# VII: Developments explained — The Absolute at Large

> Chapter companion for The Absolute at Large by Karel Čapek.

## What happens

G. H. Bondy and his manager discuss the explosive success of the Karburator and atomic motors, with orders pouring in from around the world and traditional industries collapsing. Amidst this triumph, they also report a wave of religious mania sweeping through the company's board and the financial sector, with directors like Rosenthal and Dr. Hubka becoming zealots and the Sugar Bank falling to 'religious Bolshevism.' Bondy is horrified and reluctantly agrees to attend the ceremonial lighting of Prague's central Karburator.

## Themes in this chapter

### Technology and Religion

The Karburator's success is juxtaposed with a wave of religious mania affecting bankers and industrialists, suggesting a spiritual crisis triggered by technological upheaval.

### Overproduction and Economic Collapse

The flood of Karburator orders leads to the collapse of coal mining, oil fires, and the Sugar Bank's destruction, illustrating the destabilizing effects of overproduction.

### Industrial Capitalism and Labor

The board's religious fervor leads to proposals to hand over establishments to workers, while the manager dismisses it as 'religious Bolshevism,' highlighting tensions between capital and labor.

## Character check-ins

### G. H. Bondy

Horrified by the religious mania among his directors and the Sugar Bank collapse, but also elated by the global success of the Karburator; reluctantly agrees to attend the ceremonial lighting.

### Rudy Marek

Mentioned as having been made an honorary member of ten learned societies and likely to win the Nobel Prize.

### Dr. Hubka

Reported to have joined the Bohemian Brethren, preached to a crowd, performed miracles, and moved to hand over establishments to workers.

### Old Rosenthal

Has become an orthodox Jew, gone into Talmudic mysticism and Cabalism, and given ten millions to Zionism.

### Krolmus

Constructing a model of the atomic cannon at Pilsen.

### Machat

Implied to have been the first on the board to catch the religious mania.

## Key lines

> It’s a psychical epidemic or something. The other day I saw Dr. Hubka preaching to a crowd of people in front of the Industrial Bank about seeking the inward light and making straight the path for God.

The manager describes a mental epidemic, recounting how Dr. Hubka preached to a crowd about finding inner enlightenment and preparing for God.

_Highlights the spread of religious mania among prominent figures._

> They opened the safes and gave away the money to anyone who came. They finished by burning bundles of banknotes on a bonfire in the main hall. Religious Bolshevism, I should call it.

The Sugar Bank officials gave away money and burned banknotes, which the manager labels as religious Bolshevism.

_Illustrates the extreme, destructive form the religious epidemic takes in financial institutions._

> The Anglo-Japanese war has been broken off owing to the lack of public interest. In England alone there are nine hundred thousand coal-miners out of work.

The war ended because people lost interest, and massive unemployment hit coal miners due to the Karburator's success.

_Shows the global economic and social disruption caused by the new technology._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_absolute_at_large_se/chapters/vii-developments
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_absolute_at_large_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_absolute_at_large_se/chapters