Romantic

Character Role Analysis

Mathilde/Madame de Rênal

Madame de Rênal has spent most of her life playing things safe and doing what society expects. It's only when Julien Sorel walks into her life that her passion catches fire. From that point on, she becomes unwavering in her loyalty to him. She even loves him after he tries to murder her.

Mathilde, on the other hand, is totally fickle in her love for Julien. She only respects and loves him when she feels like she can't have him. The moment he tells her he loves her, she loses interest. That's why she nearly dies of jealousy when she finds out that Julien prefers Madame de Rênal's company to hers. It's true that at the end of the book, Mathilde cries over Julien's severed head. But hey, him being dead just means that she can't have him. So being upset is totally consistent with her character.