Stendhal’s "The Red and the Black," a summary

Stendhal’s novel "The Red and the Black," completed in 1830, is a realistic chronicle of life in France during the Restoration. The book’s plot draws on documentary evidence from the high-profile criminal case of Antoine Berthet, executed in 1828. The author traces the story of a young provincial, Julien Sorel, whose life reflects the intense social struggles of that era.

The work has been adapted for the screen several times. The most famous are the 1954 French feature film directed by Claude Autant-Lara and starring Gérard Philipe, the 1976 Soviet television film directed by Sergei Gerasimov, and the 1997 French two-part television film.

Service at the House of Renales

In the small town of Verrières in Franche-Comté, the mayor is a wealthy manufacturer and ultra-royalist named Monsieur de Rênal. Wishing to assert his prestige against his local rival, Valenod, the mayor hires nineteen-year-old Julien Sorel as a tutor for his sons. Julien, the son of a simple carpenter, is distinguished by his natural intelligence, phenomenal memory, and knowledge of Latin.

The young man secretly idolizes Napoleon Bonaparte and devours Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Confessions. Realizing that during the Restoration, military exploits no longer offer a path to advancement, he chooses a clerical career as the only way to enter the upper echelons of society. Julien conceals his true convictions under a veneer of profound piety.

Madame de Rênal, a timid and sincere woman, is initially wary of her stern mentor, but quickly becomes captivated by the young man’s gentleness and beauty. Julien, driven by wounded pride and a desire to bridge the class gap, forces himself to win over his mistress. A calculated courtship gradually develops into genuine love.

The mayor’s suspicions are aroused by an anonymous letter sent by the director of the Valenod almshouse. Madame de Rênal, with her resourcefulness and keen insight into her husband’s weaknesses, convinces him of her fidelity and links the anonymous letter to Valenod’s political machinations. To quell the town gossip, Julien goes for a while to stay with his friend, the timber merchant Fouquet, and then leaves Verrières.

Studying at the Besançon Seminary

Julien enters the seminary in Besançon. The institution is run by the stern Jansenist Abbé Pirard. Denunciations, espionage, and blind obedience to church authorities reign supreme. Julien hopes to distinguish himself with his brilliant scholarship, but quickly realizes the folly of his behavior.

Among the seminarians — uneducated peasant boys — the ability to think independently and possess profound knowledge is perceived as dangerous freethinking. Both mentors and students begin to hate Julien, nicknamed him "Martin Luther." Realizing his shortcomings, the young man diligently studies outward humility and modesty.

Abbé Pirard noticed his student’s exceptional intellect and appointed him as a tutor in Holy Scripture. However, the rector himself was subjected to severe persecution by the Jesuits, led by the Vicar General de Frilair. Unwilling to yield to his opponents, Pirard resigned.

Thanks to the assistance of the Marquis de La Mole, the former rector moves to Paris. As he bids farewell, the abbot recommends Julien Sorel for the position of personal secretary to the Marquis.

In the Parisian mansion of the Marquis de La Mole

Having found himself in the capital’s mansion of the Marquis de La Mole, Julien quickly assimilates to his new responsibilities. He oversees business correspondence and keeps track of the income from his estates in Normandy and Brittany, demonstrating absolute precision and efficiency. The Marquis values his secretary, presenting him with a horse, allowing him to wear a blue tailcoat, and treating him as an equal when they meet alone.

Julien is burdened by the prim atmosphere of the aristocratic salon, where any lively thoughts are forbidden and conversations are limited to social gossip and memorized rules. The only exception is the Marquis’s daughter, nineteen-year-old Mathilde de La Mole.

Matilda despises boring and predictable high society suitors, including her officially approved fiancé, the Marquis de Croisenois. She is fascinated by sixteenth-century history, the era of religious wars, and the exploits of her ancestor, Boniface de La Mole, executed in 1574.

In Julien, Mathilde discerns a strong, dangerous character, capable of decisive action. A complex psychological struggle ensues between them. Seeking an escape from the boredom of social life, Mathilde declares her love for Julien and summons him to her room at night via the garden steps.

Love’s struggle and new heights

After their first night of intimacy, Mathilde is overcome with doubt and aristocratic pride. She begins to avoid Julien and treats him with icy contempt. Julien experiences severe mental anguish, but forces himself to maintain complete coldness.

On the advice of his friend, the Russian Prince Korazov, Julien begins feigning infatuation with another woman — the pious widow of Marshal de Fervaque. He sends her daily long love letters, copied from the manual he received from Korazov.

Witnessing Julien’s courtship of Madame de Fervaque, Matilda is tormented by jealousy. Her aristocratic pride is completely shattered. She throws herself at Julien’s feet, begging for forgiveness and acknowledging him as her master. Soon, Matilda announces her pregnancy.

The girl shows courage and writes a letter to her father, revealing the whole truth and announcing her intention to marry Julien. The Marquis de La Mole is furious and shocked by this confession. After much hesitation, wishing to save the family’s honor, the Marquis obtains for Sorel a commission as a hussar lieutenant in the name of the Chevalier de La Verne and grants him a land annuity.

Shots fired in Verrieres church

Julien leaves for Strasbourg to join his regiment, feeling that his life’s goals have been practically achieved. However, before finally agreeing to the marriage, the Marquis de La Mole sends a letter to Madame de Rênal asking for a review of her former tutor.

Madame de Rênal, under pressure from her new Jesuit confessor, sends a reply. In it, she describes Julien as a hypocritical careerist who seduces women for social advancement.

After reading this letter, the Marquis de La Mole categorically rejects Julien and demands his daughter break up with him. Sorel’s entire future collapses in an instant. Consumed by a frenzied rage, Julien rushes to Verrières, buys pistols, and enters the local church during Sunday mass.

Seeing Madame de Renal praying, Julien fires two shots. The woman falls, and Julien is immediately seized by the police and taken to prison.

Prison, trial and finale

In the Besançon fortress tower, Julien gradually comes to his senses. Upon learning that Madame de Rênal is alive and her wound is not serious, he feels a tremendous sense of relief. Realizing the futility of his previous ambitions, Julien realizes that he has loved only Madame de Rênal in his life.

Matilda arrives in Besançon, uses all her influence, distributes money, and enlists the Abbé de Frilair to save Julien. However, the defendant himself refuses to submit a petition or feign repentance.

At the trial, Julien delivers a courageous speech to the jury. He bluntly declares that he is being judged by a caste of indignant bourgeois who want to punish a plebeian who dared to rebel against his lowly origins. The jury sentences him to death.

Madame de Rênal visits Julien in his cell. She confesses that the fateful letter was dictated by her confessor and forgives Julien. In the final weeks of his life, Sorel finds absolute peace of mind in visits with the woman he loves.

Julien faced his death with courage and dignity. After the execution, Matilda took her lover’s severed head and buried it with her own hands in a mountain cave. Madame de Rênal did not attempt suicide, but died three days after Julien’s execution, embracing her children.