Frédéric Moreau moves through Gustave Flaubert’s Sentimental Education like a social chameleon, patterning himself after those he admires in the hope of attaining their stature. In one telling early scene, the provincial young Frédéric meets the charismatic art dealer Jacques Arnoux and his elegant wife on a riverboat. Immediately enchanted by their worldly aura, he “vows to become a friend of the family” and see Madame Arnoux again. This almost impulsive pledge reveals Frédéric’s instinct for mimicry: he is “easily impressed and influenced” by men like Arnoux, whose “wealth, confidence, and masculinity” awe him. Frédéric attaches himself to such figures and adopts their interests—art, politics, romance—seeking to climb into their social circle.
Critics have noted that Frédéric lives according to a frustrating pattern of chasing ambitions and affections only to abandon them once the thrill subsides. He drifts from one grand idea to the next (a political career, literary dabbling, various love affairs), mimicking the passions of whomever he’s infatuated with at the moment.
Frédéric’s motivations are less about inner conviction than about belonging: a “blind desire to be considered part of high society” drives him. This approach to social capital—basing his identity on the reflected glow of others—ultimately shapes Frédéric’s trajectory into one of mediocrity and disappointment.
By novel’s end, he remains an unsatisfied aspirant. His mimicry gains him entry to salons and boudoirs, but not the true renown or fulfillment he imagined, making his “sentimental education” a cautionary tale of hollow ambition.