# Old Sorel — The Red and the Black character guide

> Old Sorel in The Red and the Black by Stendhal.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** SOREL, old Sorel, Sorel, father Sorel, Father Sorel

**First appearance:** 0004-chapter-iv-a-father-and-a-son

## Who they are

Julien's father, a shrewd sawmill carpenter who beats his bookish son, then sells him into the Rênal household for three hundred francs a year.

## In the story

### [Chapter I. A Small Town](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_and_the_black_br/chapters/chapter-i-a-small-town)

A tough, stubborn peasant who owns a sawmill. He cleverly exploits M. de Rênal's desire for land to get a better deal in the exchange.

### [Chapter IV. A Father And A Son](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_and_the_black_br/chapters/chapter-iv-a-father-and-a-son)

Violently angry at Julien's reading; shrewdly negotiates with M. de Rênal.

### [Chapter V. A Negotiation](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_and_the_black_br/chapters/chapter-v-a-negotiation)

Julien's father, a cunning peasant who negotiates with M. de Rênal for Julien's position as tutor. He is suspicious of Julien's ambitions and treats him harshly, but is also practical about the financial benefits.

### [CHAPTER LXXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_and_the_black_br/chapters/chapter-lxxiv)

Julien's father visits him in prison, offering stern reproaches and showing more interest in Julien's money than in his son's fate.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_and_the_black_br/characters/old_sorel
- 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