# Chapter VI explained — The Last Man

> Chapter companion for The Last Man by Mary Shelley.

## What happens

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.

## Themes in this chapter

### Isolation and Solitude

The desolate landscapes, abandoned towns, and the solitary figure of Lionel highlight the profound isolation brought by the plague.

### Grief and Memory

The procession with Juliet's body and the recounting of horrors emphasize the collective grief and the burden of memory.

## Character check-ins

### Lionel Verney

Narrates the chapter; struggles with the decision to follow his troop to Auxerre or return to assist Adrian at Versailles.

### Adrian

The Protector; sends letters and a messenger detailing his perilous situation at Versailles, urging Lionel to proceed while he deals with rebellion and plague.

### Juliet

Mentioned as a victim; her corpse and that of her babe are placed on a bier and carried in procession.

## Key lines

> Weed-grown fields, desolate towns, the wild approach of riderless horses had now become habitual to my eyes; nay, sights far worse, of the unburied dead, and human forms which were strewed on the road side, and on the steps of once frequented habitations

Lionel had grown accustomed to seeing abandoned fields, empty towns, and riderless horses, as well as the even more horrifying sight of unburied corpses scattered along roads and on the steps of former homes.

_Describes the normalization of death and decay during the plague._

> Silence, melancholy bride of death, went in procession with him from town to town through the spacious region.

Silence, like a sorrowful companion to death, accompanied the plague as it moved from one town to another across the vast countryside.

_Personifies silence and death as inseparable partners in the devastation._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_last_man_se/chapters/volume-iii-vi
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_last_man_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_last_man_se/chapters