The Celibates · Chapter
Dedication explained
Balzac dedicates the tale to Mademoiselle Anna de Hanska, acknowledging her happy and sheltered life, and suggests that the story's sadness may help her appreciate her own good fortune.
What happens
Balzac dedicates the tale to Mademoiselle Anna de Hanska, acknowledging her happy and sheltered life, and suggests that the story's sadness may help her appreciate her own good fortune.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
In this excerpt, the narrative climax occurs with the revelation that Doctor Rouget’s late-born daughter Agath…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingKey passages
“how can I dedicate to you a tale full of sadness? But is it not well to tell you of sorrows such as a girl so fondly loved as you are will never know?”
Why offer a sad story to someone so cherished? Yet perhaps it is fitting to show you sorrows you will never experience.
Balzac justifies the dedication of a melancholy narrative to a happy young girl.
