Sarrasine

Sarrasine is a novella written by one of the most celebrated French writers of the 19th century, Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850). It was first published in 1831 and is part of Balzac’s magnum opus series, La Comédie Humaine (The Human Comedy). This series consists of 91 completed works and 41 partial texts; its interconnected narratives present a fictionalized version of post-Napoleonic French society that is simultaneously intimate and sweeping. In the definitive posthumous organization of the series, Sarrasine is included in the volume titled Scènes de la Vie Parisienne (Scenes from Parisian Life). The novella’s main plot, recounted in the first person by an unnamed narrator, focuses on famous sculptor Ernest-Jean Sarrasine’s ill-fated infatuation with the castrato opera singer La Zambinella.

Balzac was a pioneer of the modern novel known for his enduring popularity, prodigious output, and significant impact on subsequent authors. His work marries the passion and emotionality of Romanticism with the verisimilitude and detail of Realism. Through Sarrasine and throughout his wider body of work, Balzac explores themes that preoccupied many of his contemporaries, including The Dangers of Obsession, Art and the Impact of Representation on Identity, and The Artificiality of Gender Roles.

This guide uses the 2016 Project Gutenberg e-book of Sarrasine, translated by Clara Bell (et al.).

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of substance use, rape, sexual harassment, graphic violence, death, gender discrimination, transgender discrimination, antigay bias, and child abuse.

Language Note: The story’s narrator uses feminine “she/ her” pronouns to refer to La Zambinella prior to the revelation that he is a male castrato. This guide uses masculine “he/him” pronouns to refer to La Zambinella throughout, only replicating the use of feminine pronouns in direct quotes.

The unnamed narrator, a member of fashionable Parisian society during the early 19th century, attends a lavish ball at the home of the wealthy de Lanty family. He listens to other guests gossip about the unknown source of the family’s fortune, which has been much speculated about since the de Lantys moved to Paris a decade ago. The Comte de Lanty is a dull and unattractive politician, while his wife is charming, intelligent, and beautiful. Their two adolescent children, Filippo and Marianina, take after their mother, and each possesses all the attractive qualities of their respective genders. The narrator is attending the ball with the marchioness Madame de Rochefide, who is approached by an elderly male relative of the de Lanty family. This man only emerges from his private apartments to attend soirees in the family manor when Marianina sings. Whenever the elderly man appears, the other members of the de Lanty family seem hyperaware of his presence, though it’s unclear whether their demeanor reflects love or fear.

The old man startles and frightens Madame de Rochefide, and when touching his arm causes him to cry out, she flees the room in panic. The narrator joins her in a private boudoir as she recovers her equilibrium and admires a painting of Adonis on the wall. Marianina soon appears, escorting the elderly man as he retires for the night, and then returns quickly to the party after an affectionate parting with the man. The narrator explains to Madame de Rochefide that the painting of Adonis is based on a sculpture of a woman and hints that the identity of the model as well as that of the elderly gentleman are closely linked to the de Lanty family’s sordid secrets. He offers to share this information with Madame de Rochefide on the condition that she invite him to her private rooms the following evening. Though frustrated and impatient in her curiosity, Madame de Rochefide grudgingly agrees, and the following night sees the narrator in her chambers, recounting the novella’s main plotline. 

Ernest-Jean Sarrasine was a talented sculptor who showed from his earliest childhood the volatile and impetuous temperament often associated with genius. He was expelled from school for poor behavior and joined the studio of the famous sculptor Bouchardon to escape his father’s wrath and pursue a career in art. Bouchardon recognized both the boy’s prodigious talent and his violently passionate temper, taking on a paternal role in his life by helping him to refine his skills and secluding him from the corruptions and provocations of the wider world. Six years after joining the studio, Sarrasine won a prestigious prize for sculpture and departed to study the works of the masters in Italy. 

Soon after his arrival in Italy, Sarrasine attended his first opera and became enamored with the celebrated soprano La Zambinella. Unbeknownst to Sarrasine, La Zambinella was a castrato performing the lead female role in the opera due to local laws forbidding women to act on stage. Sarrasine’s obvious infatuation was noticed as he religiously attended nightly performances and dedicated his days to creating a sculpture depicting La Zambinella as an ideal of female beauty. Hoping for a laugh at his expense, the show’s performers invited Sarrasine to attend a party where La Zambinella was dressed as a woman and encouraged him to pursue the object of his affection. La Zambinella was reserved in the face of Sarrasine’s overtures, particularly after learning of his violent temper. La Zambinella’s perceived feminine modesty only deepened Sarrasine’s obsession, and overtaken by drunken lust, Sarrasine dragged La Zambinella into a private room with the intent of raping him. La Zambinella defended himself with a knife while insisting on his lack of interest in a romantic entanglement, ultimately escaping to the main room, where the laughter of the other performers abashed Sarrasine. 

The following day, Sarrasine joined the party on an outing, becoming ever more attracted to La Zambinella’s supposedly feminine weakness. La Zambinella refused Sarrasine’s romantic advances but welcomed his friendship, hinting at his true gender and declaring himself damaged and incapable of love. Sarrasine was undeterred and conceived of a plan to abduct La Zambinella after a private event hosted by Cardinal Cicognara. At the event, however, Sarrasine was shocked to find La Zambinella performing for the Cardinal’s guests dressed in male attire. A local noble mocked the sculptor’s ignorance, informing him that La Zambinella was a male castrato who only played female roles on stage. Sarrasine was overcome with horror but unable to reconcile himself to the truth. He kidnapped La Zambinella, transported him to his studio, and terrorized the singer into confirming his gender. Disillusioned and enraged, Sarrasine was about to murder La Zambinella when guards employed by Cardinal Cicognara, La Zambinella’s protector, burst in and killed Sarrasine instead. 

The narrator tells Madame de Rochefide that the cardinal came to acquire Sarrasine’s statue of La Zambinella, which served as the model for the painting of Adonis. Moreover, La Zambinella is actually the Comtesse de Lanty’s uncle and the elderly gentleman who frightened Madame de Rochefide at the previous night’s ball. His operatic career is the source of the family fortune. Madame de Rochefide is repulsed by the tale and disgusted with society in general. Rather than accepting the narrator’s courtship, she instead rejects the corruptions of earthly life.