- This article is about the book. For other uses, see Sentimental
Education (disambiguation)
Sentimental Education (original French title: L'Éducation sentimentale, 1869) was Gustave Flaubert's last novel
published during his lifetime, and is considered one of the most influential 19th century
novels.
Plot
The novel describes the life of a young man (Frederic Moreau) living through the revolution of 1848 and the founding of the Second French Empire, and his love for
an older woman (based on the wife of the music publisher Maurice Schlesinger,
who is portrayed in the book as Jacques Arnoux). Flaubert based many of the protagonist's experiences (including the romantic
passion) on his own life. He wrote of the work in 1864
- "I want to write the moral history of the men of my generation-- or, more accurately, the history of their feelings. It's a
book about love, about passion; but passion such as can exist nowadays--that is to say, inactive."
The novel's tone is extremely ironic and pessimistic, lampooning French society with Flaubertian style.
Characters
The characters of Sentimental Education are marked by capriciousness and self-interest. Frederic, the main character, is
originally infatuated with Madame Arnoux, but throughout the novel falls in and out of love with her. Furthermore, he is unable
to decide on a profession and instead lives off of his uncle's inheritance. Other characters, such as Mr. Arnoux, are as
capricious with business as Frederic is with love. Without their materialism and "instinctive worship of power", almost the
entire cast would be completely rootless. Such was Flaubert's judgement of his times, and the continuing applicability of that
cynicism goes a long way in explaining the novel's enduring appeal.
Sequence of appearances
Here is a list of characters and their first appearances in Sentimental Education as found here (the page
numbers refer to the Penguin edition.)
- Frédéric Moreau, the "hero", a young man from the provincial France, who ends up a member of the middle class. (15)
- Jacques Arnoux, publisher, porcelain manufacturer; also a speculator and a womanizer, dead by the end of the novel. (16)
- Mme [Marie] Arnoux, his wife, mother of two children, who moves to Rome by the end of the novel. (18)
- Marthe Arnoux, their daughter (19)
- M. Roque, land-owner and M. Dambreuse's unsavory agent; father of Louise Roque.(23)
- Louise Roque, his red-headed daughter, a country-girl; has a crush on Frederic, marries Deslauriers, leaves him for a singer.
(23)
- Charles Deslauriers, law student, close friend of Frederic, a lawyer by the end of the novel. (24)
- M. Dambreuse, banker, aristocratic politician, timeserver, financier. Dead in the third part of the novel. (24)
- Mme Dambreuse, his much-younger, very determined, equixitely younger wife; she marries an Englishman by the end of the novel.
(31)
- Baptiste Martinon, law student, a rich farmer's son, a reasonable by hard-working careerist ends up a senator by the end of
the novel. (33)
- Marquis de Cisy, nobleman and law student, a dapper youth - father of 8 by the end of the novel. (34)
- Sénécal, math teacher and uncompromising, puritanical Republican - supposedly dead by the end of the novel. (36)
- Dussardier, shop worker, an idealistic Republican. (41)
- Hussonet, journalist, dramatic critc, clown, ends up controlling all the theaters and the whole Press. (introduced without
name on 38, named 42)
- Regimbart, "The Citizen", a boozy revolutionary chauvinist, becomes a ghost of a man. (46)
- Pellerin, painter with more theories than talent becomes a photographer. (46)
- Mlle Vatnaz, actress, courtesan, frustrated feminist with literary pretensions, vanishes by the end of the novel (47)
- Dittmer, guest at the Arnoux (57)
- Delmas or Delmar, actor, singer, showman (83)
- M. and Mme Oudry, guests at the Arnoux (92)
- Catherine, housekeeper for M. Roque (mentioned 29 and named 102)
- Eléonore, mother of Louise Roque (102)
- Uncle Barthélemy, wealthy uncle of Frédéric (104)
- Eugène Arnoux, son of the Arnoux (115)
- Rosanette Bron, "The Marshal," courtesan, later the wife and widow of M. Audry; adopts a little boy (121)
- Clémence, Deslauriers' mistress (182)
- Marquis Aulnays, Cisy's godfather; M. de Forchambeaux, his friend, Baron de Comaing, another friend; M. Vezou, his tutor (all
on 220)
- Cécile, M. Dambreuse's "niece", actually daughter (237)
- Another "character": Mme Arnoux's Renaissance silver casket, first noted at her house (56 and 59), then at Rosanette's (259),
finally bought at auction by Mme Dambreuse (407-8)
Internal timeline
An internal timeline of the novel drawn up by Jorn Barger is available here.
Influence
In the film Manhattan Woody Allen's
character lists this novel as one of his main reasons for living.
Editions
- Gustave Flaubert. Education sentimentale: Histoire d'un jeune homme. Paris, Garnier, 1984.
- Gustave Flaubert. Sentimental Education. Trans. by Robert Baldick. London, Penguin Books, 1964.
Online texts
External links
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