# Madame de Fervaques — The Red and the Black character guide

> Madame de Fervaques in The Red and the Black by Stendhal.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** madame de Fervaques, de Fervaques, madame la Fervaques

**First appearance:** 0055-chapter-lv-the-ministry-of-virtue

## Snapshot

A wealthy, pious widow who heads Paris's party of devotion, and whose vanity and prudery make her the perfect target for Julien's calculated campaign of seduction.

## Who they are

The daughter of a Strasbourg manufacturer who married a maréchal and now spends her life making the world forget it, she poses as virtue incarnate while secretly craving the flattery of a well-written love letter. Julien, coached by Korasoff, courts her coldly and by correspondence, using her as bait to rekindle Mathilde's jealousy. Her mixture of pride, piety, and hidden appetite turns her into both a comic set-piece and a weapon in the novel's central duel of vanity.

## In the story

### [Chapter LIV. Strasbourg](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_and_the_black_br/chapters/chapter-liv-strasbourg)

The target of Julien's planned courtship as per Korasoff's advice.

### [Chapter LV. The Ministry Of Virtue](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_and_the_black_br/chapters/chapter-lv-the-ministry-of-virtue)

The object of Julien's feigned courtship; described as virtuous but Jesuitical, vindictive, and possibly unhappy.

### [Chapter LVI. Moral Love](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_and_the_black_br/chapters/chapter-lvi-moral-love)

Receives Julien's letter and is impressed by his apparent seriousness and eloquence, considering him a young man of distinction. She is unaware of his ulterior motives.

### [Chapter LVII. The Finest Places In The Church](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_and_the_black_br/chapters/chapter-lvii-the-finest-places-in-the-church)

The recipient of Julien's letters; she invites him to dinner, showing a potential interest.

### [Chapter LVIII. Manon Lescaut](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_and_the_black_br/chapters/chapter-lviii-manon-lescaut)

Recipient of Julien's copied letters; she is struck by his novelty but offended by his anti-monarchical tinge.

### [Chapter LIX. Ennui](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_and_the_black_br/chapters/chapter-lix-ennui)

Her ennui and vanity are challenged by her growing interest in Julien; she begins a regular correspondence with him, despite social misgivings.

### [Chapter LX. A Box At The Bouffes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_and_the_black_br/chapters/chapter-lx-a-box-at-the-bouffes)

Julien's apparent interest in her serves as a tool to provoke Mathilde's jealousy; she is moved by Julien's tears at the opera.

### [Chapter LXI. Frighten Her](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_and_the_black_br/chapters/chapter-lxi-frighten-her)

Julien continues to send her the Russian letters, which piques Mathilde.

### [The Intrigue](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_and_the_black_br/chapters/chapter-lxix-the-intrigue)

Mathilde sends a courier to her, entreating her to obtain a letter from the bishop and to come to Besançon.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_and_the_black_br/characters/madame_de_fervaques
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_and_the_black_br
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_and_the_black_br/characters