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Le Colonel Chabert exhibits the relationship between strong and weak characters. The degree of strength 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 person's strength thereby affecting their ability to function properly in society. This comparison of characters gives an understanding of Balzac's pessimistic view of nineteenth century society.? A character's strength and energy in the novel determines their survival in society. Colonel Chabert has been known to be a courageous hero in the past", je command ais un r? gime nt de ca valerie?

Eylau. J'ai? t? beaucoup dans le succ? es de la c? l? bre charge ' Once he returns to Paris after his injury, he loses his identity and becomes the ' weak character ' of society. This is a rapid decline down the "ladder 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 walking progressively up the stairs to lawyer Derville's study which contrasts the boisterous energy of the clerks.

Chabert reaches Derville's study and is determined to find the lawyer to help him find justice for his in fortunes", me suis-je d? termin?? veni r vous trouver. Je vous parler ai de mes mathers 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 revengeful energy upon learning what his wife had done, "Les yeux de l'homme? nergique brillaient rall um's aux yeux du d? sir et de la vengeance.

' After a period of time, Chabert loses hope and bids farewell forever. He gives up his identity to become an unknown 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 r? clamerai jamais le nom que j'ai peut-? tre illust r? Je ne suis plus qu " un pauvre diable nomm? Hyacinthe ' Hence, Chabert becomes a numbered person in an institution, "Je ne suis pas un homme, je suis le num? ro 164, ' Also, he becomes the weakest among everyone in the institution, ' En ce moment, le colonel Chabert s'assit au milieu de ses hommes? faces? nergique's, ' In contrast, Madame Ferraud represents a woman who has strong innovative traits, starts at the bottom but gradually rises to the top after Chabert had gone.

She becomes driven by her passion to enter the upper class and become "Une femme comme il faut'. She uses her persuasive and aggressive qualities to satisfy her ambitions. Once at the top, she has the power to survive better than Chabert. At one point, Madame Ferraud is weakened when Derville confronts her for lying about the letter from Chabert. This shows that the characters do not remain in a consistent position and this determines whether or not a character is capable of surviving well or not. The personality and appearance of characters become transformed as a result of changes in the environment.

For instance, Chabert appreciates the help he is receiving from Derville. He acknowledges Derville's kind words by saying humbly", Voil? le premier mot de politesse que j'entends depuis ' Chabert is surprised that the treatment from Derville surpasses the ten years of rejection by his wife, justice and society. His sufferings have caused him be more kind hearted and more considerate to others. He is willing to live without pleasure, to remain poor and mediocre. This is a startling contrast to his past where he had been an ambitious man.

Chabert's strength is decreasing as "Ses souffrances physiques et morales lui avaient d? j? vici? le corps dans quelques-uns des organs les plus importantes. ' On the other hand, Madame Ferraud's rise to power results in a more persuasive, independent and high spirited woman. This is shown by, ? "Encore jeune et belle, Madame Ferraud jou a le r? le d'une femme? la mode, et v? cut dans l'atmosph? re de la cour. Riche par elle- m? me, riche par son mari, elle en partage ait la splendour. ' ?

In addition, Madame Ferraud "? tait envelop? e dans un? l? gant peignoir, les boucle's de ses chev eaux Elle? tait fra? che et rie use. ' Her gracious actions and her manner of speech is characteristic of her new personality. This is to her advantage as she uses these characteristics to calm Chabert and convince him to stay at her home. She has a superficial layer covering her body to hide the false image in order to accomplish what she wants, ? " elle mont a chez elle, s'assit? son secr? tair e, d? post le masque de tranquillity? qu " elle conserva it devant le comte Chabert, comme une actrice qui, r entrant fatigue? e dans sa loge apr's un cinqui? me acte p? noble, tombe demi-morte et laissez dans la salle une image d'elle-m? me? laquelle elle ne resemble plus. ' ? Therefore, Madame Ferraud does not concern herself with people beneath her but rather, her quest to remain on top.

There is a marked difference between characters in terms of the inner self and heartfelt sentiments. Chabert is a man filled with sorrow and despair after his return to Paris. He is extremely melancholy as his sufferings outweigh any happy experiences in his life, ? "Je compris que l? o? j'? tais, l'air ne se renouvelait point, et que j'allais mourir.

