How does Julien Sorel use seduction to seek advancement?

In Stendhal’s novel The Red and the Black, the protagonist Julien Sorel views himself as an unsentimental opportunist who utilizes seduction as a calculated tool for social and professional advancement.12

Facing limited prospects in a post-Napoleonic society, Sorel attempts to rise above his lowly condition by navigating the rigid structures of the church and the aristocracy. He employs seduction strategically to gain influence and status:12

• Madame de Rênal: Sorel initially targets the affections of his employer’s wife, Madame de Rênal, while working as a tutor for her children.12
• Mathilde de La Mole: After spending time in a seminary, Sorel moves to Paris and seduces Mathilde, the aristocratic daughter of his second employer, as a means to secure his position within the upper class.12

Ultimately, Sorel’s reliance on these manipulative tactics leads to his downfall; he is executed for the attempted murder of Madame de Rênal after she jeopardizes his projected marriage to Mathilde. Through this character, Stendhal incisively critiques the careerism and bourgeois materialistic values of Restoration France.12