Success and Ambition

The theme of success and ambition is at the heart of Bel Ami. In his quest for success, Georges hurts those closest to him and loses his honor along the way. His ambition ultimately brings him wealth and prestige, but not contentment.

To begin, when the reader first meets Georges he is a broke young man with dreams of making his fortune. The narrator says, “As he pondered upon this unpleasant state of affairs, he sauntered down Rue Notre Dame de Lorette, preserving his military air and carriage, and rudely jostled the people upon the streets in order to clear a path for himself. He appeared to be hostile to the passers-by, and even to the houses, the entire city” (9). In this light, Georges’ ambition seems reasonable. He longs for a level of financial security that would ensure that he always has enough to...