Residents of the Chaussée d'Antin, the Marais, the Suburbs

Henry Monnier compares the dress of the residents of three neighborhoods: the rich bourgeoisie of Chaussée d’Antin, the lesser bourgeoisie of the Marais and the working class of the suburbs. “Who has not noticed that there, like in all regions of Paris, this is a way of being that reveals who you are, what you do, where you come from, and what you want?” Balzac was the first writer to use descriptive style not only as setting for his work, but as a determinant of action and plot.