The Red and the Black · Chapter
Chapter LVII. The Finest Places In The Church explained
Julien Sorel, now deeply unhappy and obsessed with Mathilde de la Mole, continues his tedious task of copying letters for Madame de Fervaques.
What happens
Julien Sorel, now deeply unhappy and obsessed with Mathilde de la Mole, continues his tedious task of copying letters for Madame de Fervaques. He finds the letters absurd and meaningless, yet he persists, hoping to impress Mathilde with his eloquence. His life becomes a monotonous routine of copying, delivering letters, and attending the opera. He receives an invitation to dinner from Madame de Fervaques, which he sees as a potential step forward. At the dinner, he observes the bishop and other influential figures, feeling indifferent to his own progress. Tanbeau, a jealous rival, hopes Julien will become the lover of the maréchale to be removed from the Hôtel de la Mole. Abbé Pirard warns Julien about the Jesuitical salon of Madame de Fervaques, highlighting the sectarian tensions.
Themes in this chapter
Ambition and Its Cost
Julien's relentless pursuit of social advancement through tedious letter-writing and manipulation takes a toll on his happiness, yet he persists.
Hypocrisy and Social Mobility
Julien engages in hypocritical flattery and bombastic rhetoric to gain favor, reflecting the artificiality of social climbing.
Love as Power Struggle
Julien's attempts to win Mathilde's attention are framed as strategic maneuvers, highlighting the power dynamics in romantic pursuits.
Characters to notice
- Julien Sorel
Deeply unhappy, copying letters for Madame de Fervaques, hoping to impress Mathilde, and feeling indifferent to his own social progress.
- Madame de Fervaques
The recipient of Julien's letters; she invites him to dinner, showing a potential interest.
- Mathilde de la Mole
Julien's obsession; he tries to catch glimpses of her and impress her with his diction.
- Tanbeau
Jealous of Julien's success, hopes Julien becomes the lover of Madame de Fervaques to be removed from the Hôtel de la Mole.
- Abbé Pirard
Warns Julien about the Jesuitical salon of Madame de Fervaques, reflecting sectarian tensions.
Key passages
“Services! talents! merits! bah! belong to a côterie.”
Julien reflects that in high society, connections and cliques matter more than actual merit or talent.
Julien's cynical view of social advancement.
“It’s the Æolian harp of style,” thought Julien. “The only real thing I see in the middle of all these lofty thoughts about annihilation, death, infinity, etc., is an abominable fear of ridicule.””
Julien dismisses the letters as empty rhetoric, seeing only a fear of being mocked beneath their grand themes.
Julien's critique of the hollow eloquence in the letters.
“The falser my speeches are the more I ought to please,” thought Julien, and he then had the abominable audacity to exaggerate certain elements in his own character.”
Julien believes that the more insincere his words, the more likely they are to impress, so he deliberately exaggerates his traits.
Julien's strategic dishonesty in his pursuit of Mathilde.