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Old Man Gao
This is a mind map about "Old Man Gao", which mainly includes: theme discussion, main plot, main characters, story background, and author information. "Old Man Gao" is a work with profound social significance and literary value. Through delicate character portrayal and vivid plot depiction, it shows the true face of French society in the early 19th century and the complex and multifaceted aspects of human nature.
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Old Man Gao
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"Old Man Gao"
Author information
Life: Honoré de Balzac was born in 1799 in a middle-class family in Tours, France. He worked in a law firm in his early years. This experience allowed him to come into contact with various figures and complex social contradictions at the bottom of society, and accumulated rich materials for his future creation. In 1828, Balzac devoted himself to literary creation and made his mark in the literary world with the "Juan Party" published in 1829. In the past twenty years since then, he has created 91 novels with amazing perseverance and talent, and built a huge "Human Comedy" system. In 1850, Balzac died of illness, but his works had a profound impact on French and even world literature.
Creative Style and Achievement: Balzac is an outstanding representative of critical realist literature in 19th century France. His works are known for their realistic techniques, focusing on the meticulous description of social reality and the in-depth analysis of human nature. Through the portrayal of characters from different classes, the whole picture of French society is shown and is known as "a mirror of French society." "Human Comedy" covers many themes such as the decline of aristocrats, the rise of bourgeoisie, and the crime of money. It is Balzac's pinnacle work, among which "Gao Old Man" is one of the core chapters of "Human Comedy".
Story background
Times: The story takes place in Paris from the end of 1819 to the beginning of 1820, during the period of the Bourbon Restoration. During this period, French society underwent drastic changes, and feudal aristocracy gradually declined after the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, but still tried to maintain their privileged status; the bourgeoisie continued to rise with its economic strength and played an increasingly important role in political and social life. The contradictions and struggles between the old and new classes are fierce, and the social order is turbulent.
Social environment: Paris, as the political, economic and cultural center of France, is a gathering place for various social contradictions. In this bustling city, the gap between the rich and the poor is huge. The aristocrats and bourgeoisie in the upper class live a luxurious and decay life, while the people in the lower class struggle on the poverty line. Money becomes the standard for measuring everything, social morality is degraded, and interpersonal relationships become utilitarian and hypocritical. This social environment provides fertile soil for the fate of the characters in the novel and the development of the story.
Main characters
Old Man Gao: The flour merchant made a fortune by speculation during the Great Revolution and accumulated huge wealth. He was extremely doting on his two daughters and poured all his love and property into them.
Character traits: Kind, simple, love for his daughter is selfless and blind, and he sacrifices everything he wants to meet his daughter's material needs. But he used any means in the business world, reflecting the greed and cruelty of capitalists.
Character’s fate: When I first arrived at Fugai Apartment, I lived a rich life and was highly respected. As his daughters continued to squeeze his money, he gradually became poor and eventually abandoned by his daughters and died tragically in loneliness and despair.
Character role: As one of the core characters in the novel, Old Man Gao's experience profoundly reflects the corrosion of money on human nature and the distortion of family relations in capitalist society, and is an important carrier for Balzac to criticize social reality.
Rantinig: A poor college student who came to Paris from another province to study law, with his longing and ambition for the future, is determined to make a name for himself in the upper class of Paris.
Character traits: At first, they are simple and kind, full of ideals, but in the environment full of temptation and cruel reality, they are gradually assimilated and become selfish, cold and useless measures.
Character’s fate: When he first arrived in Paris, he needed to rely on his father’s support to maintain his life, and he was both yearning for and confused about the prosperity of Paris. Under the influence of Mrs. Bao Saiang and Vtulan, he gradually abandoned his moral bottom line and devoted himself to the torrent of pursuing fame and fortune.
Character role: Rastigne's growth and transformation are important clues in the novel. His experience shows the depravity of young people in the face of social reality and reveals the shaping and impact of the social environment on human nature.
Mrs. Bao Saiang: The leader of the Paris aristocratic society, with a noble background and elegant temperament, enjoying a high reputation in the social circle.
Character traits: arrogance, elegance, romantic pursuit of love, but also aristocratic arrogance and vanity.
Character Destiny: Although she is in a prosperous social world, she has encountered setbacks in love. In order to have a generous dowry, her lover Aquda abandoned her and married someone else. Finally, she lived in seclusion in the countryside after a grand farewell dance.
Character role: Madame Bausion's experience symbolizes the decline of the aristocratic class. Her guidance and influence on Rastigne promoted Rastigne's ideological transformation and was an important guide for Rastigne's degeneration.
Votulen: The fugitive slaughter, who lives in Vogai Apartment with a pseudonym, has a profound insight into the darkness of society and the weaknesses of human nature.
Character traits: smart, witty, decisive, strong ambitions and desires, but also have their own principles and bottom lines.
Character Destiny: In order to achieve his goal, he tries to seduce Rastigne to pursue Miss Vittori, the daughter of banker Teivan, and obtain Teivan's property through improper means. But in the end, he was betrayed by the old girl Mi Xunuo and arrested and imprisoned.
