REMEMBERING BALZAC AND HIS CURRENT VALIDITY | By: Ernesto Rodríguez

Ernesto Rodriguez ([e-mail])

Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850) is considered one of the greatest writers of all time, and in his series of works ‘The Human Comedy’ he made a devastating critique of the selfish, greedy and corrupt mentality that was developing in the France of his time, when all human relationships revolved around the all-powerful money.

In our country we are experiencing something similar because there is no socialism and instead, only money, selfishness, unbridled speculation and the most vulgar corruption reign, while the honest and humble population lives in misery.

Let us look at four selected quotes from Balzac’s works. In his work: ‘The Village Doctor’ (1833), the doctor Benassis says: “Society now has no other support than ‘egoism’. Individuals believe only in themselves” (1). Likewise, in his work: ‘A Daughter of Eve’ (1838), Balzac refers to the ambitious young Nathan and says: “He is the son of this century (…) He wants to obtain fortune without work (…) When so many ambitious young people have set out on foot, meeting at the same point, there is a competition of wills, unheard-of miseries and fierce fights. In such a horrible battle, the victory is of the most violent or the most skillful egoism” (2).

Isn’t it true that in our country too selfishness prevails everywhere and many citizens seek to get rich quickly through speculation and without working?…. In his famous work ‘Pope Goriot’ (1835), the sinister character Vautrin advises the ambitious young Rastignac and tells him: “A quick fortune is the solution that more than fifty thousand young people in the same situation as you are trying to find at this moment (…) Judge for yourself the efforts you will have to make and how fierce the fight will be for you. The situation dictates that you devour each other like spiders in a jar (…) Honesty is worthless (…) Corruption abounds, while talent is rare. That is why corruption is the weapon of mediocrity that abounds exceedingly and that you will find everywhere” (3)…Similarly, at the end of his work: ‘The House of Nucingen’ (1838) the character Blondet says: “The laws are cobwebs through which the big flies pass and in which the small ones are trapped.”

Isn’t it true that in our country there are many mediocre and corrupt people who prosper and flaunt their ill-gotten wealth with the greatest obscenity?… Doesn’t it happen in our country that the powerless citizen can be severely punished for any triviality while the law never reaches the great corrupt?… It would seem that Balzac was inspired by our country for his works! NOTES: (1) Page 72 in ‘El Médico de Aldea’ and ‘Eugenia Grandet’. Clásicos Castell y Moretón, 1981 (2) Page 38 in Honorato de Balzac ‘La Comedia Humana’, Volume IV, Málaga Collection, 1953 (3) Pages 317-318 in ‘La Piel de Zapa’ and ‘Papa Goriot’, Edit. Bruguera, 1978.