What is Your Story?
The Red and the Black: Julien Sorel’s Hero’s Journey and the Power to Rewrite Your Life
By Peter de Kuster
Introduction: Your Story is Your Life
Every life is a story. The question is: are you the author, or are you letting others write your chapters for you? In my work with The Hero’s Journey and The Heroine’s Journey, I help people recognize the narrative patterns shaping their lives—and empower them to step into authorship. Stendhal’s masterpiece, The Red and the Black, is not just a tale of ambition, love, and tragedy in post-Napoleonic France. It’s a profound exploration of the stories we inherit, the masks we wear, and the courage it takes to become the hero of our own lives.
Let’s walk alongside Julien Sorel, the novel’s unforgettable protagonist, and see what his journey can teach us about rewriting our own destinies.
Old Stories: The Peasant’s Son and the Weight of Class
The Red and the Black opens in the provincial town of Verrières, where Julien Sorel, the intelligent and sensitive son of a carpenter, dreams of greatness. But Julien’s life is circumscribed by the rigid class structure of Restoration France. He is told, again and again, that his destiny is to remain small, to accept the world as it is. His father mocks his intellect; society expects him to know his place.
Old stories are powerful. They tell us who we are allowed to be, what we should want, and how far we can go. For Julien, the “old story” is one of limitation, of being forever on the outside looking in. But even as he chafes against these boundaries, he is haunted by the fear that he will never truly belong among the powerful or the refined.
We all have these inherited scripts—about class, gender, ability, or worth. The first step in any journey is to notice them, to question them, and to ask: Whose story is this, really?
Reflective Questions: Exploring Your Old Stories
- What stories about your background or identity have shaped your ambitions?
- Where do you feel “out of place” or limited by your origins?
- How do you respond to the expectations others have for you?
- Are there parts of your story you’ve accepted without question?
- What would it mean to challenge these inherited narratives?
The Call to Adventure: Ambition and Opportunity
Julien’s call to adventure comes through his ambition. Inspired by the legends of Napoleon and the allure of the Church, he sees two possible paths: the “red” of military glory and the “black” of ecclesiastical power. When he is offered a position as tutor in the household of the mayor, M. de Rênal, Julien seizes the chance to leave his father’s sawmill and enter a new world.
The call to adventure often arrives as a desire for more—a longing for meaning, recognition, or escape. For Julien, it is the intoxicating prospect of rising above his station, of being seen and valued for his mind and spirit rather than his birth.
But every call to adventure is also a call to risk. Julien knows that stepping into the world of the elite means navigating unfamiliar customs, hidden dangers, and the ever-present threat of exposure as an imposter.
Reflective Questions: Recognizing Your Call
- What ambitions or dreams have called you to step beyond your comfort zone?
- When have you felt the urge to “leave the sawmill” and enter a new world?
- What opportunities have you embraced, and which have you let pass by?
- How do you respond to the promise—and the danger—of change?
- What is your own “red and black”—the paths you dream of but fear to take?
Refusal of the Call: Doubt, Envy, and Fear
Julien’s journey is marked by intense self-doubt and envy. He is aware of his talents, but he is also painfully conscious of his social inferiority. He vacillates between pride and self-loathing, ambition and despair. The voices of his father, of society, and of his own insecurity tell him he will never be enough.
This refusal is not a simple “no.” It is the inner turbulence that makes every step forward feel precarious. Julien’s fear of being unmasked as a fraud haunts him in his relationships, his studies, and his pursuit of love and power.
We all know this territory: the voice that says “Who do you think you are?” The fear that our dreams are too big, our flaws too obvious. Yet, as Stendhal shows, these doubts are not the end—they are the crucible in which our true character is forged.
Reflective Questions: Facing Your Fears
- What doubts or insecurities hold you back from pursuing your ambitions?
- Where do you feel like an imposter, and how do you cope with that feeling?
- How do envy and comparison shape your self-image?
- When have you sabotaged yourself out of fear of failure or exposure?
- What would it take to move forward despite your doubts?
Meeting the Mentor: Love, Books, and Unexpected Guides
Julien’s mentors are many and varied. He finds guidance in the books he devours—especially the memoirs of Napoleon, which fill him with both hope and restlessness. Madame de Rênal, his first love, offers him tenderness and acceptance, while the stern Abbé Pirard at the seminary recognizes his intelligence and helps him escape the petty politics of provincial clergy.
Mentors do not always arrive in the form we expect. Sometimes they are people who see our potential; sometimes they are adversaries who push us to grow. For Julien, even rivals like Norbert de La Mole and the cold, calculating Mathilde become catalysts for self-discovery.
The key is to remain open—to see every relationship, every challenge, as a chance to learn more about who you are and what you want.
Reflective Questions: Finding Your Mentors
- Who has recognized your potential and helped you grow?
- What books, ideas, or experiences have acted as mentors in your life?
- How have adversaries or rivals pushed you to become stronger?
- What lessons have you learned from love—both its joys and its heartbreaks?
- How do you seek out guidance and inspiration on your journey?
Crossing the Threshold: Love, Scandal, and the Point of No Return
Julien’s affair with Madame de Rênal is his first crossing of the threshold. Their love is passionate but forbidden, and when it is discovered, Julien is forced to flee Verrières and enter the seminary—a world as treacherous as any battlefield.