Character role: Votollen is a representative figure on the dark side of society. His existence reveals the hypocrisy and sin of society. His temptation and influence on Rastinje further deepens the novel's themes about human nature and social reality.
Anasdazi (Countess Resdo): Old Man Gao's eldest daughter married to the new noble Earl Resdo.
Character traits: vanity, selfishness, greed for enjoyment, and in order to satisfy one's material desires and maintain a status in the upper class, he will not hesitate to squeeze his father's money.
Character’s fate: When his father is rich, he cares about him very much. Once his father has no money, he ignores him. In the end, before his father died, he was unable to meet him for the last time.
Character role: Anas Daqi's behavior reflects the weakness of family affection and the destruction of family relations in capitalist society. He is one of the direct creators of Old Man Gao's tragic fate.
But Fina (Mrs. Nüqingen): Old Man Gao's youngest daughter married the banker Nüqingen.
Character traits: equally vanity, selfishness, pursue a luxurious life, live with Rastigne, and constantly ask for money from his father.
Character Destiny: Although she felt sad after her father passed away, she soon returned to her luxurious life.
Character role: But Fina's image further strengthens the novel's criticism of distorted family relations in capitalist society, and also shows the depravity of bourgeois women in the face of money and desire.
Main plot
Old man Gao’s experience
First entering Fugai Apartment: When Old Man Gao first moved to Fugai Apartment, he lived a wealthy life and was generous in his work, and was highly respected and envied by other tenants. He is passionate about talking about his daughters and regards his daughters' happiness as everything he has.
Wealth gradually decreased: as the daughters kept asking him for money to satisfy their luxurious life in the upper class, Old Man Gao gradually decreased. He had to move to a room with poor conditions, but still tried his best to meet his daughters' needs.
Depression and death: In the end, Old Man Gao's money was squeezed out by his daughters, and he became poor and no one cared about it. During his serious illness, his daughters were busy attending social activities and ignored him. Old man Gao died in loneliness and despair, and the funeral was very deserted.
Rastigne's experience
First arriving in Paris: Rantinig came to Paris from another province, rented a living in the Vogue apartment, and lived a hard life. He is full of yearning for the prosperity of Paris and the upper class, and is eager to change his destiny through his own efforts.
Meet the upper class: Through his distant relative Madame Bossion, Rastigne met the upper class in Paris. Mrs. Bao Saiang taught him the rules of survival in the upper class and guided him to pursue Mrs. Nüqingen, the youngest daughter of Old Man Gao.
Rejecting Votoleng's temptation: Votoleng saw Rastine's ambition and proposed to him a plan to obtain wealth, that is, to pursue Miss Vittori's daughter, the banker Teipan, and at the same time, he sent someone to kill Vittori's brother to obtain Teipan's property. Rastigne was initially attracted by the plan, but, condemned by conscience, eventually rejected Vtulen.
Experience the tragic experience of Old Man Gao: Rastigne witnessed the tragic process of Old Man Gao being abandoned by his daughters with his own eyes, which had a huge impact on his thoughts. At Old Man Gao's funeral, he saw the indifference of society and the ugliness of human nature, and finally decided to abandon his innocence and kindness and devote himself to a society that pursues fame and fortune.
Other key plots
Futuling was arrested: Futuling's true identity was discovered by the old girl Mi Xunuo. In order to obtain a bounty, Mi Xunuo betrayed Futuling to the police. Futulan was arrested in front of everyone, showing his calmness and helplessness.
Mrs. Bao Saiang's farewell dance: After being abandoned by her lover, Mrs. Bao Saiang decided to hold a grand farewell dance to say goodbye to the upper class of Paris. At the dance party, she was glorious on the surface, but her heart was filled with pain and despair. After the dance, she lived in seclusion in the countryside, marking the decline of the aristocratic class.
Topic discussion
The Corrosion of Human Nature by Money: Through the fate of characters such as Old Man Gao, Rastigne, Anasdazi and Danfona, the novel deeply reveals the dominant role of money in capitalist society and the sin of materialism. Money made the originally kind old man Gao blind and stupid, made the pure Rastigne degenerate into a selfish person, and made family affection worthless in Anasdazi and Danfona's hearts.
Criticizing the distorted family relationships in capitalist society: The relationship between Old Man Gao and his daughters is the focus of novel criticism. In capitalist society, family relations are distorted by money, and family affection becomes a vassal of money. The daughters' love for Old Man Gao is only based on money. Once Old Man Gao loses his wealth, they abandon him without hesitation.
Showing the depravity and transformation of young people in social reality: Rastigne's experience is one of the important themes of the novel. He gradually became corrupted by money and fame and fortune in a simple and kind young man from other provinces in Paris, a temptation and cruel environment, and eventually fell into an egoist who could do anything to do. His transformation reflects the huge impact of the social environment on young people, and also reveals the darkness and corruption of capitalist society.