baron de Charlus

The greatest fall in the book: scenes and standing decline from the Guermantes salons to the wartime brothel, while belonging never wavers.

Charlus is the most formidable of the Guermantes, feared and courted through the middle of the novel, and his standing on this page is at its height in the first Guermantes volume. From there the decline is long and public: the rupture staged against him at the Verdurins’, the pursuit of Morel, the wartime scenes in Jupien’s house where he pays to be deceived, and at last the aged, stricken baron bowing to a woman he once would not have acknowledged. Both his scenes and his standing fall across that arc. One reading does not move. His belonging is the highest of anyone here and stays level from Combray to the war, because whatever he becomes, he remains a Guermantes.

Advantage

1440.7

114 compared passages · 75 distinct opponents

Last comparison: Le Temps retrouvé — IV. Le Bal de têtes, ¶91–95

Evidence & endpoint sensitivity

119 appearing passages; 308 pair comparisons; 83.36 total comparison weight. Counts describe evidence, not independent observations.

Resampled endpoint rank envelopes within the original 35-character reference set—not this page’s full scored list. These are not confidence intervals or bands for earlier trajectory points.

Chapter: 13.0–33.0; absent in 0.0% of samples.
Five-passage block: 16.0–33.0; absent in 0.0% of samples.

Reference characters · 200 samples per scheme

Aimé, Albertine, Andrée, Bergotte, Bloch, Brichot, Elstir, Françoise, Gilberte, M. Verdurin, Mme Verdurin, Mme de Cambremer, Mme de Marsantes, Mme de Villeparisis, Morel, Norpois, Odette, Rachel, Robert de Saint-Loup, Saniette, Swann, baron de Charlus, comte de Forcheville, docteur Cottard, duc de Guermantes, duchesse de Guermantes, la Berma, la grand-mère, la mère du narrateur, le narrateur, le père du narrateur, marquis de Bréauté, prince de Guermantes, princesse de Guermantes, princesse de Parme

Prestige

1499.9

61 compared passages · 50 distinct opponents

Last comparison: Le Temps retrouvé — IV. Le Bal de têtes, ¶91–95

Evidence & endpoint sensitivity

119 appearing passages; 164 pair comparisons; 36.62 total comparison weight. Counts describe evidence, not independent observations.

Resampled endpoint rank envelopes within the original 8-character reference set—not this page’s full scored list. These are not confidence intervals or bands for earlier trajectory points.

Chapter: 4.0–8.0; absent in 0.0% of samples.
Five-passage block: 3.0–8.0; absent in 0.0% of samples.

Reference characters · 200 samples per scheme

Bloch, Gilberte, Mme Verdurin, Morel, Robert de Saint-Loup, baron de Charlus, duchesse de Guermantes, le narrateur

Inclusion

1768.3

26 compared passages · 14 distinct opponents

Last comparison: Le Temps retrouvé — II. M. de Charlus pendant la guerre, ¶51–55

Evidence & endpoint sensitivity

119 appearing passages; 32 pair comparisons; 10.11 total comparison weight. Counts describe evidence, not independent observations.

Not assessed: outside the original reference set. This does not imply stability.

Retrospective trajectories

Lens

Smoothed with later evidence. Compare within one lens at matching narrative positions—not across lenses or different endpoint dates. Lines connect fitted nodes and do not assert observations between them.

baron de Charlus

1500 is a scale reference, not an assigned score for unrated characters. The vertical scale adapts to this selection. Single observations are shown as points, not hidden.

