How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
Had she been less in fashion, they might almost have said that her way of talking was a bit overcolored to be true feminine delicacy. (2.11.9)
Mathilde likes to tell it like it is, mainly because she's bored with all the prim and proper mannerisms of high society. If she weren't so powerful, more people would probably talk about how un-feminine she is. After all, the people of 19th-century France weren't big fans of women who spoke their minds.
Quote #8
Madame de Fervaques saw the tears; they were in such sharp contrast to his usual masculine steadiness that the heart of this great lady, so long steeped in all the most corroding effects of social-climber pride, was moved. (2.30.24)
Madame de Fervaques usually wouldn't give someone like Julien Sorel the time of day. But when she sees him crying at the opera, she realizes that he might have a sensitive, even feminine soul, and she's attracted to it. In fact, many of the women who are attracted to Julien in this novel are attracted by something that seems "feminine" about him, whether it's his looks or his actions.
Quote #9
"I'd be a wretched fool, believing I could stand two months in this disgusting place, the butt of slanders and humiliations invented by patricians, with my only consolation being the curses of this crazy woman." (2.42.18)
One of the reasons Julien doesn't want to appeal his death sentence is because he can't stand the thought of having his wife Mathilde visit him day after day for the next two months. This is pretty sad, considering how deeply Mathilde loves him. The phrase "crazy woman" helps show that Julien no longer see Mathilde as a person, but just as a crazy woman whom he'd like to get rid of.