The Red and the Black · Chapters

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Chapter companions for The Red and the Black by Stendhal.

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Chapter 1
Chapter I. A Small Town
The chapter introduces the town of Verrières in Franche-Comté, a prosperous manufacturing town known for its sawmills and nail factory. The town's mayor, M. de Rênal, is a wealthy manufacturer who owns the nail factory and has built a grand house with terraced gardens. The narrative highlights the town's social hierarchy and the tyranny of public opinion, as well as the tension between the mayor and the old peasant Sorel over a land exchange. The chapter sets the stage for the arrival of Julien Sorel, the protagonist, by establishing the provincial setting and the characters who will influence his fate.
Chapter 2
Chapter II. A Mayor
This chapter introduces M. de Rênal, the mayor of Verrières, and his preoccupation with public reputation and utility. It describes his pride in the public promenade, his authoritarian management of trees, and his irritation with a Parisian visitor, M. Appert, who inspected local institutions. Madame de Rênal appears as a dutiful wife, concerned with their children, while the town's obsession with 'bringing in profit' is highlighted.
Chapter 3
Chapter III. The Poor Fund
The chapter opens with the curé Chélan, an old and respected priest, accompanying M. Appert, a Parisian visitor, on a tour of the local prison and workhouse. Despite warnings and threats from the mayor and the director of the workhouse, Chélan defends his actions, asserting his right to visit these institutions. The mayor, M. de Rênal, and his wife discuss the incident, with M. de Rênal expressing his displeasure. The conversation shifts when M. de Rênal decides to hire Julien Sorel, the son of a sawyer, as a tutor for his children, partly to outshine M. Valenod, who lacks a tutor. Madame de Rênal, though initially pensive, seems to accept the plan.
Chapter 4
Chapter IV. A Father And A Son
Old Sorel discovers Julien reading instead of tending the saw, and violently punishes him. M. de Rênal arrives to offer Julien a position as tutor, and old Sorel negotiates shrewdly, suspecting Valenod's interest. Julien's background and character are revealed, including his hatred for his family and his love of books.
Chapter 5
Chapter V. A Negotiation
Julien Sorel, a young peasant with a fiery soul and a prodigious memory, prepares to leave his father's sawmill to become the tutor for M. de Rênal's children. His father, Old Sorel, negotiates the terms with M. de Rênal, while Julien, driven by ambition and a desire to escape Verrières, contemplates the hypocrisy required to succeed. He reflects on his admiration for Napoleon and his decision to enter the priesthood as a means to rise in society. The chapter also introduces Madame de Rênal's anxiety about the arrival of the tutor, who will disrupt her household.

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Chapter I. A Small Town

Chapter II. A Mayor

Chapter III. The Poor Fund

Chapter IV. A Father And A Son

Chapter V. A Negotiation