Eugène de Rastignac

Essay Plan

A) General Description

1. His attractive appearance
2. He is charming
3. He is sincere
4. He is generally admired
5. He is sensitive
6. He is basically an honourable young man
7. He is a very impetuous and determined young man.
8. He shows real bravery.

B) The factors giving rise to his driving ambition to succeed in Paris society

1. His very different original ambition when he first came to Paris
2. The envy that grew during his first year as a student
3. The envy he felt on first gaining access to society
4. The growing unacceptability of his own lifestyle.
5. The provocation of being ostracised
6. His decision to succeed in Paris society

C) SIX MAJOR EVENTS MARKING RASTIGNAC’S PROGRESS IN PARIS SOCIETY

1. At Mme de Beauséant’s first invitation, he encounters the charms of a beautiful Parisian society lady.
2. Formal dinner at the Beauséant mansion, followed by socialising at the theatre
3. Dressed as a dandy he has dinner at the Nucingen home, followed by theatre with a beautiful lady at his side
4. Savouring his acceptance in society at the Carigliano’s ball
5. Established in a luxury apartment on the Chaussée d’Antin with a beautiful mistress
6. He accompanies Delphine on her entry into the society of the top elite at the Beauséants’ final grand ball-but the unattractive reality of Paris is revealed.

D)  Does Rastignac’s story trace the course of his moral downfall?

1) Rastignac knew from the start the evils of the Paris society into which he was venturing

1. Vautrin’s first warning to Rastignac
2. The warning given by Mme de Beauséant about the evils of Paris society
3. Vautrin’s long lecture to Rastignac, warns him of the rottenness of society.

2) Rastignac is almost immediately seized by the demon of luxury.

1. He is impressed by the power of money
2. He becomes trapped in a lifestyle he cannot afford
3. His ambition is excessive
4. Rastignac becomes calculating in order to achieve his hidden agenda

E)  The dishonourable acts of which Rastignac is guilty.

1. Rastignac takes his family’s savings to finance his new lifestyle
2. Rastignac deliberately seeks to exploit Dephine to achieve his ambitions
3. Rastignac’s temptation to become wealthy by using Victorine.
4. Rastignac’s compromise of his values for the love of a woman of Paris

F) How Rastignac redeems himself

1. His ever active conscience
2. He repays his debt to his family
3. His love for Delphine quickly becomes more important than his self-interest
4. His concern for sexual morality
5. His resistance  to Vautrin’s evil plan is normally very strong and active
6. His very praiseworthy loyalty to Goriot
7. His goodness is recognised by Mme de Beauséant

Conclusion

What kind of man was the Rastignac who confronted Paris from the graveyard of Le Père Lachaise?

(End of essay plan)

ESSAY ON THE CHARACTER OF EUGENE DE RASTIGNAC

A) General Description

1. His attractive appearance

Eugène de Rastignac was a law student.  He looked like the Southerner he was. (In fact he came from Angouleme, in the area of central France towards the West coast, called la Charente. (We would not call it the south!). He had a pale complexion, dark hair, blue eyes. 

His appearance and manners betrayed his aristocratic origins (his family was impoverished nobility).  Although he usually dressed casually, he could on occasions dress in the fashion of an elegant young man.
 Page 22
Eugène de Rastignac avait un visage tout méridional  le teint blanc, des cheveux noirs, des yeux bleus. Sa tournure, ses manières, sa pose habituelle dénotaient le fils  d’une famille noble, où l’éducation première n’avait comporté que des traditions de bon goût. S’il était ménager de ses habits, si les jours ordinaires il achevait d’user les vêtements de l’an passé, néanmoins il pouvait sortir quelquefois mis comme l’est un jeune homme élégant.

When later he spends more money and effort on his appearance, he catches the eye of the women.  We are told that he is young, handsome with a good dress sense – Page 136: 
Il était si beau, si jeune, et d’une élégance de si bon goût.

2) He is charming
The hour that Victorine spends with Rastignac (Page 194) is to be the most romantic experience of her life, not because she will have a poor and sad life- on the contrary, she is going to know wealth and happiness- but because of the tenderness she feels with Rastignac close to her. Page 194 
En cette heure, elle avait prodigué plus de trésors d'âme que plus tard, riche et heureuse, elle n'en aurait donné en se livrant tout entière

Delphine is enraptured by the experience when she and Rastignac become lovers.  Goriot tells him how totally wrong he had been to believe that Delphine did not love him- page 197:
Elle vous aime trop ! dit-il en hochant la tête après une pause. En allant, elle causait de vous avec moi: « N'est-ce pas, mon père, il est bien ! Il a bon cœur ! Parle-t-il de moi ;» Bah, elle m'en a dit, depuis la rue d'Artois jusqu'au passage des Panoramas, des volumes!

3) He is sincere
Delphine had never before experienced a young sincere love like that of Eugène.-Page 268:
Elle n'avait jamais entendu les expressions vibrantes d’un amour jeune et sincère. Quelques mots de plus, elle ne se serait plus contenue.

4) He is generally admired
Vautrin, whose sexual preferences are strongly hinted at, acknowledges Rastignac’s good looks and gentle manner Page 23
Vous êtes un beau jeune homme, délicat, fier comme un lion et doux comme une jeune fille. Vous seriez une belle proie pour le diable.
Finally there is a tribute from a more mature woman who we see powerfully drawn to different men throughout the book.  Madame Vauquer says of him that in her 31 years she has never admired someone as much as Eugène. Page 206
Ah! Je peux bien dire que depuis trente et un ans que je tiens ma pension, dit madame Vauquer, il m'est passé bien des jeunes gens par les mains, comme on dit; mais je n'en ai jamais vu d'aussi gentil, d'aussi distingué que monsieur Eugène.

5) He is sensitive 
When the Duchesse de Langeais tells him the full story of Goriot's cruel treatment at the hands of his daughters, Rastignac is so deeply touched that tears come into his eyes. -Page 39.        
Quelques larmes roulèrent dans les yeux d'Eugene, récemment rafraîchi par les pures et saintes émotions de la famille, encore sous le charme des croyances jeunes, et qui n'en était qu’à sa première journée sur le champ de bataille de la civilisation parisienne.

His sensitivity is shown again, after he has had his first intimate meeting with Delphine at the theatre.  Rastignac goes to Goriot’s room to give him news of his daughter.  Goriot wants to know if she had sent him a message.  Eugene lies and makes him happy by saying she sends a kiss.  Rastignac’s compassion is revealed in the disgust he feels at that moment. - Page 152:
— Le pauvre homme, se dit Eugène en se couchant, il y a de quoi toucher des cœurs de marbre. Sa fille n'a pas plus pensé à lui qu'au grand-Turc.

6) He is basically an honourable young man 
His family and friends recognise his good honourable character. Rastignac's mother sends him all the money she and his Aunt have available. While counselling virtue, patience and resignation, she praises Eugène - Page 108:
Si tu sais quelles sont tes obligations, je sais, moi, combien ton cœur est pur, combien tes intentions sont excellentes. Aussi puis-je te dire sans crainte : Va, mon bien-aimé, marche!

