Red and black are tragedies, as well as personal introspection and social ethics conflict. Julien, the hero, is the victim of the social system in France during the transition period from the old to the new. His spirit belongs to the Napoleonic era, but the reality is the restoration period. This dislocation caused his spiritual and material separation. We can use the phrase "times make heroes" to describe Julian. If it was in Napoleon's "red period", he would naturally become famous and prosper by his own talent, but fate wrongly placed him under the rule of the Restoration Dynasty, so his role was positioned as a rebel of the feudal dynasty.

Lian has an ideological character that transcends the times. He is eager to change his humble fate. He broke through the shackles of religious beliefs in feudal times and bravely fought against feudal autocracy. He worships the ideas and theories of Napoleon and Rousseau. It is this ideological character that modern people are incompatible with the restoration of Bourbon Dynasty that led to Julien's tragedy. Julian declaimed in the trial court: "I am not honored to belong to your class." In your eyes, I am a farmer who resists humble fate. " "I will never ask your forgiveness. I have no illusions. Death is waiting for me: this is just. "

Compared with the ancient Greek tragedy, Julien's tragedy can be regarded as a "social tragedy". His character is distorted in the melting pot of this society, and all his motives are for his own honor. His delicate body was looked down upon by his father and brother, but his heart was arrogant, strong and unwilling to admit defeat, which led to the tragedy. Even he didn't realize that his struggle was always surrounded by feudal ethics, and the atmosphere of the times had changed, but he still had too high expectations for his own efforts and the survival law of society.