We all need money, yes? Some more than others, and there’s no shortage of greedy people who hoard wealth like a squirrel hoards nuts. Well, I read this novel a few years ago and I thought it was time to read it again and scratch out my thoughts – when I can wriggle out from under my piles of gold that is.
Matthew 19:24
24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Balzac’s Eugénie Grandet is a masterful exploration of avarice, power, and the tragic repercussions of familial manipulation, wrapped in the satirical garb of a bourgeois tragedy. In this novel, Balzac dissects the anatomy of wealth with the precision of a surgeon, exposing the visceral greed that drives human behaviour and the societal structures that enable it.
The Anatomy of Avarice
At the heart of the novel is the eponymous heroine, Eugénie, whose innocence and virtue are starkly contrasted with the miserly tyranny of her father, Félix Grandet. Grandet is the quintessential embodiment of avarice, a man whose love for gold supersedes his affection for his family. He is a character so thoroughly consumed by his wealth that he becomes a caricature of miserliness, reminiscent of Molière’s Harpagon, but with a more insidious cruelty.
Grandet’s obsession with money is not merely personal but extends to a tyrannical control over his household. His wife and daughter are reduced to mere pawns in his relentless pursuit of financial accumulation. Through Grandet, Balzac satirises the bourgeoisie’s transformation of money into a quasi-religious object, a deity to be worshipped at the expense of human relationships and moral values. Grandet’s hoarding of gold in the secrecy of his home is a grotesque parody of the sacred relics kept by a monk, highlighting the absurdity of his devotion.
The Fiscal Feudalism
The societal structure depicted in Eugénie Grandet is one where money equates to power, and power is wielded with feudal brutality. Grandet’s financial acumen and ruthless business practices allow him to dominate the local economy of Saumur, establishing a form of fiscal feudalism. His control over wealth enables him to manipulate and subjugate those around him, creating a microcosm of economic tyranny.
Balzac’s satire is particularly sharp when portraying the sycophantic behaviour of the local bourgeoisie, who fawn over Grandet in the hopes of securing his favour. The Cruchots and the des Grassins, both vying for Eugénie’s hand, are depicted as scheming vultures, circling Grandet’s wealth rather than seeking a genuine connection with Eugénie. This depiction serves as a critique of the moral degradation that accompanies the relentless pursuit of economic gain, where personal integrity is sacrificed at the altar of financial ambition.
Eugénie: The Martyr of Wealth
Eugénie herself becomes a tragic figure, a martyr to her father’s greed. Her initial innocence and purity make her a sympathetic character, but as the narrative unfolds, her suffering becomes a tool for Balzac’s satire. Her love for her cousin Charles, which should be a source of joy, is instead manipulated and thwarted by her father. Grandet’s cold calculation and eventual betrayal of Eugénie’s hopes exemplify the destructive power of avarice.
Eugénie’s inheritance, which should have liberated her, instead becomes a golden cage. Her wealth, far from bringing happiness, isolates her further. Balzac uses her plight to underscore the futility of wealth without human connection. Despite her riches, Eugénie remains alone, her potential for happiness squandered by her father’s greed. This ironic twist serves as a poignant critique of the bourgeois values that prioritise wealth over genuine human relationships.
The Comedy of Corruption
Balzac’s novel, while tragic, is also imbued with a dark comedy that highlights the absurdity of the characters’ obsession with wealth. The lengths to which Grandet goes to secure his fortune – hoarding his gold in secret, manipulating his family, and deceiving his peers – are so extreme that they border on the ludicrous. Balzac’s portrayal of Grandet as a miserly tyrant is laced with a satirical edge that exposes the inherent ridiculousness of his behaviour.
The secondary characters, too, are drawn with a satirical brush. The Cruchots and des Grassins, with their relentless scheming, are portrayed as buffoons, their pretensions to nobility undermined by their transparent greed. Even Charles, whose initial charm captivates Eugénie, is revealed to be a shallow opportunist, more concerned with restoring his own fortunes than with genuine affection.
Conclusion: The Illusion of Wealth
In Eugénie Grandet, Balzac crafts a compelling satire of bourgeois society, exposing the moral and emotional void at the heart of its relentless pursuit of wealth. Through the tragic figure of Eugénie and the grotesque caricature of her father, Balzac critiques the dehumanising effects of avarice and the hollow nature of financial success. His novel serves as a timeless reminder of the perils of valuing money above all else, a cautionary tale that continues to resonate in a world still obsessed with the glitter of gold.
Balzac’s incisive wit and keen observational skills transform Eugénie Grandet from a simple tale of greed into a profound commentary on the human condition, making it a cornerstone of his Comédie Humaine. The novel’s enduring relevance lies in its ability to expose the absurdity of a society that measures worth by wealth, a satire as biting today as it was in Balzac’s time.
Wording 