Cette pens? e m'? ta le sentiment de la douceur inexprimable par laquelle j'avais? t? r? veill? Quoique la m? moire de ces moments soit bien t? n? bre use, les impressions de souffrances encore plus profondes que je deva is? prover ' ? Chabert feels desperate when he says, "J'ai? t?? n terr? sous des mort, mais maintenant je suis enter? sous de vivants, ' He is extremely injured to what he has experienced that "son extr? me malheur avait sans doute d? tru it ses croyances. ' Sadness prevails in Chabert's heart and there is a bleak outlook to his future, "Des grosses larmes tomb? rent des yeux fl? tris du pauvre soldat et roul? rent sur ses jones rid? es. A l'aspect de ces difficult?'s, il fut d? courage? ' Chabert at "L'Hospice de la vieillesse' has lost any traces of raging energy left in him as "Le vieux soldat? tait came, immobile, presque distrait Son regard avait une expression de sto? cism e ' Madame Ferraud is heartless and has no feelings towards anyone except for her desire for power.

For example, the marriage to Count Ferraud, ? " elle con? ut d'attacher le comte? elle par le plus fort des liens, par la cha? ne d'or, et voulu t? tre si riche que sa fortune rend? t son second mariage indissoluble, si par has ard le comte Chabert reparaissait encore. ' ? Even though she is a cold, unfeeling woman, there is one sign of emotion left caused by a momentary vision of her past life, "Deux grosses larmes roul? rent toutes chau des sur les mains de sa femme ' The personal feelings of weak and strong characters brings a different perspective and thus distinguishes them from one another.? Balzac often uses visionary poetic images such as the infant, animal, light and dark, to illustrate the contrast between the characters. The infant image is a romantic element where the character refuses reality and remains a weak, na? ve child.

For example, Chabert is a child; "O? en? tais-je? dit le colonel avec la na? vet? d'un enfant d'un soldat, car il y a solvent de l'enfant dans le vrai soldat, ' In addition, Chabert loses his temper and Derville controls him by saying, "Laissez-moi r? parer vos sottises, grand enfant!' Finally, Chabert refuses his identity and looks at Derville with "une anx i? t? peu reuse, avec une craint e de viellard et d'enfant. ' Derville states Chabert's destiny, "Sort de l'hospice des Enfants trouv?'s, il re vient mourir? l'hospice de la Vieille e, ' The animal image is used to show how animals are considered to be beneath the human race. Often, Chabert is treated as a dog, "Enfin, le jour m? me o? l'on me jeta sur le pav? comme un chien, ' Chabert's self pride becomes shattered as all of the clerks ignore him; "Il se mit? regarder modest ement autour de lui, comme un chien qui, en se glissant dans une cuisine? trang? re, The change of light and darkness presents a contrast between happiness and sadness as well as the energy of each character. The sun is a form of bright light that does not shine whenever there is some dismal feeling and lack of energy in the atmosphere, "notre soleil s'est couch? , nous avons tous fro id maintenant. ' Balzac uses the sun to indicate the never ending darkness for Chabert as "Je ne suis plus q'un pauvre diable nomm? Hyacinthe, qui ne demande que sa place au soleil.

Adieu ' His facial expressions are marked with darkness, "Les boards du chapeau qui couvrait le front du viellard projetaient un sill on noir sur le haut de visage. ' Balzac has a pessimistic view of society in Paris. Paris has become a large modernized society and its traditional charm has disappeared. Hence, the characters change according to the rise of this new society. For example, Chabert returns to a transformed place", am ener pour la France une? re de pros? rit? nouvelle, alors la soci? t? parisienne changes de face.

' In this society, he becomes non existant, ridiculed and weakened to the lowest denominator. He is shocked of what he sees, "Oh! monsieur, revoir Paris! C'? tait un d? lire que je ' The writer expresses his disgust of society through Derville's condemnation of society, "Vous allez conn a? tre ces jollies choses-l? , vous; moi, je tais vivre? la campagne avec ma femme, Paris me fait horreur. ' Balzac uses the contrast between each characters's strength to justify the deration of the weak characters.?

The society is corrupted with sin, injustice and disease. There are always successes and failures in the society but the survival of certain individuals depends on the interaction between the relative strength of the character and society. Weak characters do not survive well from lack of fierce energy present in the strong characters. These deficiencies cause the powerful characters to dominate in society and the weak ones quickly forgotten, set apart from the rest of the world. Balzac does not approve of this inequality between individuals so he presents a pessimistic and satirical view of society and the individuals in it.?

Bibliography

1. Balzac, Honor? de. Le Colonel Chabert. France: ? ditions Galliard, 1974, pp.
21-121.? 2. Darg an, John. Balzac and the Drama of Perspective. New York: French Forum Publishers, 1985, p.