Christopher Booker is a scholar who wrote that every story falls into one of seven basic plot structures: Overcoming the Monster, Rags to Riches, the Quest, Voyage and Return, Comedy, Tragedy, and Rebirth. Shmoop explores which of these structures fits this story like Cinderella’s slipper.
Plot Type :
Anticipation Stage
Julien Sorel is an ambitious, intelligent young man who has his whole life ahead of him. He dreams of joining the army and becoming a great commander like Napoleon. Unfortunately, Napoleon is long gone and it's no longer possible to rise in French society through the army. So Julien does the next best thing and decides to join the priesthood. Along the way, he has an affair with the wife of his town's mayor. People find out, so he hightails it off to priest school before a scandal can break out in his hometown.
Dream Stage
While studying at priest school, Julien gets offered a job with the wealthy and powerful Marquis de La Mole in Paris. He even gets to eat with the family at dinnertime, and through them he experiences all of the best that upper class Paris has to offer. He also experiences some of the worst things, too, like all of the boring shallowness of the people around him.
He feels a lot better when he begins a romantic relationship with the Marquis' daughter. She gets pregnant and they decide to marry. Julien really feels like he's getting away with something at this point, because the Marquis decides to give him a bunch of property, money, and status in order to make him worthy of his daughter. It looks like Julien has fulfilled all of his ambitions.
Frustration Stage
Things go really wrong, really quickly for Julien when the Marquis de La Mole receives a letter from Julien's former lover, Madame de Rênal, which says that Julien is only marrying Mathilde for her money. Julien loses the Marquis' support and all of the wealth and power that would have come with it.
Nightmare Stage
Julien travels to his hometown of Verrières, buys two pistols, and shoots Madame de Rênal in church. There is a huge commotion and Julien is apprehended by the police. Madame de Rênal survives, but Julien is still going to be tried to attempted murder. He stands trial and tells all of the upper class people on the jury what he really thinks of them. This final blaze of pride gets him sentenced to death.
Destruction of Death Wish Stage
Julien's friends and lovers beg him to appeal his death sentence, but he won't do it. He has accepted his fate and no longer wants to live in a world run by hypocrites and social climbers. The authorities are more than happy to give him what he wants. They behead him a few days later and his lover Mathilde buries his severed head.