The Readers Review: Literature from 1714 to 1910 discussion

I will be traveling so it may be a few days before I post some questions. Feel free to jump in if you have read this far.

In this section, Charles fascinates his cousin and learns the truth about his father. Were you surprised by his reaction? I think that while the loss of his father is real, he has no sense of what the loss of money will mean.

What plan has Grandet come up with?

Eugenie is like Eve in the garden of Eden. After she discovers love, she begins to resist and deceive her father. Although Charles has experience with women, he is an innocent in life, expecting a partridge for breakfast.

The story started from me with the arrival of the Cousin and the 'coming out' of Eugenie, as you rightly pointed out Robin.

There is a sentence in my copy of a scene that takes place where she kinda stands up to her father about helping Charles on with his misfortunes and Balzac describes her as a 'woman grown'.

Eugenie and even Madame Grandet are stepping in to the 'candle light' here and I really like how Balzac has set the plot for the women to take their stand.

I'm still at the early part of this section so not sure if Eugenie actually takes a bold stand against her father for her cousin, but I'm enjoying how Balzac is tracking her character and how the layers are peeling off. Balzac beautiful details the 'feelings' of a young woman before and during falling in love. Will see where this takes her though.

Charles is a through and through dandy with no clue of money matters. Yes his grief is for the loss of his father, rather than his own financial situation, and I was a tad surprised about his immediate out pouring of grief. But then again when you think about it he was spoilt, his father's letter indicates so. He was given everything. looked after, and the way Charles say there is nothing more sadder for him after the loss of his mother, says something about his emotions.

Grandet plans to send Charles to the West Indies to make his fortunes.....Eugenie hopes her father helps her cousin more or she might step in

When you lose someone you love, of course the emotion is so overwhelming, you don't think about anything else (including money). And that was the case for Charles. I don't really like how Eugenie's love developed out of very superficial admiration (for his sartorial taste) and emotional catharsis (when he lost his father), and nothing else. This was of course due to her own innocence. Without finding out more about Charles' character or his potential to withstand hardship with integrity, she ultimately suffered the consequences. Of course it's the job of a father (Eugenie's father) to try to protect his child's innocence so love has more chance to blossom, but this father was no such father. Hardship does build character only if it's not beyond human ability to withstand it; and Pere Grandet did nothing to discern that fine line between character-building hardship and devastating hardship in life. But he cared about no one and nothing except money. Innocence has its devastating effect when there's no one to protect it.

I've added a note to the Reading Schedule, since I found that the break I chose seems to be a flaw in the one edition rather than a logical stopping place. You will want to read at least up to the scene on New Years's Day. I apologize for the arbitrary nature of the divisions.

Grandet's plan is one of self-interest only. I was surprised the women were so capable of sympathy and the father so completely disengaged. To be fair he is encouraged by his 'friends' and in them he seems wholly undeceived. I find 'mother' a fascinating character, her honest humility and care seem remarkable.
Eugenie seemed waiting to love someone, because she would. The lavishing of anything being so outre until the moment of her spoilt cousin's entry, it seems only natural that she should lavish her care on him. She has forsaken her father for her lover, but her mother remains an important supporter and protector. There are so many innocents thus far that Grandet seems to be innocent too, he is representative of the banality of evil, a corrupting but unknowing factor.

I can't believe how absorbed Grandet is in his money. His character is believable (there are people whose whole life is absorbed by money), but reading about makes me feel so sorry for his wife and daughter. How cold Grandet is, he does not mourn his own brother's death. It makes me wonder what type of relationship they had in the past. I doubt they had a good brotherly relationship before, his brother knew that Grandet would probably not help him with his money troubles. He did make a point in his letter that all he wanted was for Grandet to take care of his son. He mentioned that he was a spoiled child and to not make things hard on him by denying all his frivolous wants. Therefore, Grandet's brother knew that he had plenty of money. Grandet should have felt ashamed of himself that his brother resorted to suicide instead of coming to himself as a confidant. This shows just how worldly Grandet is. He also has an aversion to religion. After he discovered the wax candle in the cousin's room, he scolded his wife while she was praying.

I thought his stammer was interesting because he just starts stammering in a conversation with another man over something to do with his monetary matters. It's revealed why a little later, but I think that's in the 3rd week's reading folder.

How juvenile Eugenie is. She has thought little about her status or her father's business. She is really starting to blossom from her childhood and starting to learn the hard things. She liked the little box present she got from one of her father's friends, but it was tossed aside when her glamorous cousin arrived. She is smart and clever enough to calculate that her father, is he wanted to, could help her cousin out with money.

I don't think Charles will be as affected by the money loss than he would be by losing his father. His father was his only closest living relative. He really doesn't have much of a relationship with his uncle. Charles was going to give that expensive robe/gown to the Nanon the servant. So, it seems he is naive and doesn't think or care about money. We shall see how he does from riches to rags.