Goriot came to share this admiration.  Eugène and Goriot become good friends. With the primitive instincts you find in a dog, Goriot recognises the kindness and sympathy of Rastignac towards him. Page 135
-Page 135:
Le père Goriot, que son sentiment irréfléchi élevait jusqu'au sublime de la nature canine, avait flairé la compassion, l'admirative bonté, les sympathies juvéniles qui s'étaient émues pour lui dans le cœur de l'étudiant.
 
Goriot believes that Rastignac has standards of honesty found in very few people.  As he is a tradesman he can recognise people of good faith.  - Page 170:
Vous réussirez dans la vie, lui dit le vieillard. Dieu est juste, voyez-vous? Je me connais en probité, moi, et puis vous assurer qu'il y a bien peu d'hommes qui vous ressemblent.

Balzac describes Rastignac’s fundamental Christian goodness. After Delphine has given Rastignac 1000 Francs of the winnings he had made for her by gambling, he hands the money over to Goriot and finds satisfaction in behaving honourably. The author says that Rastignac was a true Christian in that he performed good deeds in secret, that is to say, not merely for public acclaim- Page 170:
Il n'y a peut-être que ceux qui croient en Dieu qui font le bien en secret, et Eugène croyait en Dieu.

On bidding him a final farewell, Mme de Beauséant paid tribute to all these fine qualities of Rastignac.  (See later in this essay).

7) Rastignac is a very impetuous and determined young man.

In the quotation given above, Vautrin had said that Rastignac had the pride of a lion. Later, Vautrin again compares him to a lion.  When Vautrin again makes the analogy, it is to tell Eugène that his fiery nature makes it totally impossible for him to accept the limitations of his present impoverished circumstances -  Page 121:
…..mais nous avons le sang fiévreux des lions et un appétit à faire vingt sottises par jour.

Vautrin is right to predict that his impetuosity will lead him to make some disastrous mistakes.  Rastignac had already made a very major blunder by his disrespectful mention of “Père Goriot” to Anastasie, after having glimpsed him with her in her house.

Balzac attributes Rastignac’s vivacity and determination to the character of people from Southern part of France.  The author tells us that, Paris life brought out Rastignac’s faults but had also accentuated these southern traits.  Page 114:
Depuis un mois il s'était d'ailleurs développé chez Eugène autant de qualités que de défauts. Ses défauts, le monde et l'accomplissement de ses croissants désirs les lui avaient demandés. Parmi ses qualités se trouvait cette vivacité méridionale qui fait marcher droit à la difficulté pour la résoudre

We see his determined character when he first goes to visit Anastasie de Restaud. The servants do not conceal their contempt of this young man, who has come on foot along the filthy streets of Paris. Rastignac is angered but retains his supreme self-confidence.  He responds Page 67 ……
Avec la rage froide d'un homme sûr de triompher un jour, ….

When he realises that the Comte Maxime de Trailles, having arrived to find Rastignac with his mistress, is signalling for him to be got rid of, Rastignac stubbornly follows the couple into the salon, refusing to be intimidated.

His self confidence is shown when he first attends social functions.  At the dinner of Mme de Beauséant he is totally amazed by the wealth and elegance on show, but he has the self-composure to act with some of the aplomb which was to become later a striking feature of his character: Page 139 
L'aplomb qui le distingua plus tard si éminemment, et qu'il commençait à prendre, l'empêcha de e s'ébahir niaisement

After it appeared that Eugène had lost the support of Mme de Beauséant by calling her “cousin”, presuming a closeness that their very distant relationship did not justify, he still refused to accept defeat, even though he had to sacrifice his dignity to plead with her for her understanding. 

The single minded determination of Rastignac is shown once again as he carries out the scheme to use Delphine to gain entry into Parisian high society.  On meeting Delphine for the first time, the personal flattery that he speaks to a distinguished married lady is very audacious Page 145 –
En vous voyant, quand je suis entré, je me suis senti porté vers vous comme par un courant. J'avais déjà tant pensé à vous ! Mais je ne vous avais pas rêvée aussi belle que vous l'êtes en réalité. Madame de Beauséant m'a ordonné  de ne pas vous tant regarder. Elle ne sait pas ce qu'il y a d'attrayant à voir vos jolies lèvres rouges, votre teint blanc, vos yeux si doux.

When Delphine sets him the formidable task of placing her 100 franc stake at a gambling house, with the aim of winning her 6000 francs, of which she has desperate need, Rastignac accepts to do it.  He joins the tables of gamblers for the first time in his life without any qualms and is unabashed by the number of people watching him.  He is not embarrassed to show himself the complete novice and asks openly how he goes about it- Page 163.
A l'étonnement des habitués, le garçon de salle le mène devant une longue table, Eugène, suivi de tous les spectateurs, demande sans vergogne où il faut mettre l'enjeu.

At the end of the book, when Rastignac is angered by the daughters’ neglect of their dying father, he goes to confront the prestigious households into which Goriot’s daughters had married.  Even though the servants of the Restaud family refuse him entry, Rastignac’s insistence prevails and he gains access to the Comte to rebuke him for leaving his old father-in-law to die alone in a cold unheated room.

(His determination will be illustrated at more length in the following section:” The driving ambition of Rastignac”.)

1. Rastignac shows real bravery

At times, Rastignac shows real physical bravery.  We get the idea that he is fearless, when, after he has befriended Goriot, he warns that anyone who hurts Goriot will have him to deal with.

The middle aged Vautrin was the dominant character and played centre stage in the Vauquer boarding house but Rastignac, typically, refused to be overawed by him.  When Vautrin made fun at his expense, Rastignac showed that he was not amused and refused to have anything to do with him.  When Vautrin intervened to tip, in Rastignac’s place, the man who delivered the penniless student’s parcel, Rastignac insisted on repaying him without delay, unwilling to be in his debt.  At this Vautrin took offence and the quarrel grew so bitter that the two men had to continue it in the privacy of the garden.  We know that Rastignac was prepared to fight a duel with Vautrin because the latter came back inside to get his duelling pistols.

Later after Vautrin has been led to believe that Rastignac has finally accepted his plan to enrich Victorine by the murder of her brother, Vautrin pays tribute to his courage Page 194
Bien, mon petit aiglon! Vous gouvernerez les hommes; vous êtes fort, carré, poilu; vous avez mon estime.

B) The factors giving rise to his driving ambition to succeed in Paris society

1) His very different original ambition when he first came to Paris
Rastignac harnessed his natural gifts and his strength and resoluteness of character to achieve one single overriding ambition - to achieve personal success at the top levels of French society. 

This was a totally different goal from the one that he had had on first coming to Paris.  Then he had intended to be a conscientious student in order to make a success of a legal career, which would have given him comfortable and rewarding life.  However a strong steak of ambition was already present in him from the start.  We are told that he was very alert to spot the opportunities that the great changes occurring in France might offer. -Page 16:
(Rastignac was….) un de ces jeunes gens……. qui se préparent une belle destinée en calculant déjà la portée de leurs études, et, les adaptant par avance au mouvement futur de la société, pour être les premiers à la pressurer.

In those days, he would not countenance underhand or dishonourable tactics- Page 41:
Comme il arrive aux âmes grandes, il voulut ne rien devoir qu'à son mérite.

