In this blog post, we’ll focus on Stendhal’s ‘The Red and the Black’ to explore the function of the novel, as well as the characters, historical context, and the author’s life as depicted in the work.
Stendhal and the Mirror of the Novel
“The novel is a mirror that one carries along the road.” This is a quote that immediately comes to mind when one thinks of Stendhal. It is often cited when summarizing realist fiction in a single sentence.
It is not a difficult concept. It means to describe what is visible exactly as it is.
However, the reason this statement is considered a significant remark in literary history can be understood in contrast to the French literary tradition that preceded Stendhal. French classicists aimed to create archetypal human figures capable of evoking eternal emotion in everyone, transcending time. The historical setting or the originality of the subject matter were not considered important; they believed that even if they imitated ancient authors, it was sufficient as long as the work was executed to a high standard.
This classical perspective faced a strong challenge in the 19th century. Writers who questioned concepts such as “timeless values” or “absolute norms of art” emerged, and they raised the banner of Romanticism. A representative figure was Victor Hugo, and Stendhal also considered himself a Romantic in his early years. Although this new movement later split into Realism and Romanticism, a key commonality was their opposition to the absoluteness of Classicism and their emphasis on relativity.
Stendhal’s statement that “the novel is a mirror” implies that novelists must pay attention to and carefully observe contemporary society. The idea that only such novels could captivate and move contemporary readers represented a new perspective distinct from earlier classical works.
This seemingly simple idea brought about a major turning point in literary history. We can confidently say that the convention—where, when we think of novels, we expect stories to unfold around events experienced in real life—originated with Stendhal.
Paradoxically, Stendhal’s novels themselves have remained classics in literary history. Transcending the era in which he lived, they continue to move and be read by many people today. Ultimately, Stendhal demonstrated that a good literary work must not only entertain the people of its own time but also convey its emotional impact to future generations.
The Historical Context and Characters in ‘The Red and the Black’
‘The Red and the Black’ is no exception. Reading this work vividly reveals the social atmosphere of the time. The novel depicts the political landscape—divided into royalists, republicans, and Napoleonists—as it evolved from the French Revolution through the Napoleonic era. Amid such political upheaval, readers can also gain insight into the thoughts and lifestyles of the aristocracy, the emerging bourgeoisie, the clergy, and the common people.
However, a mere depiction of the era alone is unlikely to hold much interest for today’s readers. The reason ‘The Red and the Black’ remains so moving is because of the archetypal character created by Stendhal: Julien Sorel.
In terms of the expressions “silver spoon” and “clay spoon” commonly used today, Julien is a classic “clay spoon.” Born the son of a small rural sawmill owner, he is dissatisfied with his circumstances. Though his father considers him a good-for-nothing son, he possesses remarkable qualities in other areas.
First, he is as handsome as a nobleman, sharp-witted, and highly sensitive. Above all, he has a strong sense of pride, an uncompromising nature, and great ambition. He is not simply someone who wants to be born with a “silver spoon.” He even mocks those born with a silver spoon. He despises their vulgar mediocrity. Julien’s goal was not merely to climb the social ladder, but to give meaning to his own life.
Simply put, Julien is a character who dreams, “If one is born into this world, shouldn’t one do something meaningful before dying?”
What he truly desired was not social success or a rise in status, but meaning in his own life, and he sought happiness in that achievement.
That is why Julien is always lonely. Because he is not bound by convention, and because he does not seek happiness through servility, he is solitary. Since the world as a whole does not tolerate such solitary happiness, his struggle only deepens his loneliness. Nevertheless, his charm captivates those around him and arouses their jealousy.
That is precisely why ‘The Red and the Black’ continues to move us to this day. Readers are captivated by Julien and, at the same time, feel jealous of him. We are captivated because he embodies the ideal that everyone dreams of at least once, and we feel jealous because, in reality, no one can live that way.
Love, Tragedy, and Literary Mastery
‘The Red and the Black’ is also an outstanding romance novel. Some readers today may not relate to Julien’s romantic experiences. Some might react by saying, “If you like someone, date them; if you don’t, just break up.”
However, a relationship that begins with love at first sight but ends quickly due to boredom can hardly be called a romance. True romance involves a tug-of-war of emotions—suspicion, hesitation, joy, and anguish—among countless other emotional fluctuations. Human passion is unpredictable, and much unfolds beneath its surface. The reason this novel has been beloved for so long is precisely because it so skillfully captures the subtleties of these complex emotions.
No matter how much the world changes, the emotions of love between men and women remain fundamentally similar. In this regard, ‘The Red and the Black’ is an outstanding classic romance novel. Even if you focus solely on the romance, this novel is well worth reading. Perhaps through this work, you’ll gain an opportunity to reflect on what a genuine relationship with someone you truly love might look like.
Stendhal’s Life and Influence
Stendhal was born in 1783 in Grenoble, in southeastern France. His real name was Henri-Marie Beyle, and “Stendhal” was one of the many pseudonyms he used. His father was a lawyer at the High Court, and his mother passed away when he was young.
In 1800, he joined the military and crossed the Alps with Napoleon’s expeditionary force; after briefly leaving the army, he returned in 1806 and led an active military career. Following Napoleon’s downfall in 1814, he retired from the military and spent seven years in Italy, writing on music and art. After returning to France in 1821, he received critical acclaim for ‘On Love’, published in 1822.
Early in his career, he devoted himself to playwriting, producing works such as ‘Racine and Shakespeare’, and later turned his attention to novels, publishing his first novel, ‘Armance’, in 1827. ‘The Red and the Black’, the work that brought him fame, was published in 1830, the year he turned 47. In 1839, he published ‘The Charterhouse of Parma’, which was highly praised by Balzac.
He continued to write while traveling throughout the country, but he suffered from arthritis and a nervous stroke; he collapsed on a Paris street in March 1842 and passed away. He is regarded as one of the leading masters of 19th-century French literature, alongside Balzac and Flaubert.
Stendhal was, in a word, a free spirit. He displayed a rebellious streak from a young age and was not tied to any fixed address or occupation.
It is said that he had neither family nor a home, and did not even keep a steady lover. Although he was completely alone after his sister’s marriage in 1808, those who knew him well say he was extremely sensitive and longed for close personal relationships. While he was always lonely in real life, aspects of Stendhal himself are projected onto the protagonists in his novels.
Incidentally, there is an anecdote that illustrates Stendhal’s sensitivity. In 1817, after viewing Guido Reni’s ‘Portrait of Beatrice Cenci’ at the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence, Italy, Stendhal’s heart began to race, his knees went weak, and he was overcome with a sense of ecstasy. Since then, the term “Stendhal syndrome” has come to refer to the intense ecstasy or psychological reaction that can occur momentarily when viewing a masterpiece of art. This anecdote not only demonstrates just how sensitive Stendhal was but also helps us imagine Julien from ‘The Red and the Black’.
