The Readers Review: Literature from 1714 to 1910 discussion
Sentimental Education
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Sentimental Education Week 5: Part 2 Chapters 5 and 6
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A lot happens in this chapter, both in Frederic's life and in Paris as well.
Frederic continues his aimless life in Paris and isn't happy there. He plans to return home to Nogent, but the day before his planned return he runs into Mme Arnoux and then visits Deslauriers. Deslauriers tells him that he told Mme that Frederic was getting married, and Frederic finds an opportunity to tell Mme Arnoux that the rumours of his marriage are false and that he still loves her.
Frederic has a friendly discussion with Mme A on a visit to their summer house in Auteuil.
The ugly portrait of Rosanette painted by Pellerin makes an appearance, and Frederic, under the influence of his so-called friends, is persuaded to buy it.
The chapter ends with lots of drama.
Frederic receives a letter from his mother asking him to make up his mind about the marriage with Louise.
Frederic makes a date with Mme Arnoux who doesn't show up at the rendezvous because her son Eugene is very ill, so Frederic decides to visit Rosanette and they spend the night together.
Politically, it's 1848, a fateful year in French and European history.
The people are fed up with the corruption of the current government, a monarchy. They show their desire for change with protests and riots in the streets of Paris. Many of Frederic's friends are getting involved in politics as well.
There are interesting times ahead.
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If you have any questions about the historical events in 1848 and beyond, don't hesitate to ask.
And if you have any information you would like to share, it will be greatly appreciated.
In this section the rumbling passions of both Frederic and the people of Paris finally explode into life.For Frederic, he becomes much more intimate with the three women that can be considered as his ‘love’ interests. After reading this section I don’t really believe that he truly loves any of them. He is far too selfish and thinks little about the consequences of his actions when he is with with each of the women.
Sadly, he has no love for Louise, just a fondness for her charm and the added bonus of her father’s wealth.
His major love, Madame Arnoux, is really just an immense infatuation. In his eyes she has ceased to become a real person, just a goddess he has placed on a pedestal. He finds himself in some celestial heaven when with her but without her he lies in a dark pit of despair.
And Rosanette (for some reason I love that name) is his devilish toy which he sometimes throws out of his pram, but always wants back because he can’t subdue his lustful longings for her.
My sympathies lie much more with the three women than with M. Moreau.
Louise has been left waiting and waiting for Frederic to name a day for their marriage. A day he never intends to name.
Madame Arnoux, is in love with Frederic, but is now tormented with guilt. What a contrast between her love and sincerity and Frederic’s scheming to get her out of the house in Auteuil to a seedy hotel, having prepared a ‘love nest’ to finally push her over the edge.
It reminded me of the way Robert Lovelace (spoiler alert for those who have not read Clarissa, or, The History of a Young Lady). (view spoiler)
And how ironic that the empty ‘nest’ he had prepared for his goddess was used instead to gratify his sexual cravings with Rosanette. My sympathies for Rosanette rose highest at this point. Whenever I read about women like Rosanette, I think of Fantine in Les Miserables.
Has Frederic really pushed his goddess off her pedestal or will he just be distracted for a time by Rosanette and the bombs going off all over Paris?
I was interested in finding out about the Arteuil district of Paris. It was not quite part of Paris at the time Flaubert was writing about, but became part of the city in 1859.It is now home to many famous places recognised all over the world.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auteuil...
https://www.cometoparis.com/discover-...
https://www.pariscityvision.com/libra...
https://parismap360.com/paris-arrondi...
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I do get the impression that Rosanette can take care of herself, at least more than Frederic can.
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Rosemarie wrote: "Frederic has no depth, and generally his actions are actually reactions to events that happen around him. He's drifting through life without ever making any real life choices.His ‘Sentimental Education’ has now began with his romp with Rosanette and the lesson he should learn from it is to dump sentimentalism!
I like Rosanette much better than the boring, pious Madan Arnoux. Frederic should marry Louise and if he gets bored take a lover; such behaviour has been more or less endorsed by M. Arnoux’s complacent attitude to her husband’s unfaithfulness.
I hope he completes his ‘education’ before he runs out of money!
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Rosemarie wrote: "Frederic has no depth, and generally his actions are actually reactions to events that happen around him. He's drifting through life without ever making any real life choices."Intellectually, emotionally, and as regards character, Frederic is still an adolescent. He is ruled by his emotions, none of which are very deep. He thinks of his connection to Madame Arnoux as love; I call it obsession. This is complicated by the mixed signals he is now getting from her; it seems she is flattered by his obsession, yet we know her first and only real love is for her children.
It his money that sustains Frederic's immaturity and weaknesses. Having few worries about the necessities of living, he can put off, perhaps indefinitely, growing up.
Mod
At the rate he's spending it, his eyes will be opened soon!
Rosemary Wrote: 'He thinks of his connection to Madame Arnoux as love; I call it obsession'.So do I - and it reminds me of a real life scenario concerning musicians. Flaubert sets the meeting between Frederic, Monsieur and Madame Arnoux in 1840; Johannes Brahms befriended Robert and Clara Schumann after he was introduced to them 1854. Johannes was 20 years old, Clara 34. Brahms was obsessed with Clara and when Robert died in 1856 Johannes Brahms and Clara Schumann remained (assumed platonic) friends for 40 years, they both died within a year of each other. Brahms never married, it is said that as a youth he was forced to play piano in brothels where the prostitutes teased him, perhaps his obsession was with what he perceived as a decent woman, who knows? Any music lovers of the Romantic era out there will be familiar with the story.
We have been critical of Frederic's amatory enterprises but perhaps he merits some indulgence. Given his financial and social status, it would be virtually impossible for him to marry for love. An American woman of my acquaintance was married to a Frenchman whose family name contained a particle. She was amused on viewing the family portraits to find that the pulchritude of the women in the family was inverse to the family's prosperity at the time; when well off the sons acquired more attractive brides. Basically a man of Frederic's class was expected to marry for financial status or social position. So far as extramarital sexual relationships were concerned, he had two choices, a demimondaine (I so seldom get a chance to that term these days) like Rosanette or a discreet affair with a married woman. As a crazy romantic, Frederic is attracted to the latter.
Mod
So true!
The Readers Review: Literature from 1714 to 1910
Books mentioned in this topic
Clarissa, or, The History of a Young Lady (other topics)Les Miserables (other topics)
While Frederic is spending his time going for long walks in the countryside with Louise and talking about the past, Deslauriers is spreading rumours.
Deslauriers told Mme Arnoux that Frederic was getting married, which is just a supposition.
When Mme Arnoux heard this, she realized that she did love Frederic.
Frederic, still dithering, returns to Paris without making any decision about his wedding to Louise.