The novel "Eugenia Grande", a brief summary of which is presented in this article, is one of the most famous works of the French writer Honore de Balzac. The book tells about the fate of the millionaire from Saumur, Mr. Grande, who lives with his wife and daughter. The latter is the main character of the book. In this article we will talk about the history of writing and the plot of the novel.
History of creation
Eugene Grande, a brief summary of which you can read in this article, is a book for reading compulsory for all fans of European literature. She enters into a conditional series called "Scenes from Provincial Life" along with "Touring Priest" and "Lost Illusions." All these books are included in a single cycle, to which the writer gave the name "Human Comedy". He included 137 works in it. However, only 91 of them were completed. The cycle includes a wide variety of novels, including those with philosophical, realistic and even fantastic stories.
All Balzac’s novels, including Father Gorio, Eugene Grande (a summary can be found in our article), The Shine and Poverty of Courtesans, etc., tell about the fate of people and the mores of society. "Father Gorio" is a crucial novel in the writer's work. He continues the tradition of the socio-psychological image of the heroes laid down in the work "Eugene Grande."
This novel was completed by the author by 1833. First published partially in the French magazine L'Europe littéraire. The entire book was printed in a separate edition in 1834.
The plot of the work
Balzac's “Eugene Grande” (a summary can be seen later) begins with a description of the main character. She is the most enviable bride in all Saumur. Her father became rich during the revolution, having bought up confiscated church possessions, which were then worth a penny.
At the time of the consulate, he was even the mayor, and under the empire everyone in the district began to call him lord, even though before that he was the simplest person. Legends circulated about the magnitude of his condition, but no one knew what it really was.
This information was known only to the banker de Grassen and the notary Cruscho. They did not open it, but so flattered before Grande that all around were filled with respect for him. In particular, the notary, with the support of relatives, sought to get the hand of his client's daughter for his nephew. The banker's wife was also intriguing, who hoped to get a rich heiress for her son.
At the same time, there were rumors that the head of the family himself wants to marry his daughter for Guillaume Grande, his nephew, who became rich in the wholesale wine trade in Paris.
Twist of fate
A summary of Eugenia Grande for the reader's diary can be found in this article. It will help you quickly remember what the novel is about before a practical lesson or exam.
The event that turned the life of Eugenia takes place on her birthday, in October 1819. Her father, who was a terrible miser, allowed her on this occasion to flood the fireplace before November. And as a gift, as always, he presented a gold coin.
In the evening, dinner was held, at which de Grassen and Cruchot came to fight in a decisive battle. However, in the midst of fun, the Parisian millionaire Charles arrives. He gives his uncle a letter from his father, marveling at the meager table and the poor environment. Because of this, he decided that his relatives live in poverty. This error will be fatal for one of the main characters.
Cute cousin conquered 23-year-old Eugene. She even persuaded the maid to flood the fireplace in his bedroom, which was considered an unprecedented luxury in this house.
Dying letter
Charles handed a letter from his father to his uncle, informing him of bankruptcy and the intention to shoot himself. Finally, the man begs for only one thing: to take care of Charles. Such an unexpected turn takes place in the plot of Honore de Balzac's novel Eugene Grande. The summary will help you remember further events.
The next morning, the whole city was already aware of Guillaume's suicide. The old hunks told the young man about this with his inherent directness, after which he could not hold back his tears.
Eugene penetrates him with sincere compassion, she even begins to warn Madame Grande, who knows that from pity to love is only one step. Charles is touched by the sympathetic attitude of his aunt and cousin to his fate, since he perfectly understands how indifferent he would have been met in Paris.
Thinking about money
Money is becoming one of the key images in the novel by O. de Balzac "Eugene Grande". A brief summary will help clarify this point. The title character first thinks about money, secretly reading letters received by her father and having heard about the bankruptcy of her uncle.
She realizes that the father could very well have helped his brother, but acted like a true miser. He became furious only at the mere thought that he would have to pay for his close relatives, for their mistakes and failures. However, soon dad, as he was famously called throughout the district, relented. On the one hand, he was worried that the name of Grande would suffer, and on the other, he wanted to take revenge on the arrogant Parisians by showing what he really was worth.
De Grassen leaves for the French capital, he is entrusted with the task of liquidating a burnt out company, and investing his master’s savings in a profitable state rent. Nobody expected such magnanimity from him, so the Somuryts literally began to extol him.
At the same time, Eugene persuades Charles to accept gold coins from her as a gift - her personal savings. Their total cost is approximately six thousand francs. In response, Charles hands her her golden travel bag, in which are portraits of his father and mother.
Love
In the novel "Eugene Grande", the brief content of which we are considering, there are enough romantic moments. Between young people a relationship is struck. They swear fidelity to each other to the grave, holding a promise with a chaste kiss.
Soon Charles leaves for the East Indies. He intends to get rich in order to improve the situation of his family. Eugene herself with her mother await the New Year with horror. On this holiday, the old man has the habit of admiring the gold coins of his daughter. A terrible scene is taking place. Learning about the fate of the coins, Grande Sr. got so angry that he ordered her daughter to be locked up and kept on bread and water.
His wife could not come to terms with this. For the first time in her life, she decided to challenge her husband’s order. After the scandal, she falls ill with grief. Eugene courageously endures a spoiled relationship with her father, finding solace in thoughts of her love.
Only when his wife becomes completely ill, does Grande replace anger with mercy. He forgives his daughter. But at the time of the explanation, Charles’s bag, which he orders to give for re-melting, catches his eye. Only Eugene stops him, who threatens to commit suicide if he does.
For her seriously ill mother, this is the last blow. In October 1822, she dies. After her death, Eugene signs the renunciation of the inheritance, as required by his father.
Acquaintance with affairs
The summary of Eugenia Grande gives an idea of the main ideas that the author laid down in his work. After the death of the mother of the main character, five years pass. During this time, her father manages to significantly improve the affairs of a ruined brother. With the help of fraud, he reduces debts on bills to an insignificant amount. Feeling the approach of death, he begins to acquaint his daughter with business, trying to instill in her his idea of stinginess.
In 1827, he dies at the age of 82. By that time, Charles was returning to France. He became rich in the slave trade, turning into a cynical businessman. He hardly recalled Eugene. Only in 1828 did she receive from him the first letter to which the check was attached. Having paid his debts, Charles considers himself free from any obligations, promises and oaths that he made many years ago. He plans to marry Mademoiselle d'Obrion.
Frustration
In the life of the protagonist comes a black streak. All her hopes collapsed. In addition, she finds out that her cousin has long returned to Paris. But the wedding is very far away, because the Marquis does not want to give out a daughter for the son of a bankrupt debtor. Charles is so stupid that he does not give creditors the three thousand francs that they require from him.
Eugenia agrees to marry Chairman Crushot, asking him to leave for Paris immediately. She wants to pay off all her uncle's debt obligations, allocates two million francs for these purposes. The Chairman presents Charles with an act of satisfaction of all financial claims. Taking the opportunity, he reports that he himself will marry Eugene, who is the owner of a fortune of 17 million francs.
Marriage contract
The novel ends with the life story of the main character. She becomes a widow at 36, although Kryusho constantly wished for her death. Despite the enormous wealth that she owns, a woman lives all the time in the order established by her father. Only, unlike him, constantly donates large sums to charity and charitable deeds. In the city at this time, rumors were discussing that Eugene could marry the Marquis de Fruafon.
This article does not summarize Eugenia Grande chapter by chapter because Balzac decided not to split his novel into its component parts.