<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="1" > Balzac</h1>
Balzac was born in 1799, born in a french city with developed industry and commerce, his father had been a government official, and he himself had been a lawyer, so he was more familiar with the French society at that time, especially the society and human nature. Because he has been a lawyer, his logical thinking is very strong. At the same time, through various cases, it is possible to peek into the society at that time. He saw the various fraudulent battles and ugly insiders of the capitalist society of the time. Decided to write a book to show the style of the times.
Background of the times
France in the first half of the 19th century experienced three regime changes: the Napoleonic Empire, the French Bourbon Restoration, and the Louis Phillips Dynasty. With the determination of the capitalist system and the launch of the Industrial Revolution, France ushered in the rapid development of the commodity economy and entered an era of pursuing fame and profit, and pragmatism and pragmatism became the spirit of the times at that time.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="24" > the society of the time</h1>
Balzac, the greatest French critic of realism of the 19th century, wrote:
19th-century France was a society dominated by money, and everyone was busy, busy pursuing wealth and money, and using it to prove their worth and status. The pursuit of fame and profit, materialism, money worship, and hedonism were the characteristics of the times at that time, and the whole society was permeated with a selfish and cold money ideology of extreme egoism. So a large number of exquisite egoists appeared, including down-and-out aristocrats, greedy capitalists, miserly usurers, scheming citizens, inhuman bullies, fierce politicians, and so on.
France in the 19th century was a society with clear social strata and a widening gap between rich and poor:
Capitalists, politicians, aristocrats, careerists, etc. of high society, who are extremely extravagant and greedy for wealth;
The middle class, including brokers, businessmen, notaries, judges, etc., desperately trying to make money, thinking every day about how to increase their wealth, climbing the elite, and thus squeezing into high society.
Workers, citizens and small bourgeoisie at the bottom of society, they are overworked, nervously tired, every day thinking about how to stabilize their current life, maintain their competitive advantage, vested interests are not deprived, while improving their living standards, so that they are not so tired.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="25" > human nature dominated by money</h1>
"There is no such thing as money circulating everywhere in the world, and this thing can destroy the city-state, drive people out of their hometowns, teach good people bad, make them go down evil roads, do shameful things, and even cause wrongdoing and commit all kinds of crimes." - Ancient Greek tragedian
The idea that the relationship between people is moneyized, human nature is distorted, personality is extinguished, who has money, who has power, and so on, are all embodied in Balzaca's pen.
For example, in "Gobsek", Gobsek is a greedy and miserly guy, he exploits others in the form of usury, often for a few francs, but prefers to let the mountains of goods and food rot in his warehouse than to take them out. In his opinion, apart from the power of money, he did not believe in any principles, without any beliefs and notions of right and wrong.
"There is only one tangible thing that has a considerable tangible value and is worth worrying about, this kind of thing ... It's gold. ”
For example, "Eugenie Grande", he is a miserly who is addicted to money, he not only lends usury, but also runs a plantation, but also engages in public debt speculation, seizes and takes advantage of various opportunities to make a windfall, and once became the richest man in the local area. But he was extremely miserly, and in order to compete for money, he actually scared his wife to death, cheated his daughter's property inheritance rights, and single-handedly caused her daughter's love tragedy.
For example, in "Tall Old Man", Old Man Tall is an upstart, after losing his beloved wife, he refuses to remarry, transfers all his love for his wife to his two daughters, regards them as pearls in the palm of his hand, and gives everything he has for them to enjoy. He hired the best teachers to cultivate their talents, to learn to ride horses, to have their own vehicles, and to live in luxury like the mistress of a rich old lord.
After the two daughters became adults, the old man took out a high dowry, so that his two daughters married into the rich, became the countess and the banker's wife, and joined the high society.
Of course, the tall old man at this time was very respected by the two daughters, but the good times were not long, and after the marriage, the two daughters spent money like dirt, and when they had no money or spent all the money, they asked their fathers. Even if you have money, you can't fill these two bottomless pits. After the old man was squeezed out of the last dime by his two daughters, he could no longer exchange money for the love of his daughters, and was eventually abandoned by his two daughters.
At the last moment of his life, the tall old man was alone in the cold room, while his two good daughters were carefully dressed and accurate
Ready to attend Madame De Beauséjon's grand ball. The distortion of human nature by money is particularly evident at this moment.
There are also Miss Marquis Emily, Viscountess Bauséon, Marquis of Esgrignon, etc., they are representatives of the fallen nobles, whether they are noble ladies or famous ladies, they are very self-respecting, proud, and noble, they not only despise the vulgarity and copper odor of the upstarts of the new upstarts and bourgeoisie, but also fantasize in their bones about restoring the privileges of the nobility, and the dreamers are rich. Hypocrisy and arrogance are their manifestations.