The Red and the Black Appearances Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #4

His eye movements, for example, caused him serious difficulty. There was good reason, in a place like this, to keep one's eyes lowered. (1.26.37)

Julien quickly realizes that in seminary school, he should keep his eyes lowered to show that he's humble. Looking priests in the eye suggests that he's cocky, and that's not the way you want to seem around a bunch of old conservative dudes.

Quote #5

In critically evaluating himself, and trying not to exaggerate his capacities, Julien did not aspire all at once […] to make every single thing he did significant. (1.26.39)

When he's at seminary school, Julien knows it's best to fly under the radar of his fellow students. If he succeeds too much in public, he knows that he'll make them jealous and he'll eventually have to pay a price. That's why it's just as important to downplay appearances as it is to play them up.

Quote #6

"I see something in you which offends coarse souls." (1.29.7)

Father Pirard knows just by looking at Julien Sorel that most people will never like him. The reason is because Julien has a sort of emotional honesty that shines through in his appearance and offends hypocrites. The problem is that according to Stendhal, most people in the world are hypocrites.