The lure of Paris life was however to change his path.  Balzac comments that Rastignac was typical of many other students and remarks on the folly of bringing young people to study in Paris. He wonders why any schools are located there as this only leads to the seduction of the scholars.  Balzac believes that the story of a poor student’s struggle against the lures of the capital has great dramatic potential- Page 139:
S'il était bien peint dans sa lutte avec Paris, le pauvre étudiant fournirait un des sujets les plus dramatiques de notre civilisation moderne.

In spite of the seductions of Paris there was nothing inevitable about the choice that Rastignac was eventually to make.  His friend and fellow student Bianchon remained resolutely committed to his original career path in medicine.  He extolled instead the simple pleasures of the life of a country gentleman that it promised – Page 156: 
Moi, je suis heureux de la petite existence que je me créerai en province, où je succéderai tout bêtement à mon père. Les affections de l'homme se satisfont dans le plus petit cercle aussi pleinement que dans une immense circonférence. Napoléon ne dînait pas deux fois.

2) The envy that grew during his first year as a student
Rastignac’s move into Paris society was the result of a very conscious decision formed over a number of months.  Already, during his first year as a law student Rastignac had joined in Paris social life and he had unconsciously begun to envy the rich.  The disparity in lifestyle struck him hard after he went on holiday back home to his family estates. He had then become aware of the limited fortunes of his family and he formed a scheme to elevate himself socially.  

3) The envy he felt on first gaining access to society
Rastignac had one important advantage that gave him an opening into rich society. His aunt, Mme. de Marcillac had formerly been presented at court.  Eugène had formed the opinion that the only way that he could gain entry into the rich circles of Paris society was with the help of a rich patroness.  He approached his aunt for help in finding a contact and she agreed to write him a letter of introduction to a relative, the Vicomtesse de Beauséant, a leading Paris socialite. The noble lady replied without delay, enclosing an invitation to a ball that was taking place the next day. 

His first contacts with rich society only served to make him aware of the humiliating inferiority occasioned by his poverty.  At the mansions of Anastasie de Restaud and of Mme de Beauséant house he became painfully aware of his poverty and insignificance.  As he had no carriage he was forced to walk through the mud and filth of the Paris streets, in order to make his social visits.  The reception that he received from the servants in these houses was mocking contempt.  They were used to opening the door to he magnificence of super-rich noblemen such as d’Adjuda-Pinto Mme de Restaud’s lover.  Rastignac shares their admiration for such magnificence and recognises his immense handicap. -Page 82:
Mais il faut donc avoir des chevaux fringants, des livrées et de l'or à  flots pour obtenir le regard d'une femme de Paris?

4) The growing unacceptability of his own lifestyle.
After these visits, Rastignac found the terrible squalor of his lodgings an unacceptable contrast- Page 95
Le spectacle de ces misères et l'aspect de cette salle lui furent horribles. La transition était trop brusque, le contraste trop complet, pour ne pas développer outre mesure chez lui le sentiment de l'ambition

5) The provocation of being ostracised
A final provocation for Rastignac was to find himself ostracised by the de Restaud family following the gaffe he had made when referring to Goriot, unaware that he was Anastasie’s father.

6) His decision to succeed in Paris society
The strong-minded southerner then made the decision to put off his legal studies until just before the final exams in two years time. Instead, he would spend the next 15 months in Paris society fishing for a fortune by means of a woman- Page 100:             
II avait ainsi quinze mois de loisirs pour naviguer sur l'océan de Paris, pour s'y livrer à la traite des femmes, ou y pêcher la fortune.

.

C) SIX MAJOR EVENTS MARKING RASTIGNAC’S PROGRESS IN PARIS SOCIETY
The book tells of six major stages in the development of Rastignac’s relationship with Parisian society

Event 1 At Mme de Beauséant’s first invitation,he encounters the charms of a beautiful Parisian society lady  
Rastignac’s first experience of a rich social event was the ball which had been Mme de Beauséant’s initial invitation to him.  Here he was won over by the charms of a beautiful lady of Paris society.  During the quadrilles he had had the opportunity to dance with and talk to the voluptuous Mme Anastasie de Restaud.  His description of her is ecstatic: Page 45

La comtesse Anastasie de Restaud grande et bien faite, passait pour avoir l'une des plus jolies tailles de Paris. Figurez-vous de grands yeux noirs, une main magnifique, un pied bien découpé, du feu dans les mouvements, une femme que le marquis de Ronque­rolles nommait un cheval de pur sang.

_

Event 2 - Formal dinner at the Beauséant mansion, followed by socialising at the theatre 
Mme. de Beauséant provided him also with the second occasion with an invitation to dinner at her home followed by a theatre visit.  At dinner with the Viscountess of Beauséant, Rastignac is amazed by the luxury typical of the Restoration period.  He recognises this as the tasteful opulence of the real nobility Page 139
……. en voyant cette argenterie sculptée, et les mille recherches d'une table somptueuse, en admirant pour la première fois un service fait sans bruit, il était difficile à un homme d'ardente imagination de ne pas préférer cette vie constamment élégante à la vie de privations qu'il voulait embrasser le matin.

When later that evening he accompanies Mme de Beauséant to the theatre, he is again entranced by another society beauty at the sight of the slim blonde Delphine de Nucingen.  The critical eyes of Mme. de Beauséant see the young lady’s faults but Eugène sees only her beauty and he directs his attention to her openly. 

Mme de Beauséant helps Rastignac in his plan of finding him a beautiful woman to accompany his entry into society, cynically stated above.  She recognises that they can exploit Delphine’s social ambitions and promises to get Eugène an invitation to the forthcoming ball at the house to the Maréchal de Carigliano's, where he will have the opportunity to meet Delphine.  She also gets d'Adjuda, her Portuguese lover to take Eugène to meet Delphine at the theatre. In personal conversation with her, Rastignac finds the personal flattery that he offers is accepted without the least offence.

As a result as Rastignac walks home, he feels very satisfied with this first meeting with Delphine. He has made real progress along the deliberately calculated path to his ambitions.  Delphine has taken the bit, now he has to master her.  However the woman of Paris has begun to take her hold of him.  As he walks home, Rastignac finds himself in love with the beautiful Delphine.  When he goes to see père Goriot on his return, the contrast of the squalor of Goriot's room and the luxury of the salons of high society reinforces further his determination to succeed.

The more Rastignac lived this life, the less willing he was to give it up:
Plus Eugène jouissait de la vie Parisienne, moins il voulait demeurer obscure et pauvre.

Event 3- Dinner at the Nucingen home, followed by theatre with a beautiful lady at his side

In the intervening days before the grand event of the society ball at the house of the Duchesse de Carigliano, where Rastignac intended to deepen his relationship with Mme de Nucingen, this same young lady made a surprise move apparently for the same ends. It was Goriot who delightedly conveyed his daughter’s letter, inviting Rastignac to go to the theatre with her in place of her husband, who did not wish to go. Prior to the theatre, they would have dinner together at the Nucingen home.

As Rastignac prepares for his evening with Delphine, another charm of Paris life increases its hold on him. He had enjoyed the exhilaration of dressing like a Parisian dandy earlier when, with the money borrowed from his family, Rastignac had been able to buy fashionable clothes.  At that time, while trying on the elegant clothes, Eugene had forgotten his resolution to devote himself to his studies and began to look forward to shining in society-Page 134:
En se voyant bien mis, bien ganté, bien botté, Rastignac oublia sa vertueuse résolution.

