the narrator relates to Mme de Rochefide are about Ernest Jean Sarrasine and his unusual relationship with Zambinella. Balzac also employs nonlinear narration in Sarrasine: the framed story takes place many years earlier than it is related, and a few times the narrator jumps to the present and then returns to telling the framed story. Historical context Castrati in opera Sarrasine gives us a closer look at the role of castrati in both common opera and in religious tradition. Catholicism in Italy dictated that there could be no female singers, and the high voice parts were usually played by either prepubescent boys or castrati. In order to become a castrato, a boy had to give up his "manhood", i.e., have his testes removed at a very early age. Because of the popularity of Italian opera throughout 18th-century Europe (except France), castrati such as Farinelli, Ferri, Pacchierotti, and Senesino became the first operatic superstars, earning enormous fees and hysterical public adulation. However, many did not survive the surgery, or did not last very long after it. Castrati developed many health problems, as testosterone is needed for healthy growth in boys, and without the glands that supply the majority of testosterone during a critical period of development, the body does not grow correctly. Besides the only wanted side effect (the lack of lengthening the vocal cords), a castrato's arms and legs were often disproportionally long, they did not have much muscle mass, and other problems, such as osteoporosis and erectile dysfunction were common later in life. The story of Sarrasine is made much more believable by the fact that, due to their severe hormonal imbalance, castrati often developed real breast tissue, a condition called gynecomastia. Literary context Other 19th century French literature French literature flourished in the nineteenth century. Among the most famous authors from this time period is Victor Hugo, who was known for works such as Les Misérables (1862), The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831), and The Toilers of the Sea. Hugo was also known for influencing Romanticism, a movement that spread to France in the 1820s and emphasized a sense of individuality and emotion. In his novel Les Misérables, Hugo represents Romanticism and individuality with the character of Marius Pontmercy, who by attempting to court the character Cosette by sending her letters that reveal his love for her, adheres to Romantic movement ideas and beliefs. Equally important is Gustave Flaubert,