# IV: The Fall and Paradise Lost explained — The Inferno

> Chapter companion for The Inferno by August Strindberg.

## What happens

The narrator withdraws into solitude to write a book, but his isolation leads to a spiritual crisis and a failed attempt at a miracle. He experiences a vision of tiny praying hands in a germinating walnut, which he dismisses. Subsequently, he faces a series of misfortunes: his anonymous benefactor abandons him, his manuscript is printed in disarray, and he is forced to pawn his belongings. After mailing his work with a defiant gesture toward heaven, he is plagued by mysterious noises and hostility from others, eventually leaving for the Hôtel Orfila.

## Themes in this chapter

### Isolation and Paranoia

The narrator deliberately isolates himself, then feels persecuted by noises, hostile looks, and a conspiracy of Scandinavian ladies.

### The Invisible and the Occult

The vision of praying hands in a walnut and the narrator's telepathic experiment highlight occult forces at work.

### Guilt and Redemption

The narrator feels guilt for his attempted miracle and interprets subsequent misfortunes as punishment from unknown powers.

## Character check-ins

### The Unknown

The narrator experiences isolation, attempts a miracle, and suffers a series of misfortunes after a defiant act.

### August Strindberg

Implied as the authorial self; the narrator's actions and thoughts reflect Strindberg's own experiences.

### Sphinx

Addressed defiantly by the narrator after mailing his work: 'Listen, Sphinx, I have solved thy riddle, and defy thee!'

### Providence

The 'unknown powers' and 'hand of the invisible' are referenced as forces punishing the narrator.

### Christina

The narrator's wife, mentioned in the context of his longing to be reunited with her and their child.

## Key lines

> I believed myself in the possession of unlimited strength, and pride inspired me with the wild idea of seeing whether I could perform a miracle.

Feeling all-powerful, I arrogantly decided to test if I could work a miracle.

_Highlights the narrator's hubris and the beginning of his fall._

> The little hands were stretched out towards me, immovable, as if adjuring me. I could count the five fingers, the thumb shorter than the others⁠—real woman’s or child’s hands.

I saw tiny, pleading hands that looked exactly like a woman's or child's, frozen in a gesture of supplication.

_Describes the uncanny vision of praying hands in the walnut germ._

> Listen, Sphinx, I have solved thy riddle, and defy thee!

I shouted to the Sphinx that I had cracked its puzzle and now challenged it.

_The narrator's defiant act that precedes his misfortunes._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_inferno_se/chapters/iv-the-fall-and-paradise-lost
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_inferno_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_inferno_se/chapters