Now, as he dresses for his meeting with Delphine, Rastignac looks at himself in the bedroom mirror and an his proud vanity is revealed by the poses he strikes - Page 153:
Il se permit des singeries enfantines autant qu'en fait une jeune fille en s'habillant pour le bal

The impressive effect of his new outfit means that Rastignac is subjected to a barrage of jokes, when he makes his entrance in the dining room of the Vauquer dining room, but Rastignac catches  a furtive glance of admiration from Victorine and his new style certainly works on Mme Vauquer who lusts after him..

Eugene is alone at dinner with Mme de Beauséant and he finds, in the house of the rich banker, extreme luxury and exquisite, equal that which had seduced him at the house of Mme de Beauséant. However the mission on which Delphine sends him in the gambling hoses of paris is soon to offer an incongruous contrast to this.

Later, as he sits in the theatre box with Delphine, the charm of a Parisian lady again weaves its spell upon Rastignac. The happiness in Delphine’s face would lead the Parisians who observe her to believe that she had found love and they squeezed hands as they enjoyed the music together. But Eugène’s over-confident expectations are soon dashed. He encounters the stratagems of a Parisian lady when she refuses to let Eugene kiss her farewell, except upon the hand. Eugene is displeased, as she had lavished kisses on him at the gambling room.  She tells him teasingly that those were kisses of gratitude, whereas a kiss now would be a promise. 

Event 4 - Savouring his acceptance in society at the Carigliano’s ball

The highly prestigious ball at the Duchesse de Carigliano's house takes place two days later. There he meets Delphine again.  She has ensured that she is at her most glamorous for the eyes of all present, but is mainly concerned to win Rastignac’s admiration.  It is on this occasion that Rastignac feels that he has achieved his aim and that he is now established in Paris society.  As he moves around the circles of guests, he is aware of his own standing - he is the cousin of Mme. de Beauséant and the lover - so society assumes - of the beautiful Baroness de Nucingen.  On this glittering occasion, he enjoys all these pleasures of vanity and the evening forms a brilliant debut for Rastignac.

Event 5 – Established in a luxury apartment on the Chaussée d’Antin with a beautiful mistress 
This stage in Rastignac’s social progress comes about when Goriot provides Rastignac with a rich apartment, where he can be with Delphine. Previously Eugène still contemplated the alternative lifestyle advocated by Bianchon - the decent life of a provincial gentleman.   Increasingly he was finding that life in Paris society was beyond his means and Vautrin had said bluntly that it was impossible to be a frequenter of the salons of Paris and live at Mme Vauquer’s.  This problem is solved totally unexpectedly when Goriot raises the money to buy a rich apartment where Rastignac can meet Delphine and where the father hopes to be welcome as well.

At this point the alternative, virtuous, modest lifestyle is set aside . -Page 246:
Néanmoins ses derniers scrupules avaient disparu la veille quand il s'était vu dans son appartement. En jouissant des avantages matériels de la fortune, comme il jouissait depuis longtemps des avantages moraux que donne la naissance, il avait dépouillé sa peau d'homme de province, et s'était douce­ment établi dans une position d'où il découvrait un bel avenir.

In his enjoyment of the luxury of his new home, Rastignac becomes forgetful of his duty to Goriot. He decides he will not bring Goriot to live there. Even though Bianchon had told Rastignac that the old man was on the verge of a stroke, Rastignac did not tear himself from his apartment until four in the afternoon and returned to Mme Vauquer’s to find the old man already desperately ill.

The possession of the apartment, finally established the relationship of Rastignac and Delphine.  She became his mistress and in two days of passion Delphine has changed him, wiping out his past principles.  The sensual enjoyment now tied them both together and had become real love. Page 277
Infâme ou sublime, il adorait cette femme pour les voluptés qu'il lui avait apportées en dot, et pour toutes celles qu'il en avait reçues;
Eugène had thought previously that she did not love him as he loved her.  Now Delphine tells Eugène how deep is her love for him.-page 267:        
Il n’est plus aujourd'hui qu'une seule crainte, un seul malheur pour moi, c'est de perdre l'amour qui m'a fait sentir le plaisir de vivre. En dehors de ce sentiment tout m'est indifférent, je n'aime plus rien au monde. Vous êtes tout pour moi.  Si je sens le bonheur d'être riche, c'est pour mieux vous plaire. Je suis, à ma honte, plus aimante que je ne suis fille.

Balzac expresses his admiration for the depth of passion of the ladies of Paris, and describes what an overwhelming experience it is to be loved by a beautiful lady from Paris society:-Page 268       
Si les Parisiennes son souvent  fausses, ivres de vanité, personnelles, coquettes, froides, il est sûr que quand elles aiment réellement, elles sacrifient plus de sentiments que les autres femmes à leurs passions; elles se grandissent de toutes leurs petitesses et deviennent sublimes,

The plan, which Mme de Beauséant had devised for Rastignac many months ago, comes to fruition, when Rastignac takes to Delphine Mme de Beauséant’s personal invitation to her to attend the grand ball at her house.  This would be Delphine’s first entry into the most elite society of Paris and she is delighted, determined to outshine her sister.  Rastignac knows that Delphine, who has long coveted this invitation, will give him his due reward and he is impatient to take possession of her.

Once she has become his mistress, they are both equally bound by the passionate love they share Page 277:
Infâme ou sublime, il adorait cette femme pour les voluptés qu’il lui avait apportées en dot, et pour toutes celles qu’il en avait reçues.

Event - 6- He accompanies Delphine on her entry into the society of the top elite at the Beauséants’ final grand ball-but the unattractive reality of Paris is revealed
. 

This last step in Rastignac’s progress was to prove to be a powerful lesson in the true character of Paris society.  Previously he had admired the luxury and good taste of the homes of the rich.  He had been dazzled by the glamour and been captivated by the romance.  Now he experienced in full force the negative features of society of which Vautrin and Mme de Beauséant had previously warned him.  Rastignac saw its cruelty, its selfishness, its hypocrisy and its disloyalty

By the time of the grand ball at her house, the status of Mme de Beauséant in high society has drastically changed.  This year, Mme de Beauséant will be the centre of attention as before but for a very different reason.  Those assembled will crowd around her with the heartless desire to see the suffering of a distinguished, noble lady who has been publicly betrayed by the man she loved deeply.  Delphine describes the ordeal she faces in a note to Rastignac: – Page 274:
Tout Paris va se porter chez elle, comme le peuple encombre la Grève quand il doit y avoir une exécution. N'est-ce pas horrible d'aller voir si cette femme cachera sa douleur, si elle saura bien mourir?

 Mme. de Beauséant was to prove herself equal to the occasion.  During that evening was in complete control of herself and she had Rastignac in support, as she bravely went to face her guests and then carried out her resolution to leave Paris forever -Page 278:
En cette circonstance, la dernière fille de la quasi royale maison de Bourgogne se montra supérieure à son  mal, et domina jusqu'à son dernier moment le monde dont elle n'avait accepté les vanités que pour les faire servir au triomphe de sa passion.

