The Last Man · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for The Last Man by Mary Shelley.
Chapter 1
Epigraph
The epigraph quotes Milton, warning against seeking knowledge of the future, setting a tone of foreboding and the futility of prophecy.
Chapter 2
The Last Man Volume I
The narrator introduces the Cumaean Sibyl's cave and the discovery of prophetic leaves, setting the stage for the story of Lionel Verney and the end of humanity.
Chapter 3
I
Lionel Verney introduces his origins as an orphan in Cumberland, describing his wild youth as a shepherd and leader of a band of outcasts, and contrasts his sociable, lawless nature with his sister Perdita's solitary, visionary disposition.
Chapter 4
II
Lionel Verney recounts the transformative beginning of his friendship with Adrian, who seeks to educate and elevate him. Adrian's love for Evadne Zaimi is revealed, along with the imbalance in their affections and the secret correspondence maintained during his exile in Cumberland.
Chapter 5
III
Adrian's love for Evadne is shattered when she falls for the worldly Lord Raymond, leading to Adrian's mental decline and withdrawal. Lionel Verney recalls his idyllic year with Adrian, who then arranges for Lionel to become a secretary in Vienna and for Perdita to stay with Evadne, setting Lionel on a new path in life.
Chapter 6
IV
Lord Raymond visits Perdita's cottage and begins to ingratiate himself with Lionel and Perdita. Lionel describes Raymond's contradictory and charismatic nature, his political ambitions, and his plan to marry Idris, the sister of Adrian. Raymond reveals his intention to restore the monarchy and become king, while Lionel struggles with his own hidden love for Idris.
Chapter 7
V
Lionel Verney reflects on the nature of love at first sight and his own overwhelming passion for Idris. Raymond, having won the parliamentary debate, visits Lionel in a triumphant mood, but their conversation turns bitter as Lionel's jealousy and despair surface. Meanwhile, Raymond reconciles with Perdita, who forgives his earlier infidelity, and the two lovers pledge themselves to each other. Lionel resolves to find Adrian and restore him to Idris.
Chapter 8
VI
Lionel Verney returns to Windsor, living in poverty near the castle while secretly devoted to Idris. Adrian and Idris visit him, and their friendship deepens into love. Idris, fearing her mother's plot to force her to Austria, flees to Lionel, who helps her escape to London.
Chapter 9
VII
The chapter details the intense political contest for Lord Protector of England, focusing on Lord Raymond's campaign and the emotional turmoil it causes Perdita. Raymond initially resists but ultimately throws himself into the race with renewed vigor, winning the election. The narrative also reflects on the preceding years of domestic happiness at Windsor, the birth of children, and the underlying tensions in Raymond and Perdita's relationship as ambition clashes with love.
Chapter 10
Chapter VIII
Evadne Zaimi, consumed by guilt and love for Raymond, lives in poverty and anonymity while he serves as Protector. She secretly submits a design for a national gallery, finding solace in her unseen connection to him. Raymond visits her, and she extracts a promise to delay discussing her affairs. Meanwhile, Lionel, Idris, and Adrian return to Windsor, enjoying domestic peace and intellectual pursuits. Raymond, now Protector, embarks on ambitious public works projects, aiming to transform England into a utopia.
Chapter 11
IX
The chapter explores the domestic happiness of Raymond and Perdita during the early years of his Protectorate, detailing their deep love and mutual admiration. However, a secret begins to form between them as Raymond visits Evadne, causing Perdita to sense a change. Raymond struggles with remorse and passion, eventually resolving to break free from Evadne's influence and restore his relationship with Perdita.
Chapter 12
Chapter X
Perdita resolves to part from Raymond forever after discovering his infidelity with Evadne, leading to a painful separation. Raymond, consumed by ambition and remorse, descends into dissipation and neglects his duties as Protector. Perdita seeks help from Adrian and Lionel, while Raymond confesses his involvement with Evadne to Adrian and Idris, revealing her suffering and fortitude.
