Le Père Goriot

Rastignac is invited to Madame de Beauséant’s ball. The ball is a high point in the social calendar, and invitations are much sought-after. Rastignac notes that his cousin specifically mentions a desire to meet Madame de Nucingen, so he hurries to tell this to Delphine. She is pleased with the invitation, suggesting that this signifies their first step up the social ladder. Delphine mentions that her sister may also attend, dressed in her finest jewelry because recent rumors have suggested that she sold her family diamonds to cover debts accrued by her lover. That evening, Rastignac returns to the Maison Vauquer for what he hopes will be the final time.

The following day, Rastignac clears his room in anticipation of his departure from the boarding house. Among his possessions, he finds the note promising to pay a debt to Vautrin. As he is about to destroy the note, he hears Delphine talking to her father, Goriot: She is explaining to him that her husband has invested all their money in speculative assets. He cannot access the money or give it back to her, he says, but he has promised to repay her in two years with interest. During this time, he and Delphine will need to live frugally if they want to maintain their outward appearance of wealth.

Goriot is enraged, planning to scrutinize these investments and ensure that his daughter’s money is returned. As Delphine tries to calm her father, she mentions that her husband has promised to allow her to do what she wants (namely, to become Rastignac’s lover) on the condition that he may use her money for these investments. If she does not, she says, then they will both be bankrupted. Delphine sees no other option. Eventually, she calms Goriot, but he insists that he will examine the issue in the future. As they prepare to leave the boarding house, Goriot’s other daughter, Anastasie, arrives. She is upset and explains to her father that her husband discovered that she has been paying her lover’s debts. She paid off a debt of 100,000 francs by pawning “the family diamonds Monsieur de Restaud is so attached to” (215). Monsieur de Restaud has warned her that she must sign her money over to him, though he has assured her that he will not seek a divorce for the sake of their children (only one of whom Anastasie can be certain is his).

Goriot is overwhelmed and erupts, angry at his sons-in-law and sad about his daughters’ miserable marriages. He compares their current lives to the happiness of their youth. Interrupting her father, Anastasie reveals that she still owes 12,000 francs and that her lover may be sued. She loves him, so she hopes that her father can pay her the outstanding amount. Goriot struggles to explain that he has just handed over all his money to Delphine. The sisters argue, insulting one another and accusing each other of squandering their father’s fortune. Goriot watches, becoming increasingly fretful. He works himself into a state of delirium, his face contorts, and his words become unintelligible. He issues threats against his daughters’ husbands, he threatens to rob a bank, and he threatens to die by suicide. His daughters grab him in time to stop Goriot from “banging his head against the wall” (220).

Rastignac has been listening to the conversation with horror. He enters the room and gives his promissory note (previously addressed to Vautrin) to Anastasie to pay her lover’s debts. Anastasie is shocked and accuses Delphine of revealing her hidden shame to a stranger. Goriot is close to collapsing on the bed. Rastignac tells Anastasie to take the money, promising to keep her secret. She leaves with the note, returning quickly under the pretense of caring for her father; in truth, she needs Rastignac to endorse the note. Meanwhile, Goriot seems to be struggling. He mentions feeling “something pressing on [his] forehead” (222). He falls asleep, so Rastignac escorts Delphine back to her home. He refuses her invitation to stay for dinner, concerned about her father. In the boarding house, Bianchon examines Goriot. He notices the signs of an imminent “apoplexy” (i.e., a stroke).

That evening, Rastignac goes to the opera with Delphine. He tries to hide his concern for her father. Delphine, enjoying the opera, dismisses his concerns, saying her father always overreacts. Right now, Delphine is only concerned with love. She reveals that Madame de Beauséant’s lover is expected to marry soon, though he has not told her. Madame de Beauséant will be shocked when the Marquis d’Ajuda does not appear at the ball, and Delphine laughingly observes that most of the guests are keen to see her embarrassment firsthand.

After the opera, the couple visits their new apartment. Delphine stays until the early hours of the morning and then leaves Rastignac in his new home. He congratulates himself on entering high society and winning the love of a beautiful woman. He has forgotten his concerns about Goriot as he falls asleep. In the morning, Delphine returns to eat breakfast with Rastignac at noon. They do not mention Goriot until 4:00 p.m., at which time Rastignac resolves to collect Goriot from the boarding house.

At the Maison Vauquer, Rastignac speaks to Bianchon, who says that Goriot has suffered from a stroke. He has little chance of recovery. The sound of Rastignac’s voice stirs Goriot, who beckons Rastignac closer. He tells Rastignac that Anastasie returned later to ask for yet more money. Unable to refuse her, he sold everything he had, including his future annuity. Goriot insists that helping his daughters gives him great joy. He plans to return to the business world. Rastignac calms Goriot down, and he and Bianchon encourage the old man to eat. They tend to him through the night, applying medicines and leeches.

The following day, a messenger Anastasie dispatches a messenger to collect the money from Goriot. At the same time, Rastignac receives a letter from Delphine. She criticizes him for having “neglected” her and reminds him of how much she wants to attend Madame de Beauséant’s ball. In his reply, Rastignac tells Delphine that Goriot has fallen sick and asks whether she wants to attend a ball with her father in this state.

