The Importance of Character in Le Colonel Chabert :: Le Colonel Chabert

The Importance of Character in Le Colonel Chabert Le Colonel Chabert exhibits the relationship among strong and weak characters. The degree of cogency within a character reflects how well the character survives in society. In society, weak characters often have no identity, profession or rank. Stronger characters have power to succeed from inner confidence, motivation and ambition. Any drastic changes brought to the body or soul by the environment corrupts that persons strength thereby affecting their ability to function properly in society. This comparison of characters gives an understanding of Balzacs pessimistic view of nineteenth century society. A characters strength and get-up-and-go in the novel determines their survival in society. Colonel Chabert has been known to be a courageous hero in the past, ... je commandais un rgiment de cavalerie Eylau. Jai t beaucoup dans le succes de la clbre charge... Once he returns to Paris after his injury, he loses his identity and p erplexs the weak character of society. This is a rapid decline down the political campaign of success and Chabert tries desperately to climb back up to the top, where he had been before. At the beginning of the novel, there is a vision of a slow non-energetic man walkway progressively up the stairs to lawyer Dervilles study which contrasts the boisterous energy of the clerks. Chabert reaches Dervilles study and is determined to find the lawyer to help him find justice for his infortunes, ... me suis-je dtermin venir vous trouver. Je vous parlerai de mes malhers plus tard. Chabert demonstrates some energy left in him by his will to retrieve everything that he lost. This energy to gain back his power changes to furious and despiteful energy upon learning what his married woman had done, Les yeux de lhomme nergique brillaient rallums aux feux du dsir et de la vengeance. After a period of time, Chabert loses hope and bids farewell forever. He gives up his identity to become an un known person as he realizes that his strength of character is not enough to keep him alive in this society. He sees himself weakening when seeing his wife and her children as he does not have the heart to break up her family. He tells his wife, Je ne rclamerai jamais le nom que jai peut-tre illustr. Je ne suis plus quun pauvre diable nomm Hyancinthe.