Pere Goriot, by Honore de Balzac - Essay Example

In the situations where the love is returned, it is impossible to tell whether it is true love or if this love has some selfish motivation behind it. This novel shows how difficult it can be to maintain a loving relationship in the modern world. Through the character of Eugène de Rastignac, it is possible to see that while love is achieved at points in this novel, it is no longer the traditional version of love. It is a new, modern version where certain faults and attitudes must be ignored to make things work.

One such example of a character who cannot truly love another is Eugène de Rastignac, who does not have any interest in the women he pursues but is rather more interested in improving his position in society. This is shown by the fact that he abruptly halts his pursuit of Madame de Restaud and begins his pursuit of Madame de Nucingen simply because of who the latter’s father is. As the novel progresses, Rastignac does develop true feelings for Delphine. This, however, blinds him to her true character, as she is only involved with him for selfish intentions.

He deceives himself into believing that she is not as bad as she seems, but it is clear that she is only involved with him for her interests and, therefore, does not truly love him. While this relationship does eventually become sincere, it only becomes so because Rastignac decides to ignore all of Delphine’s faults and to love her anyways. This makes the relationship seem somewhat forced, as Rastignac has to decide to love this selfish person, rather than simply looking out for his good. This could be viewed as a modern form of love, implying that the old love where people are perfect for one another no longer exists.

Another character that is affected by Rastignac is Victorine. She is a young girl who falls for the first attractive man who shows interest in her, which is not true love but is rather based on inexperience. Rastignac does not truly love her, but he leads her on to possibly marry her for her father’s money. Rastignac, however, cannot go through with it, as he develops a love for Delphine. Victorine’s love for Rastignac is an example of love that is not returned and it leaves her devastated.

While it is possible to see that some love is achieved at points during this novel, the problems that surround love are more important to it. Many of the characters are confused by their feelings, convincing themselves and others that they love someone, when in fact they do not. It seems very difficult for any of the characters to find true love and even when they do, it is not particularly healthy because negative aspects of the other person’s character must be ignored. In this novel, Balzac shows that true love is nearly impossible to find in the modern world. Read More