By the evening, Goriot is still suffering. The doctor is not optimistic that he will recover. Rastignac visits Delphine with the bad news. When he arrives, however, she is already dressed to go to the ball. He tries to explain what has happened to her father, but she interrupts him, telling him to ready himself for the ball. Upset, Rastignac nevertheless goes to dress himself. He feels pity for Goriot and contempt for Parisian society, which treats people so heartlessly, but he also feels a burgeoning love for Delphine that he cannot deny. When he returns, Delphine briefly inquires about her father. Rastignac explains that he is gravely ill. He wants to return to care for him, suggesting that Delphine could come with him. Delphine wants to attend the ball first, which angers Rastignac. He tells her about the selfish ways in which her sister behaved and the terrible impact it had on Goriot. Delphine breaks down in tears but quickly collects herself. She does not want to cry, lest she “look hideous” at the ball.

Rastignac and Delphine attend the ball. The event is lavish, reflecting the fortune and glory of Paris’s high society. Amid the glamorous décor and luxurious clothing, Madame de Beauséant wears a simple white dress. She struggles to hide her pain, having heard that her lover plans to marry another woman. The crowd has gathered to observe her “at the moment of her downfall” (234). Madame de Beauséant greets Rastignac and Delphine. She calmly asks Rastignac to speak to the marquis about returning her love letters. After Rastignac talks to the marquis, however, Madame de Beauséant breaks down. She cannot hide her pain any longer. She will leave Paris, she says, and seek solace in the country. She thanks her cousin for his friendship and tells him that she will leave him a glove box as a gift, which he can give to Delphine. Madame de Beauséant then turns to join the rest of the ball.

Rastignac spots Delphine and Anastasie, the latter of whom is dressed in the diamonds that have seemingly cost Goriot his life. Delphine comes to Rastignac, and they spend the evening together. The ball finishes at 4:00 a.m., at which point Rastignac sees the Duchess de Langeais offering an apology to Madame de Beauséant and asking her to stay in the city. However, Madame de Beauséant is brokenhearted and will not change her mind. Rastignac says goodbye to his cousin and sets out on foot to the Maison Vauquer.

Bianchon is waiting for him at the boarding house: Goriot is terminally ill. Rastignac is saddened. He says that he is “in hell, and [he] must stay there” (238). Later in the day, Bianchon asks if Rastignac will watch over Goriot. As the old man’s condition worsens, Bianchon expects that he will die soon. Nevertheless, Bianchon wants to do what he can. He is poor and has no money for medicine, while Rastignac has only 20 francs. Bianchon will use his credit to get medicine from the pharmacy where he is employed. The two men go to Goriot’s room so that Rastignac can learn how to care for him. The expression on the dying Goriot’s face horrifies Rastignac. He thinks about the old man dying in a small, dirty room, ignored by his ungrateful and heartless daughters. Bianchon instructs Rastignac on how to care for Goriot, who asks after his daughters. Bianchon explains that Goriot has asked this many times; he has also been calling out their names. Left alone with Goriot, Rastignac reflects that “noble souls” with noble sentiments—such as Madame de Beauséant and Goriot—have no place in this society. He thinks about the grim poverty of the room compared to the lavish luxury of the ball.

Bianchon returns. He is out of breath, having run back with a suggestion from a surgeon that he wants to apply if Goriot wakes up. Rastignac thanks Bianchon for all that he is doing. Bianchon replies that, from a medical perspective, the case is at least interesting. The young man’s detachment surprises Rastignac, though Bianchon assures him that he still cares for the patient’s well-being.

When Rastignac is alone again with Goriot, the old man begins to speak. His words are delirious and nonsensical, but occasionally a snippet of conscious thought bursts through. He seems not to recognize Bianchon and speaks about his lack of fuel and money. Rastignac tries to comfort Goriot, who seems sure that his daughters will visit him. He knows that he will die; he is only upset that his death will hurt his daughters, especially Delphine. He remembers them as young girls in their happy youth. At the time, they looked up to him as though he were their entire world. However, he is overcome by pain and cannot continue to speak.

When the pain lessens, Goriot asks again for his daughters. He blames their husbands for their absence. In a sudden burst of delirium, he speaks about a plan to make his fortune again. At this point, Christophe enters with news: Neither of Goriot’s daughters will come. Anastasie claims that she must discuss important matters with her husband, so she will not have time. Delphine was asleep, so Christophe could not reach her. Rastignac is appalled. Goriot criticizes children who receive everything from their parents only to give nothing in return. He knew his daughters were heartless and selfish, but he did not want to believe it. He criticizes himself for giving everything away for his daughters, as he might still have them if he had not done so. They only wanted his money, and now he has nothing left. In his old age and poverty, he became an embarrassment to them. Despite the way they treated him, he continued to dote on them. He compares his actions to a “gambler” returning to the table over and over again. Goriot calls out, demanding his rights as a father. To him, fathers are the foundations of a society.

