Short Fiction · Chapter
XXXII explained
The narrator reflects on his growing aversion to crowded assemblies, describing a recurring ominous dream in which a wild beast (a white bear, philosopher, or tiger) incites the revelers to violent revolution.
What happens
The narrator reflects on his growing aversion to crowded assemblies, describing a recurring ominous dream in which a wild beast (a white bear, philosopher, or tiger) incites the revelers to violent revolution. He imagines the crowd turning against king and God, and ends by ordering Joannetti to shut out the world and leave him alone with his sword.
Themes in this chapter
Melancholy and Joy
The narrator contrasts the outward gaiety of balls and plays with his inner terror and dark fancies, showing how melancholy can transform wholesome pleasures into sources of dread.
Imagination vs. Reality
The narrator's recurring dream of a beast inciting violence intrudes upon the reality of social festivities, blurring the line between imagined catastrophe and latent societal danger.
Characters to notice
- Joanetti
The narrator commands Joannetti to shut the door and windows, leave his room, and keep away.
Key passages
“Do you enjoy balls and plays as much as you used to do? As for me, I avow that for some time past crowded assemblies have inspired me with a kind of terror.”
The narrator confesses that he no longer finds pleasure in crowded social events; instead, they fill him with fear.
This sets the tone for the chapter, introducing the narrator's changed perception of social gatherings.
“If suddenly a white bear, a philosopher, a tiger, or some other animal of this kind were to enter, and ascending to the orchestra, were to shout out furiously: 'Wretched beings! Listen to the truth that comes from my lips! You are oppressed! You are the slaves of tyrants! You are wretched and heartsick! Awake from your lethargy!'”
The narrator imagines a wild beast or philosopher bursting into the theater and proclaiming the crowd's oppression, urging them to revolt.
This vivid fantasy reveals the narrator's anxiety about hidden revolutionary impulses beneath the surface of civilized entertainment.
“Joannetti! shut the door and windows! I do not wish to see the light! Let no one enter my room. Put my sword within reach. Go out yourself, and keep away from me.”
The narrator orders Joannetti to seal the room, leave his sword nearby, and then depart, leaving him alone in darkness.
This final command underscores the narrator's retreat into isolation and paranoia.