Rastignac had a second personal reason for deploring the experience of that day. On the previous day Goriot had suffered a stroke.  On the day of the ball, Goriot’s condition deteriorated and Rastignac assumed that Delphine would spend the evening at her father’s bedside if the doctor’s prognosis was bad- as it proved to be.  Instead, Delphine carried on with her preparations for the ball and insisted that Rastignac should accompany her.  Rastignac felt in no position to refuse page 276:
Il pressentait qu'elle était capable de marcher sur le corps de son père pour aller au bal, et il n’avait ni la force de jouer le rôle d’un raisonneur, ni le courage de lui déplaire, ni la vertu de la quitter.

Nevertheless, Rastignac was filled with total disillusionment that the girl he so deeply loved was killing her own father, who was his dear friend, purely for her vanities.   Rastignac saw the deed as “cet élégant parricide” – page 276:
Il voyait le monde comme un océan de boue dans lequel un homme se plongeait jusqu’au cou, s’il y trempait le pied.  – Il ne s’y commet que des crimes mesquins ! se dit-il.

In the course of this glittering occasion, Rastignac looked at the diamonds of the Goriot daughters and, in his mind’s eye, saw the miserable deathbed of their father.

By the end of this evening, Rastignac’s education in the true nature of Paris society was reaching completion.   On his return to Mme Vauquer’s, he looked at the dying Goriot and reviewed the bitter lessons of the day. . - Page 283:
Eugene revint à pied vers la maison Vauquer, par un temps humide et froid. Son éducation s’achevait.
Mon ami, lui dit Eugène après avoir regardé le vieillard endormi, va, poursuis la destinée modeste a laquelle tu bornes tes désirs. Moi, je suis en enfer, et il faut que j’y reste. Quelque mal que l'on te dise du monde, crois-­le! Il n'y a pas de Juvénal qui puisse en peindre l'horreur, couverte d'or et de pierreries.

1. Does Rastignac’s story trace the course of his moral downfall?

In a remark quoted earlier, Vautrin had predicted that Rastignac would prove a fine catch for the devil if he should eventually surrender to the evil temptations of Paris. 

1) Rastignac knew from the start the evils of the Paris society into which he was venturing
a)  Vautrin’s first warning to Rastignac
Vautrin was sure that Goriot had taken his silver plate to the money-lender’s to pay the debts of Anastasie, because she was the old man’s kept woman, Rastignac had protested that, if this was true Paris, was a moral quagmire. Vautrin retorted that Paris was indeed a quagmire, where there was one law for the rich and one for the poor. Page 60 :
— Et un drôle de bourbier, reprit Vautrin. Ceux qui s'y crottent en voiture sont d'honnêtes gens, ceux qui s'y crottent à pied sort des fripons. Ayez le malheur d'y décrocher n'importe quoi, vous êtes montré sur la place du Palais-de-justice comme une curiosité. Volez un million, vous êtes marqué dans les salons comme une vertu. Vous payez trente millions à la Gendar­merie et à la Justice pour maintenir cette morale-là. joli!

b) The warning given by Mme de Beauséant about the evils of Paris society
Rastignac’s first afternoon visit to Mme de Beauséant had come at a bad time – just when her lover had inadvertently given her evidence of his deception of her.  On his departure, her supposed best friend, the Duchesse de Langeais, who had had the same reports came to gloat over her misfortune.  Rastignac, sitting in on this meeting had the chance to view the malice and hypocrisy of two Parisian society ladies. Rastignac, with naïve confidence intervenes to tell them of his shock at what he has just heard:
Page 87
Vous continuez à voir, et vous craignez  peut-être les gens qui sont dans le secret du mal qu'ils vous font

The Vicomtesse de Beauséant changes the subject by resuming Rastignac’s story of his visit to Anastasie.  It is Mme de Langeais who tells the story of Goriot and his two daughters in society, who have deserted him. This story too therefore, proves to be of the immorality, the treachery and the cruelty of Paris society.  The moral that she draws from the story is no more than a malicious attempt to describe Mme de Beauséant’s folly in giving herself too completely to d’Ajuda Pinto- Page 92.
Notre cœur est un trésor, videz-le d’un coup, vous êtes ruinés.

At this Mme de Beauséant vents her anger against society and says society is monstrous- Page 92: “Le monde est infâme”.  The Duchesse agrees and says their task is to stay out of the mud. Page 92.
Le monde est un bourbier, tâchons de rester sur les hauteurs.

After Mme de Langeais has left, having completed her sadistic mission of telling her the bad news, Mme de Beauséant tells Rastignac that when misfortune strikes in Paris your so-called friends offer only gloating, sarcasm and mockery. Page 92:
Le monde est infâme et méchant……..  Aussitôt qu’un malheur nous arrive, il se rencontre toujours un ami prêt a venir nous le dire, et à nous fouiller le cœur avec un poignard en nous en nous faisant admirer le manche.  Déjà  le sarcasme, déjà les railleries 

She gives him this scathing descriptionof paris society . Page 94
Vous saurez alors ce qu'est le monde, une réunion de dupes et de fripons. Ne soyez ni parmi les uns ni parmi les autres.

c) Vautrin’s long lecture to Rastignac, after he had decided to take him in hand, warns him in detail of the rottenness of society. 
Vautrin tells him that corruption is the usual means of obtaining the vast amount of money necessary for the extravagant lifestyle Rastignac has just chosen to adopt.  He claims that fifty thousand young men in Paris were devouring each other to make a fortune. -Page 124:
Savez-vous comment on fait son chemin ici? Par l'éclat du génie ou  par l’adresse de la corruption. 

Corruption, he says, is found in abundance, talent is rare.  It is demonstrated by the number of people in Paris, who are able mysteriously to live beyond their means- Page 124:
Vous verrez des employés à douze cents francs acheter des terres. Vous verrez des femmes se prostituer pour aller dans la voiture du fils d'un pair de France, qui peut courir à Longchamp sur la chaussée du milieu.

Rastignac feels tortured as he recognises the similarity of the lessons given to him by Vautrin and by Mme de Beauséant. Page 132 
Il m'a dit crûment ce que madame de Beauséant me disait en y mettant des formes. Il me déchirait le cœur avec des grilles d'acier.

2) Rastignac is almost immediately seized by the demon of luxury.

The author describes how Rastignac’s outlook begins to change as the “demon of luxury” takes him in its grasp. For example on seeing the magnificent coupé of d’Adjuda-Pinto, at the house of Mme de Restaud -Page 82: 
Le démon du luxe le mordit au cœur, la fièvre du gain le prit, la soif de l'or lui sécha la gorge. Il avait cent trente francs pour son trimestre.

a)He is impressed by the power of money
Rastignac comes to see money as the ultimate sanction in the world and concluded that the rich were unfettered by laws and morality. Page 95.
II vit le monde comme il est : les lois et la Morale impuissantes chez les riches, et vit dans la fortune l'ultima ratio mundi. “Vautrin a raison, la fortune est la vertu! » se dit-il.

b) He becomes trapped in a lfestyle he cannot afford.

In the face of this massive financial barrier, Rastignac is undaunted and determines to continue.  His first step is a begging letter to his family and as he posts it, he says defiantly – page 100: 
“Je réussirai!” Le mot du joueur, du grand capitaine, mot fataliste qui perd plus d’hommes, qu’il n’en sauve.