baron de Charlus: 114 fitted points

Passage	Score	Local annotation
Du Côté de Chez Swann — I. Combray, ¶296–300	1524.5	neutral
Du Côté de Chez Swann — II. Un amour de Swann, ¶411–415	1524.9	neutral
Du Côté de Chez Swann — II. Un amour de Swann, ¶426–430	1525.0	neutral
Du Côté de Chez Swann — II. Un amour de Swann, ¶431–435	1525.0	positive
Du Côté de Chez Swann — II. Un amour de Swann, ¶436–440	1524.9	neutral
Du Côté de Chez Swann — II. Un amour de Swann, ¶531–535	1523.7	neutral
Du Côté de Chez Swann — II. Un amour de Swann, ¶536–540	1523.7	neutral
Du Côté de Chez Swann — II. Un amour de Swann, ¶581–585	1523.0	neutral
À l'Ombre des Jeunes Filles en Fleurs — II. Noms de pays : le pays, ¶206–210	1515.1	negative
À l'Ombre des Jeunes Filles en Fleurs — II. Noms de pays : le pays, ¶211–215	1515.1	mixed
À l'Ombre des Jeunes Filles en Fleurs — II. Noms de pays : le pays, ¶216–220	1515.0	positive
À l'Ombre des Jeunes Filles en Fleurs — II. Noms de pays : le pays, ¶221–225	1515.0	positive
À l'Ombre des Jeunes Filles en Fleurs — II. Noms de pays : le pays, ¶226–230	1514.8	negative
À l'Ombre des Jeunes Filles en Fleurs — II. Noms de pays : le pays, ¶231–235	1514.7	positive
À l'Ombre des Jeunes Filles en Fleurs — II. Noms de pays : le pays, ¶236–240	1514.6	negative
À l'Ombre des Jeunes Filles en Fleurs — II. Noms de pays : le pays, ¶241–245	1514.6	neutral
À l'Ombre des Jeunes Filles en Fleurs — II. Noms de pays : le pays, ¶266–270	1514.1	negative
Le Côté de Guermantes — I, ¶356–360	1506.4	negative
Le Côté de Guermantes — I, ¶746–750	1503.1	neutral
Le Côté de Guermantes — I, ¶756–760	1503.0	neutral
Le Côté de Guermantes — I, ¶786–790	1502.5	neutral
Le Côté de Guermantes — I, ¶821–825	1501.8	positive
Le Côté de Guermantes — I, ¶826–830	1501.7	positive
Le Côté de Guermantes — I, ¶831–835	1501.5	positive
Le Côté de Guermantes — I, ¶836–840	1501.4	negative
Le Côté de Guermantes — I, ¶841–845	1501.3	neutral
Le Côté de Guermantes — I, ¶846–850	1501.2	neutral
Le Côté de Guermantes — I, ¶851–855	1501.1	positive
Le Côté de Guermantes — II, ¶196–200	1495.8	positive
Le Côté de Guermantes — II, ¶201–205	1495.6	negative
Le Côté de Guermantes — II, ¶206–210	1495.5	neutral
Le Côté de Guermantes — II, ¶251–255	1494.6	neutral
Le Côté de Guermantes — II, ¶286–290	1493.8	neutral
Le Côté de Guermantes — II, ¶306–310	1493.4	negative
Le Côté de Guermantes — II, ¶311–315	1493.4	neutral
Le Côté de Guermantes — II, ¶391–395	1492.3	positive
Le Côté de Guermantes — II, ¶441–445	1491.4	negative
Le Côté de Guermantes — II, ¶446–450	1491.3	positive
Le Côté de Guermantes — II, ¶521–525	1489.9	neutral
Le Côté de Guermantes — II, ¶581–585	1488.5	positive
Le Côté de Guermantes — II, ¶586–590	1488.3	negative
Le Côté de Guermantes — II, ¶591–595	1488.2	negative
Le Côté de Guermantes — II, ¶596–600	1488.0	negative
Le Côté de Guermantes — II, ¶601–605	1487.9	positive
Le Côté de Guermantes — II, ¶616–620	1487.6	negative
Sodome et Gomorrhe — I, ¶1–5	1485.6	negative
Sodome et Gomorrhe — I, ¶6–10	1485.6	positive
Sodome et Gomorrhe — I, ¶11–15	1485.5	negative
Sodome et Gomorrhe — I, ¶16–20	1485.4	positive
Sodome et Gomorrhe — II, ¶11–15	1484.9	negative
Sodome et Gomorrhe — II, ¶16–20	1484.8	positive
Sodome et Gomorrhe — II, ¶26–30	1484.5	neutral
Sodome et Gomorrhe — II, ¶31–35	1484.3	negative
Sodome et Gomorrhe — II, ¶36–40	1484.2	positive
Sodome et Gomorrhe — II, ¶46–50	1483.8	positive
Sodome et Gomorrhe — II, ¶56–60	1483.4	positive
Sodome et Gomorrhe — II, ¶71–75	1482.7	neutral
Sodome et Gomorrhe — II, ¶96–100	1481.5	neutral
Sodome et Gomorrhe — II, ¶101–105	1481.3	positive
Sodome et Gomorrhe — II, ¶106–110	1481.0	negative
Sodome et Gomorrhe — II, ¶111–115	1480.7	neutral
