How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
A stream that rushes down from the mountains, crossing through Verrières and then pouring itself into the Doubs, powers a good many sawmills—an immensely simple industry that provides a modest living for most of the inhabitants, more peasant than bourgeois. (1.1.2)
Many of the people from Julien Sorel's hometown are peasants. Now you might expect descriptions of how dismal their lives are, but "peasant" in this book doesn't necessarily mean what you'd expect. In France, the classes used to be based on people's family history, not their money. That's why you can end up with very wealthy peasants in this book. People don't respect money as much as they respect education and good breeding.
Quote #2
"My grandfather used to tell us how, in his youth, he had a tutor. This one will cost me a hundred gold crowns, but we must see this expense as something necessary to preserve our social standing." (1.3.26)
Monsieur de Rênal is concerned with the way society sees him. It's not good enough to be rich and to come from a good family. Everyone in town needs to know how wealthy and well bred he is. After all, what's the good of being a great man if people don't admire you for it?
Quote #3
For the first time in her life, Madame de Rênal felt something like a desire for vengeance on her husband. And Julien's profound hatred for the rich was rising to the surface. (1.9.33)
After Julien starts his affair with Madame de Rênal, Madame gets infected by Julien's dislike for the rich. This leads Madame to seek vengeance on her husband for being such a pompous, clueless dude.
Quote #4
It was the withering effect of a politeness that was wonderful, but never unguarded, perfectly calibrated to social status: this was the mark of high society. But no feeling heart could ignore its artificiality. (2.5.7)
Mathilde de La Mole is every bit as polite and graceful as you'd expect someone from her social class to be. But beneath it all, there's a total emptiness in her heart. Julien can tell this right away because he doesn't come from Mathilde's world. Upper class folks wouldn't even notice it for a second, though. It's become customary for people to be polite and phony.
Quote #5
"When I see you wearing this medal, you'll be the younger son of my friend, the Duke of Chaulnes." (2.7.52)
The Marquis de La Mole has become aware of the rumors spreading about Julien being the son of a nobleman. He's not one to burst Julien's bubble, so he decides to play along. But just to keep things straight in his head, he gets Julien to wear a medal whenever he's pretending to be a nobleman's son. When he's not wearing the medal, he's back to being the marquis' employee.
Quote #6
"There's already grandeur, and true audacity, in daring to love someone so far beneath me in social standing." (2.11.17)
Mathilde feels like a bit of a romantic heroine for loving someone like Julien, who is so far beneath her in social status. Of course, this just makes her feel all giddy and happy. One of the worst feelings in Mathilde's life is boredom, and having a relationship with a peasant is anything but boring.
Quote #7
"[Our] worth, de Croisenois and I, has now been weighed, and the scale favors the poor carpenter from the Juras." (2.13.40)
As a guy who has always had a grudge against rich people, Julien loves that fact that Mathilde de La Mole prefers him to de Croisenois, a duke's son. How do you like them apples, upper class France?
Quote #8
"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 de La Mole almost immediately regrets sleeping with Julien. First of all, the guy is nothing but a peasant and she's the daughter of a powerful marquis. What would happen to her if she got pregnant? Oh. Oops.
Quote #9
Yet for all these finely tuned arguments, the marquis' soul found it hard to abandon hope of a duchess's title for his daughter. (2.33.45)
The Marquis de La Mole has a tough time accepting that his pregnant daughter wants to marry a poor commoner. He really wants her to raise herself in Paris society by marrying a duke. But it looks like those hopes have all been dashed.
Quote #10
"How grateful I am to you, dear Papa, for having saved me from the name Sorel." (2.34.25)
When he realizes he has not other choice, the Marquis de La Mole gives Julien some property, a military rank, and a fancy new name to make people think he's a French nobleman. Then and only then is he worthy to marry Mathilde, who thanks her father for saving her the shame of being seen as a peasant's wife.