The Red and the Black Summary

In a small provincial town, Verrières, the local mayor appoints Julien Sorel, a carpenter's son with grand ambitions, as his children's tutor. Julien, who reveres Napoleon, aspires to gain power but realizes that in his time, influence is found in the Church, not the military. Despite being a seminary student, Julien seduces the mayor's wife, fulfilling what he perceives as his duty. Their love affair is revealed by a political opponent of the mayor, leading to potential scandal. To evade the brewing chaos, Julien's mentor and town priest, M. Chélan, transfers him to the Besançon seminary.

At the seminary, Julien impresses its director, M. Pirard, who sees potential for him to become an exceptional priest. Julien's success is motivated by his desire for social advancement and wealth, an ambition unbeknownst to the other priests who envy his intellect. M. Pirard, disillusioned by the Church's political meddling, resigns and recommends Julien as a personal secretary to his wealthy patron, the Marquis de la Mole, in Paris.

In Paris, Julien experiences both admiration and revulsion for society. Despite his efforts, he is viewed as less than by the nobility. Unexpectedly, the Marquis's daughter, Mathilde, falls for Julien, leading to a premarital pregnancy. Outraged at first, the Marquis eventually elevates Julien to nobility, enabling him to marry Mathilde. Julien's triumph is short-lived when he's denounced as a fortune-seeking womanizer by his former lover, the mayor's wife. The Marquis withdraws his approval of the marriage, driving Julien to shoot the mayor's wife in a fit of rage. While she survives, Julien is condemned to death. She forgives him before dying of heartbreak shortly after his execution.