appearance. According to the symbolism dictionary (http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/symbolismproject/symbolism.html/M/mirror.html), the mirror is the absolute truth and a reflection of ones soul. It does not lie to anyone. The mirror is also considered a distraction when looked upon for glamour reasons. People don’t have to deal with real life issues or problems in the mirror. You can just simply admire yourself to take away all other thoughts that might be troubling at the time. This train of thought was very apparent in the Belle poque, or “the great age.” Everyone wanted to be taken away from the daily struggle of everyday life. With the French Revolution at hand, people wanted to pretend that nothing was really going on around them. Women wore large, ornate gowns that occupied more space than the actual woman wearing the dress. Men wore dark neutral colors, such that the women would not lose any attention to their date. Society was in all the rage about appearance, and the mirror reflects all.The church was another example of symbolism used in Bel-Ami. It was here that people could come and wash away all their sins, regardless of the nature. Religion played a very important role in French society. It was held, at the time, that Catholicism was the superior religion, and if you weren’t a catholic, you were nothing.It was here at the church, that Mme. Walter agreed to meet DuRoy for the first time. This was a very significant place for the two people to meet. The church announced safe harbor and no matter what you did there, you wouldn’t be judged. Mme. Walter was an innocent woman who had no previous experience in cheating on her husband. She felt that if she met DuRoy at the church, nothing bad would happen to her, and if it did, the all-knowing eyes of the lord would forgive her. It is here at the Place de la Trinite’, that Mme. Walter breaks down and confesses her love for DuRo...
