The Minute Construction of the Character Lucien de Rubempré in Honoré de Balzac’s Comédie humaine

Abstract

This article describes various constituent elements of the character Lucien de Rubempré (Illusions perdues and Splendeurs et misères des courtisanes): the paratexts that allow us to understand his affiliations, his facet as a literary artist, his experience as a dandy and the interactions he has with other characters that seal his destiny. Through the dialogue with theoretical proposals and specific criticisms from among the many who have commented on Illusions perdues, especially here from the Italian environment, it is shown how different aspects of the realistic method are closely linked to the construction of this hero and its settings. Comparisons with other fictional creatures of the same system; that is, the Comédie humaine, clearly expose the author’s obsessions and the invariants he imprinted on some characters who became spokespersons of his poetics and worldview. It concludes by emphasizing, with various examples, the complexity and versatility of a hero that establishes metaliterary reflections and, above all, links the destinies and adventures of other leading characters in the universe of the Comédie.