The Enormous Room · Chapter
XII: Three Wise Men explained
The commission arrives at La Ferté Macé, and the narrator and B.
What happens
The commission arrives at La Ferté Macé, and the narrator and B. face their interrogation. The narrator describes the tense waiting, his defiant performance before the three examiners, and his relief afterward, as well as the continued uncertainty about B.'s fate.
Themes in this chapter
Bureaucratic Absurdity
The commission's arbitrary and dehumanizing process—grouping prisoners, forbidding conversation, and the Directeur's theatrical outbursts—highlights the absurdity of bureaucratic authority.
Human Dignity and Community
The narrator's defiant composure and solidarity with B. (defending him to the commission) affirm human dignity in the face of oppressive authority.
Individualism vs. Conformity
The narrator's refusal to conform to the commission's expectations—by speaking out, challenging their assumptions, and maintaining his own perspective—exemplifies individualism against institutional pressure.
Characters to notice
- Narrator
Waits nervously for his commission hearing, then enters the room with defiant composure, impressing one examiner and challenging the authority of the commission.
- B.
Called before the commission just before the narrator; emerges after a nerve-racking wait, but his fate remains uncertain.
- Apollyon
Present behind the three commissioners, strutting and lisping, embodying the camp authority's deference to the commission.
- The Black Holster
Appears in the background during the Directeur's outbursts, helping to terrorize the prisoners.
- The Trembling Planton
Referred to as the planton with the Wooden Hand; he is indulgent and allows the narrator and B. to peek at the list, and later escorts them.
- Afrique
Serves the narrator a huge plate of lukewarm grease after the hearing, showing curiosity about what happened.
Key passages
“I put over six or eight hot shots without losing in the least this composure, which surprised myself and pleased myself and altogether increased myself.”
I delivered several sharp retorts without losing my cool, which surprised and pleased me, boosting my confidence.
The narrator's self-satisfaction at his defiant performance before the commission.
“I gave him a pleasant smile, which said, If I could see your intestines very slowly embracing a large wooden drum rotated by means of a small iron crank turned gently and softly by myself, I should be extraordinarily happy”
I smiled pleasantly, imagining a gruesome torture for the perfumed commissioner.
The narrator's internal rage masked by a polite exterior.
“The thing is this, to look ’em in the eyes and keep cool whatever happens, not for the fraction of a moment forgetting that they are made of merde”
The key is to maintain eye contact and stay calm, never forgetting that they are worthless.
The narrator's mental preparation before entering the commission room.