Short Fiction · Chapter
The Marseillaise explained
A narrator recounts the story of a pathetic, tearful exile who is mocked by both authorities and fellow prisoners for his weakness and innocence.
What happens
A narrator recounts the story of a pathetic, tearful exile who is mocked by both authorities and fellow prisoners for his weakness and innocence. Despite his cowardice, he joins a hunger strike and dies of starvation typhus. In his final moments, he asks his comrades to sing the Marseillaise over his coffin, transforming from a nonentity into a hero as they defiantly sing the hymn of freedom under the threat of rifles and bayonets.
Themes in this chapter
Suffering and Injustice
The exile's innocent suffering and mockery by authorities and comrades highlight the arbitrary cruelty of the system and the dehumanization of prisoners.
Freedom and Imprisonment
The prisoners' hunger strike and final singing of the Marseillaise represent a quest for freedom and dignity even in the face of physical imprisonment and death.
Death and Mortality
The exile's death from starvation typhus and the transformation of his legacy through the singing of the Marseillaise explore the meaning of mortality and heroism.
Characters to notice
- The Girl
The narrator describes the weeping exile as a nonentity with the spirit of a rabbit and beast of burden, contrasting his tears with those of other men.
Key passages
“When I die, sing over me the Marseillaise!”
The dying exile requests that his comrades sing the French revolutionary anthem at his funeral.
This moment transforms the despised weakling into a symbol of heroic defiance.
“Cursed be the weak heart of man, he tore our hearts into shreds by this call: dear France.”
The narrator curses human vulnerability as the exile's longing for his homeland deeply moves the hardened prisoners.
The emotional impact of the exile's patriotism breaks through the comrades' stoic facade.
“And forever he became our guerdon—that nonentity with the body of a rabbit and of a beast of burden and with the great spirit of Man.”
The formerly pathetic exile becomes an eternal prize and inspiration for his comrades, revealing a noble spirit beneath his cowardly exterior.
The narrator elevates the exile to heroic status after his death and final request.