# II: The Crime explained — Short Fiction

> Chapter companion for Short Fiction by Gustave Flaubert.

## What happens

Julian's parents arrive at the castle seeking their son. Julian's wife welcomes them and puts them to bed. Meanwhile, Julian, tormented by his hunting urges, goes into the forest but fails to kill any animals. Returning home in the dark, he mistakes his sleeping parents for his wife and a lover, and stabs them to death. Realizing his horrific error, he renounces his worldly possessions and leaves to become a pilgrim.

## Themes in this chapter

### Guilt and Redemption

Julian's entire arc in this chapter is driven by his attempt to avoid the prophecy of parricide through self-restraint, but his failure leads to the murder of his parents, after which he seeks redemption by abandoning his life and becoming a pilgrim.

### Death and Mortality

The chapter culminates in the violent, mistaken murder of Julian's parents, with graphic descriptions of their corpses and blood, emphasizing the finality and horror of death.

### Suffering and Endurance

Julian's parents endure years of wandering and poverty to find their son, only to be killed by him. Julian himself suffers the psychological torment of his crime and chooses a life of penance.

## Character check-ins

### Saint Julian

Julian, tormented by his hunting desires, goes into the forest but fails to kill any animals. Returning home, he mistakenly murders his own parents in their bed.

### Félicité

Not present in this chapter.

### Madame Aubain

Not present in this chapter.

### Herod Antipas

Not present in this chapter.

### Herodias

Not present in this chapter.

### Loulou

Not present in this chapter.

### Virginia

Not present in this chapter.

### Mannaeus

Not present in this chapter.

### Vitellius

Not present in this chapter.

### Madame Lormeau

Not present in this chapter.

### Iaokanann

Not present in this chapter.

### Aulus

Not present in this chapter.

### Victor

Not present in this chapter.

### Monsieur Bourais

Not present in this chapter.

### Phanuel

Not present in this chapter.

### Paul

Not present in this chapter.

### Jacim

Not present in this chapter.

### Colmiche

Not present in this chapter.

### The Marquis de Grémanville

Not present in this chapter.

### Eleazar

Not present in this chapter.

### Liébard

Not present in this chapter.

### Mother Simon

Not present in this chapter.

### Jonathas

Not present in this chapter.

### Agrippa

Not present in this chapter.

### Fabu

Not present in this chapter.

### Marcellus

Not present in this chapter.

### Sisenna

Not present in this chapter.

### Théodore

Not present in this chapter.

### Nastasie Barette

Not present in this chapter.

### The Baron de Larsonnière

Not present in this chapter.

## Key lines

> But there was nothing to show the young wife that her husband was their son. They proved it by describing to her the birthmarks he had on his body.

The old couple identified themselves as Julian's parents by describing his birthmarks to his wife.

_Confirmation of the parents' identity through physical marks._

> Flying into an ungovernable passion, he sprang upon them with his drawn dagger, foaming, stamping and howling like a wild beast.

In a blind rage, Julian attacked the figures in the bed with his dagger, acting like a wild animal.

_Julian's violent reaction to the perceived betrayal._

> The dead were buried sumptuously in the chapel of a monastery which it took three days to reach from the castle.

Julian's parents were given a lavish funeral at a distant monastery.

_The formal burial of the parents after the murder._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_22_se/chapters/ii-the-crime
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_22_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_22_se/chapters