The Red and the Black

The Red and the Black is a historical psychological novel by Stendhal,
published in French in 1830 as Le Rouge et le noir. The novel, set in France
during the Second Restoration (1815-30), is a powerful character study of
Julien Sorel, an ambitious young man who uses seduction as a tool for
advancement. 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 (Sparknotes)