just the local rich Mr. Valeno, that vulgar screamer, always competing with the mayor, is too proud of a new pair of Norman horses. Well, now Mr. Valno has horses, but there is no tutor. M. de Renal had already made arrangements with Father Sorel that his youngest son would serve with him. The old curé, M. Chelan, recommended to him the son of a carpenter, as a young man of rare ability, who had been studying theology for three years and was brilliant in Latin. His name is Julien Sorel, he is eighteen years old; this is a short, fragile-looking young man, whose face bears the stamp of a striking originality. He has irregular but delicate features, large black eyes that sparkle with fire and thought, and dark brown hair. The young girls look at him with interest. Julien never went to school. He was taught Latin and history by a regimental doctor, a participant in the Napoleonic campaigns. Dying, he bequeathed to him his love for Napoleon, the cross of the Legion of Honor and several dozen books. From childhood, Julien dreams of becoming a military man. In the time of Napoleon, for a commoner, this was the surest way to make a career and go out into the people. But times have changed. Julien realizes that the only path open to him is to become a priest. He is ambitious and proud, but he is ready to endure everything in order to make his way.
Madame de Renal does not like her husband's idea. She adores her three boys and the thought of someone else standing between her and her children drives her to despair. She is already imagining a disgusting, rude, disheveled guy who is allowed to yell at her children and even spank them.
Imagine her surprise when she sees a pale, frightened boy in front of her, who seems to her unusually handsome and very unhappy. However, less than a month passes, when everyone in the house, even M. de Renal, begins to treat him with respect. Julien carries himself with great dignity, and his knowledge of Latin is admirable - he can recite any page of the New Testament by heart.
Madame de Renal's maid, Eliza, falls in love with a young tutor. In confession, she tells Abbé Chelan that she has received an inheritance and now wants to marry Julien. The cure is sincerely happy for his pet, but Julien resolutely refuses the enviable offer. He is ambitious and dreams of glory, he wants to conquer Paris. However, he skillfully hides it.
In the summer, the family moves to Vergy, the village where the estate and the castle de Renal are located. Here Madame de Renal spends whole days with the children and the tutor. Julien seems to her smarter, kinder, nobler than all the men around her. She begins to realize that she loves Julien. But does he love her? After all, she is ten years older than him! Julien likes Madame de Renal. He finds her charming, he has never seen such women. But Julien is not in love at all. He wants to win Madame de Renal in order to assert himself and to take revenge on this self-satisfied Monsieur de Renal, who allows himself to speak condescendingly and even rudely to him.
When Julien warns Madame de Renal that he will come to her bedroom at night, she answers him with the most sincere indignation. At night, leaving his room, he dies of fear, his knees give way, but when he sees Madame de Renal, she seems to him so beautiful that all conceited nonsense fly out of his head. Julien's tears, his despair subdue Madame de Renal. A few days pass, and Julien, with all the ardor of youth, falls head over heels in love with her. The lovers are happy, but Madame de Renal's youngest son suddenly falls seriously ill. And it seems to the unfortunate woman that with her love for Julien she is killing her son. She realizes what a sin she commits before God, she is tormented by remorse. She pushes Julien away from her, who is shaken by the depth of her grief and despair. Fortunately, the child is recovering.
M. de Renal suspects nothing, but the servants know a lot. The maid Eliza, having met Mr. Valno on the street, tells him that her mistress is having an affair with a young tutor. That same evening, M. de Renal receives an anonymous letter from which he learns what is happening in his house. Madame de Renal manages to convince her husband of her innocence, but the whole city is only engaged in the history of her love affairs.
Julien's mentor, Abbé Chelan, believes that he should leave the city for at least a year - to his friend Fouquet, a timber merchant, or to a seminary in Besançon. Julien leaves Verrieres, but returns three days later to say goodbye to Madame de Renal. He sneaks into her room, but their date is overshadowed - it seems to them that they are parting forever.
Julien arrives in Besançon and visits the rector of the seminary, Abbé Pirard. He is very excited, besides, Pirard's face is so ugly that it causes horror in him. For three hours the rector examines Julien and is so impressed by his knowledge of Latin and theology that he accepts him into the seminary on a small scholarship and even assigns him a separate cell. This is a great mercy. But the seminarians unanimously hate Julien: he is too talented and gives the impression of a thinking person - they do not forgive this here. Julien must choose a confessor for himself, and he chooses the abbot Pirard, not even suspecting that this act will be decisive for him. The abbot is sincerely attached to his student, but the position of Pirard himself in the seminary is very precarious. His enemies the Jesuits are doing everything to force him to resign. Fortunately, he has a friend and patron at court - an aristocrat from Franche-Comté, the Marquis de La Mole, whose orders the abbot regularly carries out. Having learned about the persecution that Pirard is subjected to, the Marquis de La Mole invites him to move to the capital and promises one of the best parishes in the vicinity of Paris. Saying goodbye to Julien, the abbot foresees that difficult times await him. But Julien is unable to think of himself. Knowing that Pirard needs money, he offers him all his savings. Pirard will not forget this.
The Marquis de La Mole, politician and nobleman, enjoys great influence at court, he receives the Abbé Pirard in his Parisian mansion. In a conversation, he mentions that for several years he has been looking for an intelligent person who could take care of his correspondence. The abbot offers his student for this place - a man of very low birth, but energetic, intelligent, with a high soul. So an unexpected prospect opens up before Julien Sorel - he can get to Paris!
Having received the invitation of the Marquis, Julien first goes to Verrieres, hoping to see Madame de Renal. He heard that in Lately she fell into the most frenzied piety. Despite many obstacles, he manages to get into the room of his beloved. She had never seemed so beautiful to him before. However, the husband suspects something, and Julien is forced to flee.
