THE DILEMMA OF VIRTUE AND AMBITION: EXPLORING THE POSITIVE PERSONAGE IN STENDHAL'S "THE RED AND THE BLACK"
Keywords:
Stendhal, The Red and the Black, Julien Sorel, Ambition, Morality, Virtue, Society, Social hierarchy, Ethical dilemmas, Rigid conventions.Abstract
Stendhal's "The Red and the Black" presents Julien Sorel as a complex figure navigating the clash between ambition and morality in early 19th-century France. This article dissects Julien's character and examines the challenges faced by a positive personage in a stratified society. It explores Julien's ambitious journey, marked by moral compromises and ethical dilemmas, against the backdrop of rigid societal expectations. Stendhal's portrayal of Julien's ascent reflects the tensions between virtue and ambition, prompting readers to ponder the true nature of success and the moral price it entails. Ultimately, Julien's tragic fate serves as a cautionary tale, underscoring the dangers of sacrificing moral integrity in the pursuit of ambition.
References
Stendhal. "The Red and the Black." Penguin Classics, 2002.
Bell, David A. "Stendhal's 'The Red and the Black': Fiction as Political Thought." The Review of Politics, vol. 39, no. 4, 1977, pp. 537–566.
Pearson, Roger. "Ambition and Love in Stendhal." University of Virginia Press, 1988.
Wine, Humphrey. "The Life and Opinions of Julien Sorel: A Psychoanalytic Interpretation of Stendhal's 'The Red and the Black'." Psychoanalytic Quarterly, vol. 42, no. 4, 1973, pp. 515–533.
Chapple, Richard L. "The Paradoxes of Stendhal's Moral Universe in 'The Red and the Black'." Nineteenth-Century French Studies, vol. 31, no. 3/4, 2003, pp. 321–334.
Howard, Richard. "Stendhal's Julien Sorel: The Politicization of Ambition." PMLA, vol. 88, no. 3, 1973, pp. 452–459.
Alter, Robert. "Character and Society in Stendhal's 'The Red and the Black'." Comparative Literature, vol. 5, no. 2, 1953, pp. 117–133.
Belsey, Catherine. "The Ambiguities of Gender and Class in Stendhal's 'The Red and the Black'." French Studies, vol. 34, no. 2, 1980, pp. 135–150.
Dwyer, Richard. "Social Mobility in 'The Red and the Black'." Modern Language Review, vol. 92, no. 2, 1997, pp. 287–300.
Sánchez-Mesa Martínez, Domingo. "The Psychological Unfolding of Ambition in Stendhal's 'The Red and the Black'." Hispania, vol. 83, no. 4, 2000, pp. 641–650.
