The Red and the Black Appearances Quotes

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

Quote #7

[The vicar-general's] face might have seemed a good deal more sober, had it not been for the sharp keenness notable in certain of its features, so marked that they would have been an indication of duplicity, if the possessor of so handsome an appearance had ever, even for an instant, stopped thinking of himself. (1.29.63)

In other words, the vicar-general is too self-absorbed to be a cheat. Scheming requires a person to think about how other people are going to act, but you can tell from one look at the vicar-general's face that he's got no time for this.

Quote #8

Afterward, he decided they simply expressed their boredom at everyone there, though they obviously never forgot how imposing they were supposed to appear. (2.2.38)

Julien knows that the rich and powerful men of Paris are supposed to look, well, rich and powerful. But behind their outward appearances is a deep dissatisfaction that keeps any of them from enjoying their power and wealth.

Quote #9

"Oh, had I looked like him, perhaps she wouldn't have taken such a dislike to me, after three days of loving me." (2.24.7)

Julien wishes that he looked more like his rich buddy, Prince Korasoff. He figures that Mathilde would have kept liking him if he looked like someone from her own social class. Notice how there's no emphasis at all on Julien's personality here, just his looks.