The Red and the Black Sex Quotes

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

Quote #7

He's nothing but a commoner, after all […] His name will always remind me of the greatest mistake of my life. I need to follow, most faithfully, all those popular notions of wisdom, restraint, and honor: a woman has everything to lose, forgetting them. (2.25.37)

Mathilde tends to flip-flop a lot in her opinion about Julien once they've had sex. On the one hand, she thinks that he's a no-good peasant and that having sex with him was the biggest mistake of her life. But ten minutes later, she might feel the complete opposite.

Quote #8

"So Madame de Fervaques has stolen your heart from me… Has she made the same sacrifices for you, as this fatal love swept me into doing?" (2.30.4)

Mathilde doesn't like it when she sees Julien paying a lot of attention to Madame de Fervaques. She wonders whether Madame has had sex with Julien yet. All of this thinking just makes her crazy jealous. But then again, she's the one who told Julien she wanted nothing to do with him.

Quote #9

"Poor and voraciously greedy, this man sought position and reputation by the most consummate hypocrisy, as well as by the seduction of a weak and miserable woman." (2.35.16)

Madame de Rênal's letter to the Marquis de La Mole leaves little doubt about what kind of man Julien Sorel is. She admits to having sex with him and warns the marquis that Julien is only interested in marrying his daughter Mathilde so he can elevate his social status.