Fabrizio del Dongo as Idealist Hero in Charterhouse of Parma

Introduction: The Idealist as Hero

It is exceedingly difficult to label Fabrizio del Dongo, the protagonist of Stendhal's The Charterhouse of Parma, a hero in the conventional sense. Heroes are conventionally imbued with qualities including great courage, physical prowess, a discerning intellect, and other superlatives that set them apart from ordinary men. There are many characteristics of Fabrizio that make him more of an anti-hero — he is excessively idyllic and plagued by misfortune, which the author satirizes in a comical way. However, there is one similarity with conventional heroes that Fabrizio unequivocally shares: he is a starkly shining idealist and, whether or not he can actually fulfill his ambitions, he is motivated by some of the purest and most heroic motives.

Noble Origins and Aristocratic Discontent

One aspect of Stendhal's novel that supports this reading is the fact that Fabrizio is born an aristocrat into a wealthy family. In conventional Aristotelian tragedy, it is necessary for the tragic hero to come from noble beginnings and an impressive lineage. Fabrizio meets this requirement. Yet even amid the opulence of his upbringing, his idealist nature is revealed, as the following passage demonstrates: "Life in this castle, inhabited by thirty or forty servants, was gloomy indeed; hence Fabrizio spent all his days hunting or rowing on the lake. Soon he was closely attached to the coachmen and the grooms" (Stendhal).

This passage reveals Stendhal's dissatisfaction with the trappings of material wealth. Fabrizio is more closely attuned to the servants who support the aristocracy with their backbreaking labor than to the aristocracy itself. Stendhal's novel is politically charged throughout, satirizing the folly of the wealthy class. By aligning his protagonist with the liberal poor, the author renders Fabrizio an ideological idealist — and, by extension, a hero.

Acting on Idealistic Impulses

Another facet of Fabrizio's character that marks him as a hero is his willingness to act on his idealistic impulses of justice and equality. Granted, he is not so proficient a hero that he can actually achieve the ends he pursues — a point Stendhal revisits repeatedly, from Fabrizio's botched attempt to kidnap his lover and son near the novel's end to his failed war ambitions with Napoleon. Yet the reader cannot overlook the fact that Fabrizio is no closet idealist. He is willing to alienate himself from the life of luxury afforded to him as an aristocrat in order to stand by his principles and take up arms for Napoleon. The following passage makes this clear: "Fabrizio saw…a ploughed field that seemed to be strangely in motion…He heard a sharp cry beside him; two hussars had fallen, riddled with bullets" (Stendhal).

This passage places Fabrizio on his way to join Napoleon's army during the infamous Battle of Waterloo. Although Fabrizio missed the battle due to his characteristic daydreaming, he nonetheless attempted to act as a hero and fight for his beliefs — a gesture that, however imperfect in execution, reflects the sincerity of his idealism.

Conclusion: Heroism Through Idealism

Thus, it is evident that Fabrizio shares many similarities with conventional heroes, which allows readers to regard him as one. He is primarily motivated by lofty ideals and a genuine affinity for the poor — even if he gets distracted by love, which is itself another lofty ideal. Therefore, despite his frequent inability to achieve his goals, his idealistic thinking remains essentially heroic.