Arriving in Paris, he first of all examines the places associated with the name of Napoleon, and only then goes to the abbe Pirard. The abbot introduces Julien to the marquis, and in the evening he is already sitting at the common table. Opposite him sits a fair blonde, unusually slender, with very beautiful, but cold eyes. Mademoiselle Mathilde de La Mole clearly does not like Julien.
The new secretary is accustomed quickly: after three months, the Marquis considers Julien quite a suitable person for himself. He works hard, is silent, understanding and gradually begins to conduct all the most difficult cases. He becomes a real dandy and completely masters the art of living in Paris. The Marquis de La Mole presents Julien with an order. This soothes Julien's pride, he is now more relaxed and does not feel offended as often. But with Mademoiselle de La Mole, he is emphatically cold. This nineteen-year-old girl is very smart, she is bored in the company of her aristocratic friends - the Count of Quelus, the Viscount de Luz and the Marquis de Croisenois, who claims her hand. Once a year, Matilda wears mourning. Julien is told that she is doing this in honor of the ancestor of the family, Boniface de La Mole, lover of Queen Marguerite of Navarre, who was beheaded on April 30, 1574 at the Place Greve in Paris. Legend has it that the queen demanded the head of her lover from the executioner and buried it with her own hands in the chapel.
Julien sees that Matilda is sincerely concerned about this romantic story. Gradually, he ceases to shy away from conversations with Mademoiselle de La Mole. Conversations with her are so interesting that he even forgets his role as an indignant plebeian. It would be funny, he thinks, if she fell in love with me.
Matilda had long realized that she loved Julien. This love seems to her very heroic - a girl in her position loves the son of a carpenter! From the moment she realizes that she loves Julien, she ceases to be bored.
Julien himself excites his imagination rather than being carried away by love. But having received a letter from Matilda with a declaration of love, he cannot hide his triumph: he, a poor peasant, loves noble lady, she preferred him to the aristocrat, the Marquis de Croisenois! Matilda is waiting for him at one in the morning. It seems to Julien that this is a trap, that Matilda's friends want to kill him or expose him to ridicule. Armed with pistols and a dagger, he enters Mademoiselle de La Mole's room. Mathilde is submissive and gentle, but the next day she is horrified at the thought that she has become Julien's mistress. Talking to him, she barely restrains her anger and irritation. Julien's pride is offended, and both of them decide that everything is over between them. But Julien feels that he has fallen madly in love with this wayward girl, that he cannot live without her. Matilda constantly occupies his soul and imagination.
Julien's acquaintance, the Russian Prince Korazov, advises him to arouse the jealousy of his beloved and start courting some secular beauty. The "Russian plan", to Julien's surprise, works flawlessly, Matilda is jealous, she is in love again, and only monstrous pride prevents her from taking a step towards her. Once Julien, not thinking about the danger, puts a ladder to Matilda's window. Seeing him, she falls into his arms.
Soon Mademoiselle de La Mole informs Julien that she is pregnant and wants to marry him. Upon learning of everything, the Marquis becomes furious. But Matilda insists, and the father finally gives in. To avoid disgrace, the marquis decides to create a brilliant position in society for Julien. He seeks for him a patent for a hussar lieutenant in the name of Julien Sorel de La Vernet. Julien goes to his regiment. His joy is boundless - he dreams of a military career and his future son.
Unexpectedly, he receives news from Paris: Matilda asks him to return immediately. When they meet, she hands him an envelope containing Madame de Renal's letter. It turns out that her father asked her to provide some information about the former tutor. Madame de Renal's letter is monstrous. She writes about Julien as a hypocrite and a careerist, capable of any meanness, just to get out into the people. It is clear that Monsieur de La Mole will never agree to his marriage to Matilda.
Without a word, Julien leaves Matilda, gets into the mail coach and rushes to Verrieres. There he buys a pistol in a gun shop, enters the Verrières church, where Sunday worship is taking place, and shoots Madame de Renal twice.
Already in prison, he learns that Madame de Renal was not killed, but only wounded. He is happy and feels that now he can die in peace. Following Julien, Matilda arrives in Verrieres. She uses all her connections, distributes money and promises in the hope of commuting the sentence.
On the day of judgment the whole province flocks to Besançon. Julien is surprised to find that he inspires all these people with sincere pity. He wants to give up last word but something makes him rise. Julien does not ask the court for any mercy, because he understands that his main crime is that he, a commoner, rebelled against his miserable lot.
His fate is decided - the court passes Julien a death sentence. Madame de Renal comes to Julien in prison. She says that the ill-fated letter was written by her confessor. Julien had never been so happy. He understands that Madame de Renal - the only woman that he is able to love.
On the day of execution, he feels cheerful and courageous. Mathilde de La Mole with my own hands buries the head of her lover. And three days after Julien's death, Madame de Renal dies.
(No Ratings Yet)
Summary Stendhal's novel "Red and Black"
Other essays on the topic:
- According to literary critics, in order to be truthful in their works, the writer must observe and analyze life, and according to Stendhal, literature must ...
- Interesting and original are the images of Madame de Renal and Matilda de la Mole. In the moral and psychological plan of the novel, they act as those ...
- The psychology of Julien Sorel (the protagonist of the novel "Red and Black") and his behavior are explained by the class to which he belongs. It's psychology...
- In an address to the reader, the author informs that "the following pages were written in 1827". The authenticity of the date can be referred to ...
- The novel “Red and Black” grew up on a creatively processed documentary basis: S. was struck by the fate of two young people sentenced to death penalty:...
- Stendhal's novel "Red and Black" is diverse in subject matter, interesting and instructive. Instructive and the fate of his heroes. I want to tell you what...