Vautrin puts a figure on the task that Rastignac has set himself, when he recognises the penniless young man’s intentions.  Vautrin tells him it is impossible to live in society and board at Mme. Vauquer’s.  He outlines the extravagance of life in Paris: coaches, horses, clothes, perfumer, hatter, laundry amont to 40,000 francs. Bets and gambling add another 2,000 francs.  He also needs a house and food. He totals this up -Page 172:
Allez, mon enfant, nous en avons pour nos petits vingt-cinq mille par an dans les flancs, ou nous tombons dans la crotte, nous nous faisons moquer de nous, et nous sommes destitués de notre avenir, de nos succès, de nos maîtresses!
 
Just as Vautrin had predicted, Rastignac became trapped in a lifestyle he could not afford.  Some weeks after his first entry into society, Rastignac ran out of money and fell into debt. He possessed everything that could be purchased on credit, but to find ready cash he was in a fix.  This is typical of the young dandies of Paris- Page 173;
Si le jeune homme assis au balcon d'un théâtre offre a la lorgnette des jolies femmes d'étourdissants gilets, il est douteux qu'il ait des chaussettes;

In spite of his desperate situation, he and could not give up this life. -page 174:
L’étudiant commençait à comprendre qu’il lui serait impossible de continuer cette existence sans avoir des ressources fixes. Mais, tout en gémissant sous les piquantes atteintes de sa situation précaire, il se sentait incapable de renoncer aux jouissances excessives de cette vie, et voulait la continuer à tout prix.

3) His ambition is excessive because of the stark contrast of his life in the humiliation of poverty with the life he tasted in the luxury of high society.
It was the contrast of wealth of the Beauséants and the Restauds with his own poverty that developed in Rastignac his new ambition.  The terrible squalor of Mme. Vauquer’s came as a shattering contrast after his forays into society- Page 95:
Le spectacle de ces misères et l'aspect de cette salle lui furent horribles. La transition était trop brusque, le contraste trop complet, pour ne pas développer outre mesure chez lui le sentiment de l'ambition.
Balzac makes a moral judgement unfavourable to Rastignac by calling his ambition « outre mesure » - excessive.

4) Rastignac becomes calculating in his behaviour to achieve his hidden agenda

The kindly spontaneous young man, who had first come to Paris, becomes scheming and devious in pursuit of his selfish ambition.  His first act of calculation noted by Balzac seems quite minor. After he had offended Mme de Beauséant by his over-familiarity, he had the impertinence to ask her directly for her help and protection.  His sheer audacity won her over - Page 84:           
La vicomtesse s'intéressa vivement à l'étudiant pour une réponse d'ambitieux. Le méridional en était à son premier calcul. Entre le boudoir bleu de madame de Restaud et: le salon rose de madame de Beauséant, il avait fait trois années de ce Droit parisien dont on ne parle pas, quoiqu'il constitue une haute jurisprudence sociale qui, bien apprise et bien pratiquée, mène a tout

Subsequent actions of Rastignac based upon his calculation of his self interest become much more morally challenging and Balzac repeatedly describes Rastignac’s social advance in terms of progressive corruption Page 138:
Ainsi, par une sorte de fatalité, les moindres événements de sa vie conspiraient a le pousser dans la carrière où, suivant les observations du terrible sphinx de la Maison Vauquer, il devait, comme sur un champ de bataille, tuer pour ne pas être  tué, tromper pour ne pas être trompé; où il devait déposer à la barrière sa conscience, son cœur, mettre un masque, se jouer sans pitié des hommes….

E)  The dishonourable acts of which Rastignac is guilty.

Eugène is in a hurry.  He wants to follow Mme. de Beauséant's advice on how to succeed in Paris by its own crooked rules and is keen to set about raising the money he will need.
1) Rastignac takes his family’s savings to finance his new lifestyle
He takes advantage of the affection in which he is held by his mother and sisters by begging money from them.  In his letters, he tries to write in terms they cannot refuse by saying it is a question of making his way or staying in the mire- Page 98:
Je sais toutes les espérances que vous avez mises en moi, et veux les réaliser promptement.
His medical student friend, Bianchon, obviously was not encountering such imperatives.

Rastignac’s conscience is still operating and he finds it impossible to post the letters.  However the next day, he steels himself and thrusts them into the post box.

When the money arrived from his family, Rastignac felt remorse for the wrong he was doing.  After Vautrin’s lecture, he had admits to himself that he had already compromised his virtue by begging money from his family, which he described as robbery.   This did not stop him, however, from spending the precious savings of his family on a tailor’s bill for a fine set of clothes.

2) Rastignac deliberately seeks to exploit a woman to achieve his ambitions

On a very different level of moral turpitude, however, was Rastignac’s greatest calculation: to use a woman in society to further his personal ambition.

The plan was suggested to Rastignac by the embittered Mme de Beauséant who sought to avenge herself against this collection of fools and rogues by making sport of their vanities and hypocrisies.

She told Eugène that the company of a beautiful woman from society would give him all the status he needed to be admired in this shallow world.  Page 94
A Paris, le succès est tout, c'est la clef du pouvoir. Si les femmes vous trouvent de l'esprit, du talent, les hommes le croiront, Si vous ne les détrompez pas. Vous pourrez alors tout vouloir, vous aurez le pied partout.

The noble lady not only makes the plan, she also chooses the victim, who is Delphine de Nucingen, Goriot’s younger daughter.  The young lady has two weaknesses that they will be able to exploit, her jealousy of her elder sister who has access to the very highest level of society and her obsessive ambition to join her sister there.  Madame de Beauséant will give Rastignac power over her , by ensuring that he and his chosen partner have a succession of invitations, culminating in the most prestigious events in the Paris social calendar.

Mme de Beauséant makes no attempt to conceal that her plan means the exploitation of anther unsuspecting human being and recommends complete disregard for the victim: Page 93 
N’acceptez les homes et les femmes que comme des chevaux de poste que vous laisserez crever à chaque relais, vous arriverez ainsi au faîte de vos désirs.

When he is ostracised by the Restauds, Eugène became even more determined to follow this plan.  He decided to put off his studies until just before the final exams in two years time, spending the next 15 months seeking social success in Paris.  He describes his future tactics in cynical terms that do him no credit. - Page 100:     
II avait ainsi quinze mois de loisirs pour naviguer sur l'océan de Paris, pour s’y livrer à la traite des femmes, ou y pêcher la fortune

Vautrin guesses Rastignac’s intentions and taunts him with blatant immorality of the course that he has chosen - Page 131:
Vous irez coqueter chez quelque jolie femme et vous recevrez de l'argent. Vous y avez pense! dit Vautrin; car comment réussirez-vous, si vous n'escomptez pas votre amour? La vertu, mon cher étudiant, ne se scinde pas : elle est ou n’est pas.
Vautrin goes on to say that men who steal fortunes from a family by such love intrigues however are not regarded as thieves

.  The face to face deception of Delphine de Nucingen that this involves does not seem to deter him. We see again the calculating side of Rastignac’s character in his first approaches to Delphine. During his first conversation with her at the theatre, Rastignac deliberately plays on her social pretensions when he mentions his own connection with the top-ranking nobility of Paris society as a cousin of Mme de Beauséant.   He shows similar calculation when, to win her favour,  he exploits the known rivalry between the two Goriot sisters, saying – with little justification- that Delphine is admired for her true concern for Goriot, unlike her sister. 