Goriot’s speech becomes increasingly incoherent. The last stroke is seemingly imminent. Still, he assures himself that his daughters will arrive soon and all will be well. He will be with them, and he will rebuild his fortune. Then he accepts that they might not come. His delirious speech turns into an unfinished, unremembered curse. Goriot calls out to Delphine as though she were in the room. Rastignac is concerned and wants to fetch Delphine and Anastasie. Goriot encourages Rastignac to fetch his daughters, though not to force them to do anything. He especially wants to see Delphine. Goriot suggests that Rastignac tell Delphine that if she does not come to her father, then he cannot love her. Rastignac assures Goriot that his daughters will come. As Goriot blesses his daughters, Rastignac prepares to leave.

Bianchon returns and can tell that Goriot is close to death. Rastignac is pale as he describes Goriot’s desperate words. The tragedy of the situation makes Rastignac want to cry. They are still lacking money, so Rastignac hands his watch—gifted to him by Delphine—to Bianchon to take to the pawn shop. In the meantime, he will go to Goriot’s daughters.

Monsieur de Restaud is not pleased to see Rastignac. Anastasie is still considering his terms, he says, so she is not allowed to leave the house, and he does not care about Goriot, alive or dead. Anastasie overhears the conversation. She approaches Rastignac with tears in her eyes, telling him that her husband’s demands are unacceptable. If only her father knew how much she was suffering, she complains, he would forgive her behavior. Rastignac leaves, reflecting on de Restaud’s “physical and moral tyranny” over his wife (253).

Rastignac goes to Delphine next. She is still in bed, telling Rastignac that she caught a cold the previous night. She claims that she might contract pneumonia. Rastignac explains the situation and encourages her to go to Goriot. Delphine is dismissive. She does not believe that her father could be so sick. She will go only after she has visited a doctor for her own medical issues. She notices that Rastignac is not wearing the watch she gave him, and Rastignac pointedly tells her that the watch has been pawned to pay for her father’s treatment. Delphine gets out of bed and fetches her purse to give to Rastignac. She will go to her father, she says. Rastignac leaves, and Delphine sends a servant with a message, asking her husband to meet with her.

Back at the boarding house, Rastignac feels somewhat relieved that he can at least assure Goriot that Delphine is coming. Bianchon and a surgeon are in Goriot’s room, trying out a new treatment. Goriot spots Rastignac and asks about his daughters. Rastignac says that Delphine will soon arrive. The surgeon leaves, offering a dismal prognosis for Goriot, though he says that sometimes miracles do happen. Seeking to change the sheets, Rastignac goes to Madame Vauquer. She refuses to change the sheets, as Goriot has no money: Any sheets she gives him will not be returned, as he will be buried in them. Rastignac takes what money remains from the pawned watch and demands that the sheets be changed. Vauquer provides fresh sheets, and as the two men change Goriot, he calls out for his locket. It was removed during his treatment; inside are locks of hair from Goriot’s wife and daughters, taken when they were children. Goriot groans when he is handed the locket. His pained face seems joyous, if only for a moment, as he calls out his girls’ nicknames. His words vanish in a last glimmer of consciousness.

Footsteps are heard outside the room, but they belong to the maid rather than Delphine. The maid explains that Delphine had a terrible argument with her husband that caused her to faint. As such, she will not be able to come. Looking at the bed, Rastignac notes that this does not matter: Goriot is unconscious and dying.

Anastasie appears, against expectations. She enters the room, apologizing for not being able to come sooner. She falls beside her father’s bed and kisses his hand, begging him for forgiveness. Looking to Rastignac, she suggests that she is as good as dead. She has been abandoned by her lover, she has lost her fortune, and her husband insists on taking her children from her. Now, she realizes how cruel she has been to her father. Goriot’s eyes open suddenly, but this is merely a final muscular contraction. He dies a few moments later.

Rastignac and Bianchon are the only boarders at the Maison Vauquer who react compassionately to Goriot’s death. The others show their selfishness, not caring about the tragedy of the situation nor showing any interest at all. After eating dinner, the two men search for a priest to attend to the dead man. Rastignac writes to Goriot’s sons-in-law. He asks them for money to pay for Goriot’s funeral. There is no response, so Rastignac and Bianchon pay for everything themselves. Goriot will be buried in a pauper’s coffin. This infuriates Bianchon. He suggests that they write a message on Goriot’s headstone that reads, “Here lies Monsieur Goriot, father of the Comtesse de Restaud and the Baronne de Nucingen, buried at the expense of two students” (261).

At the Maison Vauquer, Rastignac walks into Goriot’s room. Madame Vauquer is there, stealing the gold locket. Rastignac snatches it from her, angrily telling her that it will be buried with the dead man, allowing him to take something of his daughters to the grave. Only Rastignac and Christophe attend the funeral. The church service costs 70 francs, which is all the men can afford. Two empty carriages appear at the church, each emblazoned with the coats of arms of the absent daughters. As the earth is thrown on top of Goriot’s, Rastignac sheds a tear. At this moment, his youth ends. He stands atop a hill, watching over the city, and issues an “epic challenge” to the fashionable society of Paris, saying, “[I]t’s between the two of us now” (263). He leaves to eat dinner with Delphine.