 One of the main themes in Le Père Goriot is the quest to understand and ascend society 's strata . The Charter of 1814 granted by King Louis XVIII had established a " legal country " which allowed only a small group of the nation 's most wealthy men to vote . Thus , Rastignac 's drive to achieve social status is evidence not only of his personal ambition but also of his desire to participate in the body politic . As with Scott 's characters , Rastignac epitomizes , in his words and actions , the Zeitgeist in which he lives . 