He has a third calculation in the back of his mind, not yet clearly formed. Perhaps this woman might be useful to him in building up the wealth that is essential for his success. The baron de Nucingen, her husband is a banker and would have the expertise - Page 147:
Ce mari fait des affaires d'or, il pourra m'aider à ramasser tout d'un coup une fortune. Il ne se disait pas cela crument, il n'était pas encore assez politique pour chiffrer une situation, l'apprécier et la calculer;

However hopes of a financial lifeline are dashed in the course of his intimate second meeting with Delphine, when he visits her at her home.  Then she reveals the desperate state of her marital relationship and her total poverty.  The machinations in which she involves Rastignac on that evening, confirm to Rastignac that there is no place for honourable ideals in the course he has chosen.  He faces reality and recognises how low he has to stoop. Page l74:
En s'initiant aux  secrets domestiques de monsieur et madame de Nucingen, il s'était aperçu que, pour convertir l'amour en instrument de fortune, il fallait avoir bu toute honte; et renoncer aux nobles idées qui sont l'absolution des fautes de la jeunesse.

3) Rastignac’s temptation to become wealthy by using Victorine.

Perhaps we might see the lowest point in Rastignac's behaviour as the period when he is tempted to make advances to the virtuous Victorine, with the prospect of using the money that could be hers one day.  Even though he is not attracted to Victorine, Rastignac stoops to this because he is so deeply in debt, that he reconsiders Vautrin’s scheme, even though it involves murder.

The temptation grows stronger in the following days when Rastignac grew increasingly dejected because Delphine was still refusing to give herself to him.  She was acting not out of calculated flirtatiousness but because she had been betrayed before and out of self-respect. She was now the party in control and Eugène’s turbulent emotions made him all the more attached to her -Page 175:
Aimante ou coquette, madame de Nucingen avait fait passer Rastignac par toutes les angoisses d'une passion véritable, en déployant pour lui les ressources de la diplomatie féminine en usage à Paris.

Driven to despair by Delphine, Eugène finally decided to do Vautrin's bidding. At this point, only a miracle could save him.  In his lowest act of calculation, one evening after dinner, he deliberately remained behind to be with Victorine.   The two of them were in intimate conversation, when Mlle Michonneau and Poiret came back into the room.

Victorine, who could not hide her love for Rastignac, believed it was the voice of an angel and the heavens were opening for her, but Eugène was shining with despair with the fires of hell in his heart- Page 193:
En se débattant contre sa conscience, en sachant qu'il faisait mal et voulant faire mal, en se disant qu'il rachèterait ce péché véniel par le bonheur d'une femme, il s'était embelli de son désespoir, et resplendissait de tous les feux de l'enfer qu'il avait au cœur.

Rastignac’s compromise of his values for the sake of the love of a woman of Paris
a)The lost battle with his conscience over the flat, provided by Goriot
It is soon after the arrest of Vautrin that Rastignac discovers that Goriot and Delphine had arranged to set him up in a fine apartment.  Rastignac’s conscience still raw after the tragic murder was acerbated by this further underling to him of his involvement.  He amazes Delphine and almost breaks Goriot’s heart by refusing his generous gesture. His conscience makes it impossible or him to accept page 236. 
  Eugène s'était trop solennellement interrogé pendant cette journée, et l'arrestation de Vautrin, en lui mon­trant la profondeur de l'abîme dans lequel il avait failli rouler, venait de trop bien corroborer ses sentiments nobles et sa délicatesse pour qu'il cédât à cette cares­sante réfutation de ses idées généreuses. Une profonde tristesse s'empara de lui.
It takes some time and all Delphine’s formidable charms to win him over and he finally overcomes his scruples
Even quite recently, Eugène was still tempted by the alternative of the decent life of a provincial gentleman, but after the second day spent there, the comforts of the apartment had dispelled these thoughts -Page 246:
Néanmoins ses derniers scrupules avaient disparu la veille quand il s'était vu dans son appartement. En jouissant des avantages matériels de la fortune, comme il jouissait depuis longtemps des avantages moraux que donne la naissance, il avait dépouillé sa peau d'homme de province, et s'était douce­ment établi dans une position d'où il découvrait un bel avenir.   

After Delphine finally gives herself to him, Rastignac is firmly in the grip of the ecstasy of his first love.  Balzac expresses his admiration for the depth of passion of the ladies of Paris:-Page 268        
Si les Parisiennes son souvent  fausses, ivres de vanité, personnelles, coquettes, froides, il est sûr que quand elles aiment réellement, elles sacrifient plus de sentiments que les autres femmes à leurs passions; elles se grandissent de toutes leurs petitesses et deviennent sublimes,

b) Against his conscience he obeys his mistress and goes to Mme de Beauséant’s ball.
Rastignac finds himself making the wrong decision in a moral dilemma on the occasion of the final grand ball at the house of Mme. De Beauséant.  On the previous day, Goriot had suffered a very serious stroke on account of the demands made upon him by his daughters.

The next day, Rastignac is heartbroken by the verdict of the doctor that the old man is dying. When he goes to tell Delphine, he finds he in the last stages of her glamorous preparations for the ball.  She is impatient with him for not being ready and for going on about her father.  Her maid pushes him out to get ready. - Page 275:
Mais, allez donc, monsieur Eugene, vous fâcherez madame', dit Thérèse en poussant le jeune homme épouvanté de cet élégant parricide.
As Rastignac gets dressed he muses on the squalid mean faults of society but he no longer has the heart to preach to Delphine. His experiences had already made him selfish. - Page 276
Déjà son éducation commencée avait porté ses fruits. Il aimait égoïstement déjà.
He had no illusions about Delphine's true nature.-Page 276:
Il pressentait qu'elle était capable de marcher sur le corps de son père pour aller au bal, et il n’avait ni la force de jouer le rôle d’un raisonneur, ni le courage de lui déplaire, ni la vertu de la quitter.

He realises that for him to oppose her will mean the end of their liaison. She would never forgive him for being right. Rastignac pushes aside his principles and takes Delphine to the ball.

c) Rastignac’s final sense of his own moral decline
After seeing the departure of Madame de Beauséant, who is leaving Paris for good, Rastignac returns to his lodgings and the dying Goriot.  He becomes vividly aware of the loss of his virtue through his involvement in the moral corruption of Paris.  He says to the sleeping Goriot –page 283:
Mon ami, lui dit Eugène après avoir regarde le vieillard endormi, va, poursuis la destinée modeste a laquelle tu bornes tes désirs. Moi, je suis en enfer, et il faut que j’y reste.

F) How Rastignac redeems himself
Balzac suggests that a major theme of his novel is the struggle of a student with life in Paris - page 139:
S'il était bien peint dans sa lutte avec Paris, le pauvre étudiant fournirait un des sujets les plus dramatiques de notre civilisation moderne
He thought that it was folly to bring young men to study in Paris, where there were so many temptations to corrupt them.  Later, however, he clarifies that his story will not be a simple story of progressive corruption..  He proposes that the story will be no less dramatic with a hero who will make compromises with his conscience, and will live side by side with the corruption of Paris, but will not become part of it.- Page 148:
Peut-être l’œuvre opposée, la peinture des sinuosités dans lesquelles un homme du monde, un ambitieux fait rouler sa conscience, en essayant de côtoyer le mal, afin d'arriver a son but en gardant les apparences, ne serait-elle ni moins belle, ni moins dramatique.

