The Red and the Black (novel)

*The Red and the Black* by Stendhal is a novel about Julien Sorel, a young man from a modest background who seeks to climb the social ladder. Through ambition, intelligence, and manipulation, he navigates the complex social and political landscape of 19th-century France. The title symbolizes the conflict between passion ("red") and morality or societal expectations ("black"). The story explores themes of ambition, love, hypocrisy, and the struggle for personal identity, highlighting the tensions between individual desires and societal constraints. The novel provides a sharp critique of social mobility, character, and the nature of ambition.