What is the symbolic role of sexual impotence in Stendhal's novel Armance?

In Stendhal’s 1827 novel Armance, the hero’s sexual impotence serves as a powerful symbol for the conformist and oppressive nature of French society following the Bourbon Restoration.1

By centering the narrative on this condition, Stendhal illustrates the profound antagonism between the individual and the restrictive social order of the era. This thematic focus on the struggle of the individual against societal constraints remains a hallmark of his work, appearing again in his later masterpieces such as The Red and the Black and The Charterhouse of Parma.12