The Arrival of the Main Character

The opening of "La Peau de chagrin" by Honoré de Balzac immediately plunges the reader into the story through an incipit analyse linéaire. Set in Paris during the late October of 1830, the novel begins with a young man entering a gambling house at the Palais Royal.

Highlight: The very first sentence encapsulates the entire incipit, introducing the main character, spatio-temporal setting, and the theme of money problems.

Balzac employs several literary techniques to establish the realistic setting:

• Precise temporal and spatial indicators ("fin du mois d'octobre", "Palais Royal")
• References to contemporary laws and societal norms
• Detailed descriptions of characters and surroundings

Vocabulary: Incipit - The opening lines or passage of a literary work, setting the tone and introducing key elements.

The author also hints at the fantastical elements to come:

Quote: "Talisman" (line 1) - This term immediately signals the intrusion of the supernatural into the realistic setting.

The main character, later revealed to be Raphael, is initially described only as "un jeune homme", creating an air of mystery. Balzac uses an "in medias res" approach, placing the character directly into action rather than providing extensive background.

Example: The use of passé simple tense ("il monta") indicates action rather than description, which would typically use imparfait.

A significant encounter occurs when the young man is asked to leave his hat, symbolizing the beginning of his descent into the world of gambling:

Quote: "Monsieur, votre chapeau, s'il vous plaît?"

This interaction introduces a secondary character, an old man described in negative terms, likened to Cerberus guarding the entrance to the underworld.

Definition: Cerberus - In Greek mythology, the multi-headed dog guarding the entrance to the underworld.

Through these elements, Balzac skillfully sets the stage for the analyse linéaire La Peau de chagrin, le Talisman, blending realism with hints of the fantastical to come.