The review of the unworthy deeds of Rastignac in the previous two sections would seem to show that he does more than “skirt the evil of Paris” – “côtoyer le mal”.  However it is not difficult to identify redeeming features, which serve to exonerate Rastignac in the conduct described above.

1) His ever active conscience
Even when Rastignac is doing wrong, his conscience remains very active and, in    Balzac’s opinion, moral remorse can exonerate guilt.  He says that the strong pangs of conscience that Rastignac felt after begging money from his mother and family would help to absolve his crime in the eyes of the angels in heaven.  Page 108:
Il éprouva ces nobles et beaux remords secrets dont le mérite est rarement apprécié par les hommes quand ils jugent leurs semblables, et qui font souvent absoudre par les anges du ciel le criminel condamné par les juristes de la terre.

2) He repays his debt to his family
In obedience to his conscience, Rastignac makes amends for his wrong deeds when he is able.  After a run of luck at the gambling tables, his priority is to repay this loan to his family and he sends them not only 15,000 Francs but also some good presents -Page 172

3) His love for Delphine quickly becomes more important than his self-interest
The plan, which he sets in motion, to exploit Delphine to serve as his key for entry into Paris society is totally reprehensible.  However this stratagem fades into the background as Eugène falls in love with her.  Soon she is the party in control and Eugène’s turbulent emotions drive him to desperation -Page 175:
Aimante ou coquette, madame de Nucingen avait fait passer Rastignac par toutes les angoisses d'une passion véritable, en déployant pour lui les ressources de la diplomatie féminine en usage à Paris.

4) His concern for sexual morality
When they become lovers, sharing a mutual passionate love, Rastignac’s conscience comes into play again.  The novel shows us that even the most respectable wives in Paris society had lovers and the most distinguished men had mistresses and no moral censure was applied.  However Rastignac felt pangs of conscience about his affair with a married lady, even though their love was passionate and sincere. Page 220:
Il n'y a dans cette liaison ni crime, ni rien qui puisse faire froncer le sourcil à la vertu la plus sévère. Combien d'honnêtes gens contractent des unions sem­blables! Nous ne trompons personne;
To justify himself, he argues that he is being open and not-lying to anyone. Delphine's marriage to Nucingen does not exist, because she does not share her husband’s bed.

5) His resistance  to Vautrin’s evil plan is normally very strong and active 
The temptation that he feels temporarily to exploit Victorine is despicable but it never reaches any practical stage.  However when Rastignac sees that these plans involve a murder and realises that Vautrin is actively going ahead, then Rastignac takes urgent action to save Victorine’s brother.  He tries to send Goriot to speak to M. Taillefer.  That the evil plan is accomplished is in no way Rastignac’s fault.  Vautrin prevents his intervention by drugging both him and Goriot. The honourable, Rastignac, is shattered to hear the news of the murder.  He is physically trembling at the thought that he is an accomplice in this base crime and he has to get away from Mme Vauquer's house to get some fresh air.  Page 218
Ce crime commis à heure fixe, il avait voulu l'empêcher la veille. Qu'était-il arrivé?  Que devait-il faire? II tremblait d'en être le complice. Le sang-froid de Vautrin l'épouvantait encore.

However Rastignac is sure that his honour stands the test of these trials-. Page 219:
S'il frotta, s’il s’examina, s’il hésita, du moins sa probité sortit de cette âpre et terrible discussion éprouvée comme une. barre de fer qui résiste a tous les essais.

His horror at being implicated in this event gave Rastignac very strong pangs of conscience.  In atonement he promised to himself to look after old Goriot, who has suffered so much -. Page 220:
Cc pauvre vieillard a bien souffert par le cœur.  Il ne dit rien de ses chagrins, mais qui ne les devinerait pas! Eh! bien, j'aurai soin de lui comme d'un père, je lui donnerai mille jouissances.

6) His very praiseworthy loyalty to Goriot
Rastignac’s loyalty to Goriot faltered only once, when he left his bedside on the evening of the ball.  This act is amply compensated by the genuine concern that he shows for the sick old man.  His distress is so great that his friend Bianchon is concerned for him.  . -Page 296:
Mon ami, je viens d'entendre  des cris et des plaintes.  Il y a un Dieu! Oh! Oui! Il y a un Dieu, et il nous a fait un monde meilleur, où notre terre est un non-sens. Si ce n'avait pas été si tragique, je fondrais en larmes, mais j'ai le cœur et l'estomac horriblement serrés.

Rastignac does everything he can to help Goriot in his final hours.  He gives Bianchon his watch to pawn to pay for Goriot’s medical treatment.  He goes to the homes of Goriot’s daughters in the vain hope of bringing them back to comfort their father. 
Finally Rastignac arranges for him a Christian burial and alone with the servant Christophe, attends his funeral.  All this leaves Rastignac penniless and when the gravedigger asks for a tip, he has to borrow 20 pence from poor Christophe. 
The death of Goriot is event which draws the novel to a close and the conduct of Rastignac earns the final admiration of the reader. 

7) His goodness is recognised by Mme de Beauséant
At the end of this novel we are seeing the fundamental goodness of Rastignac that we had noted in Section 1. Another important event had just shown Rastignac in a good light. When Mme de Beauséant made her break with Paris society, it was to her loyal friend Rastignac that she turned for support.  She trusted him with the delicate task of going to the house of her former lover, d’Adjuda to collect the intimate letters she had written to him. When she faced the ordeal of entering as hostess into the grand ball, with all eyes watching for the breakdown of her composure, she was on the arm of Rastignac.

She gave Rastignac a glove casket as a farewell tribute to his nobility and honesty. Page 280
Je voudrais vous donner un gage de mon amitié. Je penserai souvent à vous, qui m'avez paru bon et noble, jeune et candide au milieu de ce monde où ces qualités sont si rares.

Conclusion

What kind of man was the Rastignac who confronted Paris from the graveyard of Le Père Lachaise?

Rastignac emerges from his experiences in the moral quagmire of Paris largely untainted.  Although he has rubbed shoulders with the denizens of this corrupt society, he has not joined them.  He has been successful in following the advice of Mme de Beauséant to stay on the high ground out of the swamp

At the end of the book Rastignac has reached adulthood and his education is complete.  As he stands over Goriot’s grave a last tear falls and this marks the end of Eugene's youth. - Page 308:
….il regarda la tombe et y ensevelit sa dernière larme de jeune homme, cette larme arrachée par les saintes émotions d'un cœur pur

Although he has learnt the true nature of Parisian society, this essentially virtuous and good young man is nevertheless determined to succeed there.  However he has chosen an alternative path, suggested by Vautrin: “la lutte”.  Eugène has seen the selfish, heartless, shallow society of Paris destroy the noble and the weak, there is something of the knight entering the lists when he turns his gaze on the rich district of Paris and issues his challenge. 

The young man of superior metal throws down his gauntlet with these words -“It is between the two of us now!  Page 309:
 Il lança sur cette ruche bourdonnant un regard qui semblait par avance en pomper le miel, et dit ces mots grandioses : — A nous deux maintenant !

And the first act of defiance of the new Rastignac was to go to dinner with Delphine.

END OF CHARACTER NOTES ON RASTIGNAC

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