Every journey has a point of no return—a moment when the old life is left behind, and the new one is fraught with risk and possibility. For Julien, love is both a source of strength and vulnerability. His relationships with Madame de Rênal and later Mathilde de La Mole propel him into the heart of Parisian society, but also into the labyrinth of his own desires and contradictions.
Crossing the threshold is exhilarating and terrifying. It means letting go of safety and embracing the unknown, knowing that you may never be able to go back.
Reflective Questions: Committing to Change
- What was a “point of no return” in your own journey?
- When have you risked everything for love, ambition, or a dream?
- How did it feel to leave the safety of the familiar behind?
- What did you discover about yourself when you crossed that threshold?
- How do you navigate the tension between passion and prudence?
Trials and Allies: Ambition, Intrigue, and the Masks We Wear
Julien’s rise is marked by trials—political intrigue at the seminary, manipulation and rivalry in Paris, and the constant need to conceal his true feelings. He learns to wear masks, to play roles, to outwit those who would see him fail. Allies appear in unexpected places: the Abbé Pirard, Mathilde’s father, even Mathilde herself, whose love for Julien is as tempestuous and ambitious as his own.
The trials of the journey are not just external. Julien must grapple with his own pride, his capacity for love and cruelty, and the ever-present fear of being found out. Each challenge tests his resolve and his identity.
In our own lives, trials reveal our character. Allies—whether friends, mentors, or even rivals—help us see ourselves more clearly and push us to grow beyond our limitations.
Reflective Questions: Growing Through Challenge
- What trials have tested your resolve and shaped your character?
- Who are the allies who have stood by you—or challenged you to grow?
- How do you balance authenticity with the need to adapt to different roles?
- When have you worn a “mask” to survive or succeed?
- What have you learned about yourself through adversity?
Transformation: Triumph, Tragedy, and Self-Realization
Julien’s transformation is dramatic and tragic. He achieves the heights of Parisian society, winning Mathilde’s love and the favor of her powerful father. Yet his triumph is short-lived. When Madame de Rênal, manipulated by jealous rivals, denounces him as a seducer, Julien, in a fit of rage and wounded pride, attempts to kill her. He is arrested, tried, and sentenced to death.
In prison, Julien finally confronts himself. Stripped of ambition, masks, and illusions, he experiences a kind of spiritual awakening. He recognizes the emptiness of the world he sought to conquer and finds peace in accepting his own truth and the love of Madame de Rênal, who forgives him.
Transformation is rarely what we expect. It often comes through loss, failure, or the stripping away of all that is false. It is the moment when we see ourselves clearly—flawed, vulnerable, but real.
Reflective Questions: Becoming the Author
- What moments of loss or failure have transformed you?
- How have you come to terms with your own contradictions and flaws?
- When have you experienced a “fall from grace”—and what did you learn from it?
- What does self-acceptance mean to you?
- How do you define success and fulfillment now, compared to before?
The Return: Legacy, Memory, and the Power of Your Story
Julien’s journey ends not with worldly triumph, but with a kind of spiritual victory. He faces death with dignity, reconciled to himself and to Madame de Rênal’s love. His story is one of ambition, passion, and tragedy—but also of self-discovery and authenticity.
The return is not always a return to the world as it was. Sometimes, it is the acceptance of a new self, a new understanding, a new peace. The lessons of the journey become the foundation for the next chapter, for those who come after.
For us, the return is the opportunity to bring our hard-won wisdom back to our daily lives—to live more authentically, to inspire others, and to write the next chapters with intention.
Reflective Questions: Living Your New Story
- How do you integrate the lessons of your journey into your everyday life?
- What legacy do you want to leave for others?
- How has your definition of “home” or “belonging” changed?
- In what ways can you inspire or mentor others on their journeys?
- What new story are you writing for yourself now?
Lessons for Our Own Stories
The Red and the Black is not just the story of one young man’s rise and fall. It is a mirror for all of us who have ever dreamed, doubted, loved, lost, or longed to be more than our circumstances. Julien Sorel’s journey is a reminder that ambition alone is not enough; that authenticity, courage, and self-knowledge are the true prizes of the hero’s journey.
You are not bound by the stories others have written for you. You can question, challenge, and rewrite them. The journey is yours to claim.
The Power of Your Story: Steps to Transformation
Let’s break down the journey, as I do in my workshops, so you can apply it to your own life:
- Old Stories: What scripts have you inherited?
- The Call: What is asking you to grow or change?
- Refusal: What doubts or fears hold you back?
- Mentors: Who or what guides you?
- Threshold: When did you take a leap of faith?
- Trials: What challenges have shaped you?
- Transformation: What new truths have you discovered?
- Return: How are you living your new story?
Remember, your story is not fixed. Every day is a new page. Every choice is a new line.
The Red and the Black as a Universal Tale
Stendhal’s novel endures because it speaks to the timeless questions of identity, ambition, love, and authenticity. It is a story about the masks we wear and the courage it takes to remove them. It reminds us that the true hero’s journey is not about conquering the world, but about discovering—and accepting—ourselves.
Conclusion: Write Your New Story
As you close the pages of The Red and the Black, ask yourself: What story am I living? Is it one I have chosen, or one that was chosen for me? The power to change your story is the greatest gift you possess. Use it well.
Let Julien Sorel’s journey inspire you—not to imitate his ambition or his tragedy, but to become fully yourself. The hero’s journey is not about glory or conquest. It is about finding your voice, claiming your power, and writing the story only you can tell.
What is Your Story? 