'Father Goriot' Summary

The novel begins with the arrival of Eugène de Rastignac, a young man from the provinces, to Paris, seeking fortune and glory. He quickly becomes entangled with the Parisian elite, especially the beautiful and ambitious women, Madame de Restaud and Mademoiselle de Vauquer. In a boarding house run by Madame Vauquer, he meets the aging and impoverished Goriot, who is obsessed with his two daughters, Anastasie and Delphine. Goriot's love and sacrifice for his daughters are contrasted with their cold indifference and callous pursuit of material wealth. Rastignac, torn between his ambitions and his morals, eventually learns a harsh lesson about the price of social advancement. The novel climaxes with Goriot's death, a tragic testament to his unwavering love and the devastating power of societal pressures.