In early adolescence, the expression "ladies of Balzac age" sounds to us like a delicate or, on the contrary, a sarcastic allusion to female old age. Where did this phrase come from and what does it really mean?
Visitors to online forums sometimes argue on the subject: “How old is Balzac’s age?” As a rule, ladies insist that this definition refers to the age of 30-40 years. Most men believe that a woman of "Balzac age" is much older than 40 years old.
The difference in the interpretation of the meaning of this expression is determined by how modern people perceive the concept of "maturity".
So, “Balzac age” is how much?
Some of our contemporaries, by the simplicity of their souls, are deeply convinced that the "woman of Balzac age" is a lady who is as old as the first lover of young Honore.
Today, when young people read little of the classics, preferring at best to get acquainted with the adapted presentation of the main storyline in an abridged version, the question “Is Balzac’s age how many years?” Raises lively debate. Oil is added fuel to the publication of articles about the hectic personal life of the writer. In pursuit of fried facts, unscrupulous "experts" are in no hurry to verify the authenticity of information. Some argue that Balzac in his youth had an affair with a woman of 42 years old, while others insist that she was 53 years old. Consequently, confusion arises in attempts to define the concept of “Balzac age”. This is how much: 42 or 53? But neither one nor the other is wrong.
A bit of history
In 1842, Honore de Balzac published a work entitled “Thirty Years Woman”. This novel about the sublime feeling of “forbidden love”, which was opposed to primitive coexistence in a legal marriage, provoked a response in society and increased the author’s popularity.
Nowadays, few people would think of calling a thirty-year-old woman old. Statistical studies of recent years confirm the fact that it is during this age period that women become the sexiest, and the ability to take care of oneself in combination with the ability to lead an active lifestyle makes our contemporaries irresistible at a much more mature age.
But do not forget that in the Balzac era, a woman was a disenfranchised creature, and her life passed in a confined space between the kitchen, children and the church. Only a successful marriage could bring a woman happiness. The girl was considered a promising bride only until 18-19 years. At the age of 20 and older, the chances of getting married were significantly reduced. And even an unmarried thirty-year-old woman was of little interest to anyone at all, her life was monotonously stretched under the slogan: "getting married is too late, dying is too early."
But family life was rarely anyone happy. Since the most significant issue at the time of marriage was financial, the bride most often remained nothing more than a convenient, multifunctional appendix to the contract. Without the right to own opinion, the wife became a living toy in the hands of her husband.
A married woman of thirty years was considered a deep old woman, although she could well shine at balls, emphasizing the high social position of her husband. She was allowed to be attractive and at the same time inaccessible to other men. A good upbringing, a broad outlook, a natural mind, a versatile education and the sad need to be the property of an elderly husband who does not care about meeting the sexual, emotional and spiritual needs of his wife - such is the fate of the heroine of Balzac.
Thus, to the question “Balzac age is how much?” the correct answer is after thirty. It was these women who liked Honore de Balzac. At the age of 30, according to the writer, a woman matured bodily and spiritually for harmonious family relationships, but, unfortunately, in a vicious bourgeois society, she was forced to grow old prematurely and fade into a lawful marriage with an unloved husband or, in fear of exposure, to lead a double life.