How does Albert Savarus develop the theme of Provincial Society and Hypocrisy?

Albert Savarus by Honoré de Balzac develops Provincial Society and Hypocrisy across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.

The book meticulously depicts the rigid, gossipy, and prudish social circles of Besançon, where appearances, religious piety, and family lineage mask pettiness, financial struggles, and moral hypocrisy.

Besançon's stagnant, gossipy society is portrayed as resistant to change, with hidden interests and double-dealing in both social and political spheres.