Short Fiction · Chapter
Beside a Dead Man explained
The narrator encounters a dying German man who was a personal friend of the philosopher Schopenhauer.
What happens
The narrator encounters a dying German man who was a personal friend of the philosopher Schopenhauer. The German recounts the night of Schopenhauer's death, when he and a comrade watched over the body and experienced a terrifying moment when the corpse's false teeth fell out, causing them to believe the dead man had moved.
Themes in this chapter
Obsession and Delusion
The German's obsessive reverence for Schopenhauer and the eerie, almost supernatural hold the dead philosopher's presence exerts over the watchers.
Illusion vs. Reality
The apparent movement of the corpse and the grimace of the dead man create a terrifying illusion that is ultimately explained by the mundane reality of decomposition.
Characters to notice
- Guy de Maupassant
The narrator who listens to the German's story and reflects on Schopenhauer's influence.
- Doctor Heraclius Gloss
The dying German man who was a friend of Schopenhauer and recounts the night of his death.
Key passages
“It was like spending an hour with the devil.”
The French politician felt as though he had been in the presence of evil itself after meeting Schopenhauer.
Describes the unsettling effect Schopenhauer had on a visitor.
“Schopenhauer was no longer smiling! He was grimacing in a horrible way, his mouth tight shut, with deep hollows in the cheeks.”
The corpse's expression had changed from a smile to a terrifying grimace.
The moment of horror when the watchers think the dead man has moved.
“The process of decomposition, loosening the jaws, had caused them to spring out of his mouth.”
The false teeth had fallen out because the jaw muscles relaxed as the body decayed.
The rational explanation for the apparent movement.