Chapter 13
Chapter XI
After Raymond's departure, the family struggles with grief and loss. Idris mourns her brother Adrian's absence, while Perdita is consumed by resentment and sorrow over Raymond's infidelity. Lionel takes the family on a year-long tour through northern England, Scotland, and Ireland to ease their pain. Upon return, Perdita remains unreconciled, though she begins to educate herself and soften. Adrian eventually returns and breaks the silence about Raymond, sharing news of his heroic deeds in Greece. The chapter ends with the devastating report of Raymond's possible death at the Battle of Makri.
Chapter 14
I
Perdita is consumed by remorse for driving Raymond away, leading to his imprisonment and near death in Greece. He is released as a dying man and brought to Athens, where a solemn crowd greets him. Perdita and Clara reunite with him, and he slowly recovers. Raymond then joins the Greek army to fight the Turks, with Lionel accompanying him, while Perdita and Clara remain at Kishan.
Chapter 15
Chapter II
Raymond becomes increasingly melancholic and secluded, haunted by Evadne's prophecy of his death. He confides in Lionel Verney, expressing his belief that he will die in the siege of Constantinople due to the plague. He entrusts Perdita and Clara to Lionel's care. The Greek army, demoralized by tales of plague, begins to disband. Raymond resolves to stay and conquer Constantinople or die trying, sending Lionel to request reinforcements from Karazza.
Chapter 16
Chapter III
Lionel Verney attempts to console his sister Perdita after the death of Lord Raymond, praising Raymond's heroism and urging her to find solace in their daughter Clara. Perdita, however, is consumed by grief and insists on remaining near Raymond's tomb in Greece. Lionel retrieves Raymond's body, and after a solemn procession, Raymond is interred in a tomb on Hymettus. Perdita's grief remains unyielding as Lionel prepares to return to England.
Chapter 17
IV
Lionel Verney returns to Windsor in autumn 2092, finding domestic peace with Idris and their children. He reflects on the joys of fatherhood, especially as his son Alfred begins school at Eton. Adrian's health declines, but spring brings hope. Ryland and Merrival debate human progress, while Lionel muses on the cycle of generations.
Chapter 18
V
The chapter describes the onset of a global plague and its economic and social repercussions on England. Trade collapses, foreign emigrants flood the island, and the newly elected Protector Ryland is forced to abandon his egalitarian reforms to address the crisis. The narrator reflects on humanity's vulnerability to nature's destructive forces, the futility of human arrogance, and the growing fear of the plague's spread to England.
Chapter 19
VI
The plague reaches London, causing panic. Lionel Verney describes the sudden end of a joyful fair at Windsor as news spreads. Adrian confronts the cowardly Lord Protector Ryland, who renounces his office in terror. Adrian accepts the Protectorship, dedicating himself to fighting the plague and helping the afflicted, while Lionel is consumed by fear for his family.
Chapter 20
VII
The chapter depicts the rise of fanaticism and superstition as the plague spreads, with a mad prophet in Windsor terrifying the populace. Lionel returns to find his household stricken; an old nurse dies of the plague, and Idris is grief-stricken. Lionel contemplates the future, resolves to protect his family, and reflects on his past redemption through Adrian and Idris.
Chapter 21
VIII
Lionel Verney reflects on the difficulty of narrating the plague's devastation, shifting from detailed chronicle to a broader, more artistic depiction. He describes the plague's spread from London to rural areas, the breakdown of social order, and the false pride of rank and wealth in the face of universal mortality. He recounts a visit to London where he witnesses a poor woman seeking her husband, who has been sent to a plague hospital, highlighting the human tragedy and compassion amid the crisis.
Chapter 22
IX
The chapter describes the devastating impact of the plague on London and its inhabitants. Idris, overwhelmed by fear and grief, confesses her anguish to Adrian. Lionel visits the astronomer Merrival, who has lost his entire family to the plague and gone mad with grief. Adrian intervenes to prevent a massacre between warring factions, urging brotherhood and peace. The chapter ends with Adrian and Idris reuniting after a year, with Idris visibly consumed by dread and sorrow.
