What is Gobseck's tragedy?

Essays on literary works - 2024

What is Gobseck's tragedy?

Honore de Balzac, the titan of French literature, elevated the novel to unparalleled heights of artistic perfection and social significance. Stendhal was right to call him the 'king of novelists.

One of Balzac's most celebrated works, "Gobsek," serves as a concise 'guidebook' to 19th-century France during the Empire, Restoration, and July Monarchy.

The novella's protagonist, Gobsek, is an elderly man who has accumulated vast wealth. A solitary figure, he interacts with few and leaves his home solely for business. The only person who interests Gobsek is the young law clerk, Der vil. The old man sees in him an intelligent companion, a loyal friend, a business associate, and simply a good man. In turn, the young man, through his interactions with the old man, gains experience, seeks advice, and makes observations. Der vil comes to believe that Gobsek is a dual nature: a miser and a philosopher, a base and a noble creature.

I concur with the clerk's assessment. Indeed, life's experiences have taught Gobsek to think, analyze, and even philosophize. He can easily discern a person's character at first glance and predict their future actions. Gobsek often ponders life and its meaning. Yet, with age, he developed an insatiable greed for money and a desire to dominate the world. This passion gradually morphed into an obsession. The principle, "Everything can be bought and sold," became his guiding light. Nothing mattered to him except money and its accumulation. His spiritual world slowly withered and died long before his physical demise. The credo of the bourgeois order, "Money rules the world," was embraced by the old man with fervor. Gold consumed his soul, corrupting everything sacred within him. Noble sentiments such as pity and compassion were replaced by the basest human qualities: egoism, cynicism, and avarice. While in his youth, Gobsek sought knowledge and understanding, his later life was consumed by the pursuit of wealth. However, despite amassing a vast fortune, he found no happiness. He died a solitary and ignominious death, surrounded by his millions.

I believe that Gobsek's life is a tragedy not just for one individual, but for the entire system. His story serves as a testament to the adage, "Money cannot buy happiness." Honore de Balzac has shown us the dire consequences of idolizing money and the power it confers.