Sodome et Gomorrhe — II, ¶116–120	1480.5	positive
Sodome et Gomorrhe — II, ¶121–125	1480.2	negative
Sodome et Gomorrhe — II, ¶126–130	1479.9	neutral
Sodome et Gomorrhe — II, ¶131–135	1479.6	neutral
Sodome et Gomorrhe — II, ¶136–140	1479.3	neutral
Sodome et Gomorrhe — II, ¶141–145	1479.0	negative
Sodome et Gomorrhe — II, ¶301–305	1469.9	negative
Sodome et Gomorrhe — II, ¶326–330	1468.7	neutral
Sodome et Gomorrhe — II, ¶331–335	1468.5	negative
Sodome et Gomorrhe — II, ¶336–340	1468.2	positive
Sodome et Gomorrhe — II, ¶341–345	1467.9	neutral
Sodome et Gomorrhe — II, ¶361–365	1466.7	negative
Sodome et Gomorrhe — II, ¶366–370	1466.5	negative
Sodome et Gomorrhe — II, ¶381–385	1465.7	neutral
Sodome et Gomorrhe — II, ¶386–390	1465.5	negative
Sodome et Gomorrhe — II, ¶391–395	1465.3	positive
Sodome et Gomorrhe — II, ¶396–400	1465.1	negative
Sodome et Gomorrhe — II, ¶401–405	1464.9	negative
Sodome et Gomorrhe — II, ¶406–410	1464.7	neutral
Sodome et Gomorrhe — II, ¶411–415	1464.5	positive
La Prisonnière, ¶76–80	1460.7	positive
La Prisonnière, ¶81–85	1460.5	positive
La Prisonnière, ¶86–90	1460.2	neutral
La Prisonnière, ¶106–110	1459.0	positive
La Prisonnière, ¶146–150	1456.6	neutral
La Prisonnière, ¶251–255	1450.0	negative
La Prisonnière, ¶276–280	1448.6	negative
La Prisonnière, ¶281–285	1448.3	negative
La Prisonnière, ¶286–290	1448.1	negative
La Prisonnière, ¶291–295	1447.9	negative
La Prisonnière, ¶296–300	1447.7	negative
La Prisonnière, ¶301–305	1447.6	mixed
La Prisonnière, ¶311–315	1447.3	negative
La Prisonnière, ¶316–320	1447.2	negative
La Prisonnière, ¶326–330	1447.0	negative
La Prisonnière, ¶356–360	1446.7	neutral
La Prisonnière, ¶371–375	1446.6	neutral
Albertine disparue — II, ¶31–35	1445.0	positive
Albertine disparue — IV, ¶1–5	1442.9	neutral
Albertine disparue — IV, ¶6–10	1442.8	neutral
Albertine disparue — IV, ¶11–15	1442.7	neutral
Le Temps retrouvé — I. A Tansonville, ¶1–5	1442.4	negative
Le Temps retrouvé — II. M. de Charlus pendant la guerre, ¶26–30	1441.1	positive
Le Temps retrouvé — II. M. de Charlus pendant la guerre, ¶36–40	1440.8	negative
Le Temps retrouvé — II. M. de Charlus pendant la guerre, ¶41–45	1440.6	negative
Le Temps retrouvé — II. M. de Charlus pendant la guerre, ¶46–50	1440.5	negative
Le Temps retrouvé — II. M. de Charlus pendant la guerre, ¶51–55	1440.5	negative
Le Temps retrouvé — II. M. de Charlus pendant la guerre, ¶56–60	1440.4	negative
Le Temps retrouvé — II. M. de Charlus pendant la guerre, ¶66–66	1440.3	neutral
Le Temps retrouvé — III. Matinée chez la princesse de Guermantes. L'Adoration perpétuelle, ¶1–5	1440.3	negative
Le Temps retrouvé — III. Matinée chez la princesse de Guermantes. L'Adoration perpétuelle, ¶6–10	1440.3	negative
Le Temps retrouvé — IV. Le Bal de têtes, ¶41–45	1440.6	neutral
Le Temps retrouvé — IV. Le Bal de têtes, ¶91–95	1440.7	neutral

Distinguishing passages

Charlus is clearly lowered in this passage: wounded, mincing, credulous, playing at slang before boys who lie to him, he is presented as a dupe of the underworld theatre he pays to have staged.

Charlus is clearly diminished as the narrator lays bare his moral and physical decline, self-delusion, and the collapse of the mask he once maintained.

Charlus's aged, made-up appearance exposed by daylight and his undignified, transactional pursuit of Morel diminish him relative to his usual polished, commanding social image.

Chapter reading path

Passage descriptions come from the fixed annotations. They describe local readings, not guaranteed causes of a rating change.

baron de Charlus

Advantage

Prestige

Inclusion

Fortune across the novel

Retrospective trajectories

Distinguishing passages

Chapter reading path