The tragic fate of a talented but selfish and weak-willed young provincial man, Lucien de Rubempré, attempting to conquer Paris, is contrasted with the modest and honest life of the Angoulême printer-inventor David Séchard, who is forced to abandon his business due to debts and intrigue. With merciless verisimilitude and a deep knowledge of the human heart, Balzac portrays the manners and customs of a society driven by three main passions: an obsession with money, the pursuit of power, and love outside of marriage.