Who is Julien Sorel in The Red and the Black?

Julien Sorel is the ambitious, complex protagonist of Stendhal’s 1830 novel, The Red and the Black.1

The son of a carpenter, Sorel is a sensitive and intelligent youth who finds himself at a crossroads in Restoration-era France. After the fall of Napoleon, he perceives that the military offers no path to advancement, so he turns toward the church to make his mark. His character is defined by a series of internal and external polarities—symbolized by the title’s colors, representing the army (red) and the church (black)—as he struggles to rise above his lowly social condition.12

Viewing himself as an unsentimental opportunist, Sorel uses seduction as a tool for social climbing, notably with Madame de Rênal and later with the aristocratic Mathilde de La Mole in Paris. Ultimately, his story is one of psychological complexity; he is both timid and aggressive, ruthless and vulnerable. While in prison for the attempted murder of Madame de Rênal, Sorel realizes the vanity of his worldly ambitions, finding superior value in love and his inner life before his execution.12