Chapter 23
I
The narrator reflects on the devastating impact of the plague, which has reduced humanity to a few scattered survivors. Society has collapsed, and all human achievements—art, science, politics, and culture—are mourned as lost. The chapter describes the equalizing effect of the plague, where the poor can now inhabit palaces, but death looms equally over all. The narrator's family, including Idris and their children Clara and Evelyn, struggles with anxiety and despair. The chapter ends with a call to abandon England for the more hospitable south, as the island's glory has faded.
Chapter 24
Chapter II
Adrian proposes emigration to Italy to escape the plague, and Lionel convinces Idris to leave their home. Idris struggles with the loss of her country but ultimately agrees for the sake of her children. The chapter also depicts Idris's desperate search for Lionel during a storm, the death of their son Alfred from plague, and a night of feverish reflection on loss and mortality.
Chapter 25
III
Lionel Verney describes the departure from Windsor and the journey through a desolate winter landscape. Idris, though gravely ill, expresses hope for recovery and a peaceful future. The group is delayed at Rochester, where they receive a letter from Lucy Clayton, who has been left behind with her paralyzed mother. Lionel reflects on Lucy's tragic history and her devotion to her mother. The chapter ends with the group preparing to continue their emigration, with Idris showing signs of renewed cheerfulness.
Chapter 26
Chapter IV
The chapter describes the chaotic and sorrowful preparations for emigration from England amid a violent storm that floods Dover, the death of Idris and Lionel's grief, his retrieval of Lucy Martin after her mother's death, and the subsequent journey to Paris where the emigrants fracture into rival factions, nearly coming to armed conflict before a leader intervenes to prevent bloodshed.
Chapter 27
V
Lionel Verney recounts the influence of a manipulative preacher in Paris who exploits fear and superstition to control a dwindling population. Adrian and Lionel struggle to counter his power, while Lionel attempts to rescue Juliet, a tragic young woman who has fallen under the preacher's sway. Lionel is captured and imprisoned, but Juliet ultimately frees him.
Chapter 28
Chapter VI
Lionel Verney recounts the harrowing journey through plague-ravaged France, the rebellion of his troop, and the difficult decisions he must make regarding loyalty to Adrian and the safety of his group. The chapter details the horrors of the unburied dead, the spread of the plague, and the moral dilemmas faced by the survivors.
Chapter 29
VII
The chapter describes the devastating journey of the survivors through France, marked by the deaths of Lucy Martin, the Countess of Windsor, and other companions. The narrator reflects on the extinction of humanity and the loss of all hope, as the group reaches Dijon and prepares to continue toward Geneva.
Chapter 30
VIII
Adrian, Lionel, Clara, and Evelyn journey through the Alps and into Italy, seeking solace in nature and each other's company amid a desolate world. They descend from Chamonix, loiter through Switzerland, and cross into Italy, where they pass through Milan and eventually reach a villa near Como. Evelyn dies and is buried under a cypress, and Clara, grief-stricken, begs to leave. They bid farewell to the villa and Evelyn's grave, departing for Rome.
Chapter 31
Chapter IX
Lionel Verney, now the last man alive, wanders the desolate Italian coast after the deaths of Adrian and Clara. He takes shelter in a watchtower, eats stale biscuit, and sleeps, only to wake to the crushing reality of his solitude. He compares himself to Robinson Crusoe, envying Crusoe's hope of rescue, while he himself faces an eternity of loneliness. He visits Ravenna, finding it empty of humans, and struggles to accept that he is the sole survivor of humanity.
Chapter 32
The Last Man's Lament
Lionel Verney awakens to the crushing realization that Adrian and Clara are dead, lost to the sea. He wanders through Ravenna and Forli in a state of profound grief and isolation, grappling with his utter loneliness. After a failed attempt to find other survivors, he resolves to journey to Rome, seeking solace in the city's ancient ruins and the enduring legacy of humanity.
Chapter 33
Endnotes
This chapter provides a list of references and citations for quotations and allusions used throughout the book, drawing from a wide range of literary, philosophical, and scientific works.
