Red and Black

The Red and the Black is a novel written by the French writer Stendhal, one of the most prominent French writers in the nineteenth century, and his works were characterised by irony and at the same time harsh criticism of the depths of the human soul. He lived within the strict social structure in France after the turmoil of the French Revolution and the rule of Napoleon Bonaparte, red symbolises the military uniform and black symbolises ideology because the priests' uniform was black, the novel revolves around the ideology-military conflict as well.

Julien was an ambitious young man but his circumstances were harsh, his mother was dead, his father was a ruthless carpenter and his brothers were wretched, Julien was daydreaming and preferred to read about the glorious victories of Napoleon Bonaparte whose army had been disbanded long ago, and he had to work in the timber trade with his father , but because of his ideas he was able to become one of the disciples of the local Bishop Chellan, who helped him get a job educating children at the house of Ferris Mayor Monsieur Le Renal.

Julian began an affair with the lady of the house in which he works, who is ten years older than him, and her maid, Elisa, also loved Julian, so when she learned of their relationship, she exposed her and when he knew the people of the village, the bishop orders him to leave the town for a ideology school in Besançon.

But Julian does not like school and sees that it stifles his thoughts, but the headmaster admires Julian's way and protects him, but when he leaves the school, he fears that Julian will be harassed by his colleagues for being close to him, so he recommends him to work as a secretary to the diplomat Marquis de la Mole.

In the years leading up to the July Revolution of 1830, Julian lives in Paris as an employee of the family de la Mall, during which time Julien is clearly aware of the materialism and hypocrisy that dominate the Parisian elite, and that the counter-revolutionary atmosphere will not allow men of thought and aesthetic sense to participate in public affairs, He hides his revolutionary ideas from them.

Julian is involved in a new romance with the daughter of the Marquis, Matilda de la Mole, who is initially torn between her attraction to Julian and her reluctance to enter into an affair with a lower-class man.

After a while, Matilda announces to Julian that she is carrying his child, however, while Julian is traveling on a diplomatic mission to England, she is betrothed to Mr. de Croisnois, a wealthy young gentleman and heir to the duchy. On their marriage, and provides Julian a job in the army and gives him an income-generating property and also gives him the title of an aristocrat to match his position.

But then the Marquis receives a letter from Mrs. Le Renal, which she wrote on the advice of Reverend Chellan, in which she tells the Marquis that Julian is an opportunist who takes advantage of his relationship with weak women to advance socially, so the Marquis annuls the marriage, when Julien learned of the letter, he went to Mrs. Le Renal and shot her Lead while attending the liturgy.

Ms. Le Renal did not die and was saved. However, Julian was sentenced to death, Matilda tries to save him by bribing officials, in addition to Ms. Le Renal trying to acquit him in court because she was still in love with him, and yet Julian wanted death because the class society that He grew up in France again, with no place for the likes of Julian from the poor class.