In Stendhal’s The Red and the Black, Mme. de Rênal is introduced as a somewhat naive character. However, she only seems naive at times because she has no interest in society or fashion; the things women in her class are supposed to care about. Before she falls in love with Julien, the only thing Mme. de Rênal is truly interested in is the wellbeing of her children. Because it appears that she is naive, it is easy to underestimate her intelligence but in reality Mme. de Rênal is very capable of using her mind and she is even capable of manipulating people. The threat of her affair with Julien being discovered evokes Mme. de Rênal’s intelligence, cunning, and ability to manipulate because she is willing to do anything for a chance that she and
