Julien Sorel Timeline and Summary

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Julien Sorel Timeline and Summary

  • Julien gets a job as a tutor with the wealthy de Rênal family. He has an affair with his employer's wife, Madame de Rênal.
  • Word about Julien's affair gets out, so he leaves town to avoid getting caught up in the scandal. He goes to priest school in another town.
  • After doing fairly well in priest school, Julien is given a job by the wealthy Marquis de La Mole, a wealthy man who lives in Paris.
  • Julien moves to Paris and goes to all kinds of lavish Paris parties with the de La Mole family.
  • Julien forms a romantic relationship with de La Mole's daughter, Mathilde.
  • She only seems to want what she can't have, so the two of them play a lot of love games with each other.
  • The Marquis de La Mole gets Julien to go on a secret mission as part of a government plot. Julien is too busy thinking about Mathilde to even know what the point of the mission is.
  • When Julien returns to the de La Moles, he gets back together with Mathilde for good. She tells him she's pregnant and they plan on marrying.
  • It's not easy, but Julien gets the Marquis' support for the marriage. The Marquis even gives him all the property, status, and wealth he'll need to be a powerful man. Everything looks great.
  • But nope, Madame de Rênal (Julien's former lover) sends a letter to the Marquis saying that Julien is just marrying Mathilde for her money.
  • Julien travels to his hometown and shoots Madame de Rênal for selling him out. She survives, but he's sentenced to death for attempted murder.
  • Julien has the option to appeal his sentence, but doesn't. He gets beheaded.