Chapter XXI explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Grief and Melancholy

  Valancourt's profound grief over Emily's absence drives him to wander the gardens of Toulouse and later to seek distraction in Paris, illustrating the consuming nature of his sorrow.

• Avarice and Corruption

  The moral decay of Parisian society, embodied by the Countess Lacleur's gambling tables and the Marchioness Champfort's veiled vice, corrupts Valancourt's character.

• Virtue and Self-Command

  Valancourt's loss of self-command is evident as he succumbs to ridicule and temptation, abandoning his former virtuous pursuits and the memory of Emily.

Characters to notice

• Valancourt

  Struggles with grief and loneliness after Emily's departure; initially seeks solace in memories but later succumbs to the temptations of Parisian society.

• Emily St. Aubert

  Valancourt's beloved; her image haunts him but gradually fades as he becomes immersed in Parisian gaiety.

• Montoni

  Valancourt fears Montoni's character and the dangers he poses to Emily; his anxieties about Montoni contribute to his despair.

• Madame Montoni

  Her château in Toulouse is the site of Valancourt's melancholy visits to the gardens and pavilion.

Key passages

• “He could not immediately tear himself from the spot, where he had been accustomed to converse with Emily, or from the objects they had viewed together, which appeared to him memorials of her affection, as well as a kind of surety for its faithfulness; and, next to the pain of bidding her adieu, was that of leaving the scenes which so powerfully awakened her image.”

  Valancourt found it nearly impossible to leave the places where he had talked with Emily, as they reminded him of her love and seemed to guarantee her loyalty; leaving these spots was almost as painful as saying goodbye to her.

  Highlights Valancourt's deep attachment to the physical reminders of Emily and his struggle to move on.

• “His figure and address made him a welcome visitor, wherever he had been introduced, and he soon frequented the most gay and fashionable circles of Paris.”

  Valancourt's appearance and manners made him popular in society, and he quickly became a regular at the most fashionable Parisian gatherings.

  Describes Valancourt's social ascent in Paris and his growing immersion in high society.

• “Emily, who, had she been present, would have saved him from these evils by awakening his heart, and engaging him in worthy pursuits, now only increased his danger;⁠—it was to lose the grief, which the remembrance of her occasioned, that he first sought amusement; and for this end he pursued it, till habit made it an object of abstract interest.”

  If Emily were with him, she would have guided him away from corruption, but her absence only worsened his peril; he initially turned to entertainment to escape the pain of missing her, and eventually amusement became a goal in itself.

  Explains the irony of Emily's influence: her memory both torments Valancourt and drives him toward dangerous distractions.