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André Gide said that The Red and the Black was a novel ahead of its time, that it was a novel for readers in the 20th century. In Stendhal's time, prose novels included dialogue and omniscient narrator descriptions; Stendhal's great contribution to literary technique was the describing of the psychologies (feelings, thoughts, and interior monologues) of the characters. As a result, he is considered the creator of the psychological novel.

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What does "The Red" and "The Black" refer to ? 

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What does "The Red" and "The Black" refer to ? 

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There are many interpretations of the title, but it is taken to refer to the tension between the clerical (black) and secular (red) interests of the protagonist.

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The story begins in Verrières, France

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Common features / contrast with Peer Gynt

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Common features / contrast with Peer Gynt

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The quest for grandeur and power

Selfish romantic antiheroes with a certain charm that attracts women

Discovering other types of societies than the one they were born in

Different messages and lessons to be remembered out of these books

Find out more in my enriched essay "Peer Gynt : a Norwegian Julien Sorel ?"

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What are the main themes and lessons that should be remembered from this book ? 

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What are the main themes and lessons that should be remembered from this book ? 

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Like most romantic novelists, Stendhal treated such themes as individualism, passion, love, the pursuit of happiness, and intrigue. But he was also profoundly influenced by the works of Voltaire, especially Candide. He thus scorned religious sentimentality, openly criticized the Catholic Church, and mocked flamboyant prose.  Although Stendhal organizes his narrative around Julien's love affairs, he uses his protagonist's experiences to satirize the Restoration government.

Another major theme of the novel is the cyclical role of history. Stendhal firmly believed that history repeated itself: Julien thinks he is the next Napoleon, while the Marquis de la Mole fears that Julien could be the leader of a new Terror. The author's emphasis on history also criticizes the Restoration's attempt to turn back the clock to the way things were before the French Revolution in 1789.

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Stendhal was consciously writing a historical novel set in the present. The subtitle, "a chronicle of 1830," made his contemporary readers aware of not only the historical context of the novel but of their own lives as well.

The Red and the Black was also one of the first novels to emphasize psychological observation, especially with regard to love and marked history.

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M. de Rênal, the mayor of the provincial town Verrières, hires Julien Sorel to be his children's tutor. Julien is only a carpenter's son, but dreams of following in the footsteps of his hero, Napoleon. However, in Julien's time, men gain power in the Church and not in the army. Even though he is training to become a priest, Julien decides to seduce the mayor's wife, Mme. de Rênal, because he thinks that it is his duty. They become lovers, but M. Valenod, the mayor's political adversary, finds out about the affair and begins to spread rumors. M. de Rênal is profoundly embarrassed, but his wife convinces him that the rumors are false. M. Chélan, the town priest and Julien's mentor, sends him to the Besançon seminary to avoid any further scandal.

The director of the seminary, M. Pirard, likes Julien and encourages him to become a great priest. Julien does very well at the seminary, but only because he wants to make a fortune and succeed in French society. The other priests at the seminary are not aware of Julien's hypocrisy, but are jealous of his intelligence. M. Pirard is disgusted with the political involvement of the Church and resigns. His aristocratic benefactor, the Marquis de la Mole, wants M. Pirard to be his personal secretary in Paris, but M. Pirard tells him to hire Julien instead.

Julien is both enthralled and repulsed by Parisian society at the same time. He tries to fit in among the nobles but they treat him as a social inferior. However, the Marquis's daughter, Mathilde, falls in love with Julien and they become lovers. When Mathilde gets pregnant and tells the Marquis about her affair, he is furious, but soon ennobles Julien so Mathilde can marry him. Julien finally has the aristocratic title he always wanted. But Mme. de Rênal sends the Marquis a letter denouncing Julien as a womanizer only concerned with making his fortune. The Marquis then refuses to let Mathilde marry Julien, who furiously returns to Verrières and shoots Mme. de Rênal. She survives, but Julien is sentenced to death anyway. Mme. de Rênal forgives Julien and dies of love three days after his execution.

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“Love born in the brain is more spirited, doubtless, than true love, but it has only flashes of enthusiasm; it knows itself too well, it criticizes itself incessantly; so far from banishing thought, it is itself reared only upon a structure of thought.” 

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“Love born in the brain is more spirited, doubtless, than true love, but it has only flashes of enthusiasm; it knows itself too well, it criticizes itself incessantly; so far from banishing thought, it is itself reared only upon a structure of thought.” 

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- Stendhal, The Red and The Black

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“The idea which tyrants find most useful is the idea of God.”

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“The idea which tyrants find most useful is the idea of God.”

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- Stendhal, The Red and The Black

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“A novel is a mirror walking along a main road.”

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“A novel is a mirror walking along a main road.”

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- Stendhal, The Red and The Black

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- Stendhal, The Red and The Black

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Take a quiz to find out how well you know the book !

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Take a quiz to find out how well you know the book !

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The Red and the Black ? Put your knowledge to the test. Good luck - the Stickman is counting on you!

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The main characters of the Red and The Black

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The main characters of the Red and The Black

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Julien Sorel : is the nineteen-year-old son of a provincial carpenter. Ambitious, intelligent, fierce, hypocritical, and an admirer of Napoleon, Julien dreams of rising in the ranks of French society. He is obsessed with becoming a modern day Napoleon, but always lets those around him choose his own path.
Madame de Rênal : is Julien's first love interest. Both an aristocrat and the wife of the town mayor, she is a symbol of moral purity and kindness. Unlike every other character, Mme. de Rênal is honest, compassionate, and resourceful.

Mathilde de la Mole : is bored with Parisian society and immediately takes a liking to Julien. She falls in love with Julien and urges her father to ennoble him because she cannot forget Julien's lower class status.

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What is The Red and The Black exactly ? 

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What is The Red and The Black exactly ? 

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The Red and the Black is a historical psychological novel in two volumes by Stendhal, published in 1830. It chronicles the attempts of a provincial young man to rise socially beyond his modest upbringing through a combination of talent, hard work, deception, and hypocrisy. He ultimately allows his passions to betray him.

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To play while giving a glimpse at the padlet !

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Générique du film " Le rouge et le noir" d'Autant-Lara, par René Cloërec

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LE Rouge et le Noir : Plaidoirie de Julien Sorel

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Julien and Mme de Rênal

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Stendhal, pseudonym of Marie-Henri Beyle, is one of the most original and complex French writers of the first half of the 19th century, chiefly known for his works of fiction. His finest novels are The Red and the Black and The Charterhouse of Parma.

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Julien as the tutor of the mayor's children

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Julien trying to fit in the Parisian society

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Julien and Mme de Rênal

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Mathilde de la Mole

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Napoleon's rise to fame and military glory are a constant model for Julien. Julien dreams of rising to the top of French society and uses Napoleon's military techniques to seduce women.