More on Julien Sorel's insipid behavior

As his affair with the msyor's wife becomes more apparent to just about everyone in the town except the mayor, Julien (Sorel, Stendahl's Red and the Black) figures out that he has to leave and get on w/ his education in preparation for a career in the church; his departure from his so-called beloved, Mme de Renal, is in my view extremely cold and heartless, and he seems to have put her in the rear-view by the time he arrives in the larger town/city of Besancons, home of the monastery he will join as what I think is called a novitiate (or is that term only for prospective nuns?). IN fact, the very first thing he does is anter a cafe where he immediately begins a flirtation w/ the young barmaid/waitress and fantasizes about getting into a heroic duel w/ her current boyfriend. He then takes up a temporary lodging and flirts w/ the landlady - he's inveterate, hopeless. There's not a moment's thought about the woman he's left behind. Moreover, as he enters them monastery a day or so later he's appalled by the harsh conditions; he engages ina long interrogation with the head of the monastery, who quizzes J about church history and Latin and lays down the rules of the monastery. J has no problem pledging to obey all the rules - even tho he's breaking at least one right at the start by concealing some money and valuables he's carried w/ him. It's painfully obvious that he has neither faith nor calling; he's great at Latin and probably should be thinking about a career in academics, but that would never bring the fame and glory that he imagines will be his if he rises in rank in the church - a vain, privileged, foolish young man.