Project Gutenberg 2005-05-23 Public domain in the USA. 105 Balzac, Honoré de 1799 1850 Balzac, Honore de Saint-Aubin, Horace de De Balzac, Honoré Balzac, H. de (Honoré de) The Stepmother, A Drama in Five Acts Produced by Dagny and John Bickers "The Stepmother: A Drama in Five Acts" by Honoré de Balzac is a theatrical drama written in the mid-19th century. The play revolves around the complex dynamics of a family led by General Comte de Grandchamp, particularly highlighting the struggle of his daughter, Pauline, and her connections with those around her, including her stepmother, Gertrude, and a suitor named Godard. The narrative delves into themes of love, jealousy, and familial duty, set against the backdrop of societal expectations in 1829 France. At the start of the play, we are introduced to the lavish drawing-room of the General’s chateau, where he and Gertrude discuss their daughter Pauline's prospective marriage. Gertrude expresses concern over the persistent gossip suggesting she is impeding Pauline's romantic opportunities. As the General favors Pauline’s freedom to choose her husband, Godard, a wealthy suitor, enters with intentions of courtship. The opening scenes unfold the tensions between Gertrude and Pauline, contrasting Gertrude's role as a devoted yet insecure stepmother with Pauline’s youthful aspirations and emerging affections for another man, Ferdinand. As familial bonds and romantic endeavors intertwine, underlying animosities and secrets begin to surface, setting the stage for the dramatic conflicts to come. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 84.4 (6th grade). Easy to read. en France -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Drama French drama -- 19th century -- Translations into English PQ Text Category: Plays/Films/Dramas Category: French Literature 249058 2025-07-07T04:39:56.054034 text/html 248879 2025-01-15T00:33:35.070386 text/html 165048 2025-07-07T04:40:04.340534 application/epub+zip 166715 2025-07-07T04:39:59.370011 application/epub+zip 143516 2025-07-07T04:39:58.094004 application/epub+zip 357172 2025-07-07T04:40:07.290465 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 333627 2025-07-07T04:40:03.167468 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 305017 2022-09-08T00:11:18.578453 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 196560 2025-07-07T04:39:55.707005 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 196411 2020-12-14T12:52:24 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 18835 2025-07-07T04:40:07.416448 application/rdf+xml 17412 2025-07-07T04:39:58.569001 image/jpeg 3946 2025-07-07T04:39:58.330017 image/jpeg 70058 2020-12-14T12:52:24 application/octet-stream application/zip 162859 2025-07-07T04:39:56.072019 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia fr.wikipedia