Hypocrisy and Social Mobility

Where it surfaces

• Chapter II. A Mayor

  The town's obsession with 'bringing in profit' and the mayor's concern for reputation over substance highlight hypocrisy.

• Chapter III. The Poor Fund

  M. de Rênal's decision to hire a tutor is driven by social pretension and rivalry with M. Valenod, reflecting the hypocrisy of provincial social climbing.

• Chapter V. A Negotiation

  Julien's decision to become a priest is a calculated move for social advancement, requiring him to adopt a hypocritical piety. His internal conflict between his true feelings and his public persona is central to this chapter.

• Chapter VI. Ennui

  Julien's performance of piety and his strategic refusal of the contract highlight the hypocrisy inherent in social climbing.

• Chapter VIII. Little Episodes

  Julien's calculated hypocrisy in his speech and gestures, and his awareness of social inferiority, highlight the theme of social climbing through pretense.

• Chapter XI. An Evening

  Julien's calculated actions reflect his ambition to rise above his station, using romantic conquest as a means to challenge the social hierarchy.

• Chapter XIV. The English Scissors

  Julien's manipulation of the curé's dismissal to keep his options open highlights his strategic hypocrisy in pursuing social advancement.

• Chapter XV. The Cock’S Song

  Julien's obsession with playing a role is tied to his social ambitions. He fears 'eternal ridicule' if he departs from the model he believes is expected of him, showing how his desire to rise above his peasant origins leads to a life of pretense and self-denial.

• The Day After

  Julien's internal conflict between duty and desire reflects the hypocrisy of social climbing, where personal feelings are subordinated to strategic advancement.

• Chapter XIX. Thinking Produces Suffering

  Julien observes the petition of a cook seeking a lottery appointment, highlighting the absurdities of social climbing and the hypocrisy of those who preach equality.

• Chapter XX. Anonymous Letters

  The plan to fake an anonymous letter and manipulate public perception underscores the hypocrisy inherent in maintaining social standing, as Madame de Rênal and Julien scheme to protect their positions.

• Chapter XXI. Dialogue With A Master

  M. de Rênal's misery is compounded by his social pretensions, having abandoned his true friends for social advancement. His fear of scandal and public shame is a central driver of his actions.

• Chapter XXII. Manners Of Procedure In 1830

  Julien uses Jesuitical language to conceal his thoughts and advance his position, while M. Valenod's rise is marked by coarseness and opportunism.

• Sorrows Of An Official

  M. de Rênal's concern for public opinion and his manipulation of Julien's departure highlight the hypocrisy of social appearances.

• Chapter XXVI. The World, Or What The Rich Lack

  Julien's calculated adoption of pious behavior to advance his ambitions, and the seminarians' respect for wealth and power.

• Chapter XXVII. First Experience Of Life

  Julien's attempts at hypocritical gestures fail, and he observes the seminarians' obsession with material gain and social advancement through the Church.

• Chapter XXIX. The First Promotion

  The seminarists' sudden change in attitude towards Julien after his promotion highlights the hypocrisy in social climbing.

• Chapter XXX. An Ambitious Man

  Julien's secret affair and his manipulation of Madame de Rênal highlight the hypocrisy of a society that values appearances over morality, while he seeks to climb the social ladder.

• Chapter XXXIV. The Hôtel De La Mole

  The toadies' servile behavior and the nobles' empty politeness highlight the hypocrisy of the aristocratic world, while Julien's position as secretary represents a form of social mobility.

• Chapter LII. The Discussion

  The nobles discuss crushing public opinion and journalists while engaging in self-serving politics, highlighting their hypocrisy.

• Chapter LV. The Ministry Of Virtue

  Julien's calculated courtship of Madame de Fervaques is a performance to advance his social standing, while the marquis's political scheming highlights the hypocrisy of the aristocracy.

• Chapter LVI. Moral Love

  Julien's feigned melancholy and religious seriousness are tools for social advancement, exposing the hypocrisy inherent in aristocratic society.

• Chapter LVII. The Finest Places In The Church

  Julien engages in hypocritical flattery and bombastic rhetoric to gain favor, reflecting the artificiality of social climbing.

• Chapter LVIII. Manon Lescaut

  Julien's entire courtship of Madame de Fervaques is a calculated performance, where he lies and copies letters to advance his social position.

• A Storm

  Madame de Rênal's letter, written under the guise of religious duty, exposes Julien's perceived hypocrisy and the moral compromises inherent in his rise.

• Chapter LXXI. The Trial

  The trial exposes the hypocrisy of a society that condemns a man for daring to rise above his station.

• CHAPTER LXXIV

  Julien's interactions with his father and the convicts lead him to a cynical view of society, where he sees hypocrisy as a universal trait, present in both the lower classes and the Parisian salons.