Foil

Character Role Analysis

Monsieur de Rênal/Monsieur Valenod

Monsieur de Rênal comes from a long and distinguished family background. Valenod was born a relative nobody, but has worked his way into the wealthy classes with lots of shady business deals. Monsieur de Rênal stands for everything prim and proper about France's high society. Valenod is an intruder who has no manners and will do whatever it takes to get whatever he wants.

In short, de Rênal is an aristocrat and Valenod is a capitalist. Valenod eventually takes de Rênal's place as the mayor of Verrières, which might be Stendhal's way of suggesting that in the future, capitalists will take over the top ranks of society. And he wouldn't be wrong.