Rastignacs

Rastignacs is a surname, most famously associated with the fictional character Eugène de Rastignac from Honoré de Balzac's La Comédie Humaine. Eugène is a young man from a provincial family who arrives in Paris with ambitions of social and financial success. His story explores themes of social climbing, ambition, and the corrupting influence of Parisian society. The character of Rastignac has become iconic, representing the archetype of the ambitious newcomer navigating a complex and often unforgiving urban environment. Balzac used Rastignac as a recurring figure across several of his novels, allowing the character to evolve and interact with different social circles. The name Rastignac itself has thus become synonymous with this particular kind of aspirational, yet often morally compromised, protagonist. Beyond Balzac's creation, the surname Rastignac appears in various other contexts, though it is predominantly recognized due to the enduring impact of Eugène de Rastignac on literary and cultural discussions of ambition and society.