Against the Grain · Chapter
VI explained
Des Esseintes, lost in reverie, recalls his manipulation of D'Aigurande's marriage and his scheme to corrupt a young boy, Auguste Langlois, by introducing him to luxury and vice in order to create a criminal.
What happens
Des Esseintes, lost in reverie, recalls his manipulation of D'Aigurande's marriage and his scheme to corrupt a young boy, Auguste Langlois, by introducing him to luxury and vice in order to create a criminal. He reflects on the futility of his experiment and the nature of education and social hatred.
Themes in this chapter
Decadence and Degeneracy
Des Esseintes' deliberate attempt to corrupt a young boy into a life of crime exemplifies the theme of moral decay.
Disillusionment with Society
His scheme is motivated by a desire to create an enemy of society, reflecting his deep disillusionment.
The Futility of Pleasure
The experiment ultimately fails, as Des Esseintes never hears of Auguste again, underscoring the emptiness of his pursuits.
Characters to notice
- Des Esseintes
Reflects on his past manipulations and experiments with human behavior.
- D'Aigurande
Recalled as a friend whose marriage Des Esseintes helped to sabotage.
- Auguste Langlois
A young boy Des Esseintes attempted to corrupt into becoming a murderer.
- Madame Laure
The madam of the brothel where Des Esseintes brought Auguste.
- Miss Urania
Mentioned as the 'handsome Jewess' Vanda at Madame Laure's establishment.
Key passages
“Buried in a vast hooded armchair, his feet resting on the silver-gilt balls of the firedogs, his slippers roasting before the burning logs that shot out bright, crackling flames as if lashed by the furious blast of a blowpipe, Des Esseintes laid down on a table the old quarto he was reading, stretched himself, lit a cigarette and presently lapsed into a delicious reverie, his mind hurrying full chase in pursuit of old-time reminiscences.”
Des Esseintes, lounging in a large armchair by the fire, sets aside his book and drifts into a pleasant daydream, recalling past memories.
Opens the chapter with Des Esseintes in a state of reflective solitude.
“The plain truth is I am simply trying to train a murderer.”
I am attempting to mold a killer.
Des Esseintes reveals his cynical experiment to Madame Laure.