What will they say in Verrières?: the vacillations and victories of Julián Sorel in Rojo y Negro

Abstract

In this paper, I review the life of Stendhal, a nineteenth French writer, in order to introduce me into Rojo y Negro, his most famous novel. Through different fragments of the literally work I pretend to achieve an analysis of Julián Sorel, the principal character, in relation to his vision of the world (influenced by his lectures), his romantic spirit (generally hypocrite), his relationships of quantitative value with Verrières’ mayor, the social victories he obtains with help of appearances, the manipulation of the people who surround him and the ambition that guides his steps around a city where the most important is not the people who live inside it but the economic benefits they produce.