Sarrasine

The story follows the undulating path of a sculptor Sarasin's shocking journey to the masses. As one of the “fathers of realism,” Balzac paints in his own words a vivid portrait of life in a European whirlpool salon in the late Bourbon family, and we Let's find out the profession of grandfather and mother to follow Sarasin from France to Italy.

 

But it is also the story of La Zambinera, an Italian singer, who is madly and passionately in love with Sarasin. But this passion hid a secret that Sarasin discovered too late.

By : Honoré de Balzac (1799 - 1850)

Plot Summary

At midnight at the ball, the narrator sits in front of the window and looks out over the garden. He overheard a passerby's conversation about the origin of the property's owner, Mush de Lanti. Around the house was a strange old man, whose children loved strange things, threatened and plotted. As the man sits next to the narrator's guest, Beatrix Roshfide, she touches him and the narrator pushes her out of the room. The narrator says that he knows who the man is and will tell about him the next night. 

 

The following night, the narrator speaks to Mme de Rochefide about the art lover boy Ernest Jansarasin. After struggling at school, he becomes the nanny of sculptor Bouchardon. After one of Sarasin's sculptures won the competition, he traveled to Rome and participated in a play starring Zambinera. He loves her, goes to all her shows and makes clay molds for her. After spending time together at the party, Sarasin attempts to seduce Zambinera. He shuts his mouth, hinting at secrets and dangers lurking in their partnership. Sarasin increasingly believes that Zambinera is the ideal woman. Sarasin devised a plan to kidnap her during a party at the French Embassy. When Sarasin arrived, Zambinera was dressed as a man. Sarasin talks to the Cardinal and patronage of Zambinera, who is said to be castrato. Sarasin refused to believe it, left the party and arrested Zambinera. When they arrived at his office, Zambinera confirmed he was a gelding. When a group of cardinals rushed in and stabbed Sarasin, Sarasin was trying to kill him. The narrator reveals that the old man around the house is Maria Nina's biological uncle, Zambinera. The story ends with Madame de Rochefide expressing her anguish at the story just told.