The Red Room · Chapter
XXIX: Revue explained
Dr.
What happens
Dr. Borg writes a letter to Sellén in Paris, reporting on the state of politics, the press, finance, and various acquaintances in Stockholm. He discusses the decline of the Triton, Nicholas Falk's new bank, the hypocrisy of charity and religion, and the fates of Struve, Lundell, Rehnhjelm, and Arvid Falk. The letter ends with a disturbing discovery about Agnes Rundgren.
Themes in this chapter
Hypocrisy and Corruption
Borg details political corruption, press hypocrisy, and charitable fraud, including the manipulation of public opinion and the dubious founding of a bank.
Ambition and Moral Compromise
Lundell's career advancement through a quid pro quo with Smith, and Struve's religious conversion for material gain, illustrate moral compromise.
Death and Existential Despair
The revelation of Agnes Rundgren's death and the graphic medical treatise evoke existential despair and the haunting of the past.
Characters to notice
- Dr. Borg
Author of the letter to Sellén, reporting from Stockholm.
- Sellén
Recipient of the letter, a landscape painter in Paris.
- Charles Nicholas Falk
Founding a new bank, the 'Deposit Guarantee Society Limited'; described as a friend and brother.
- Arvid Falk
Studying numismatics, engaged, and suspected of belonging to secret societies; appears calm but Borg distrusts his composure.
- Struve
Has become somewhat religious, treasurer for a new church fund, married, but bitter and deteriorated.
- Lundell
Left the religious sphere, painting portraits of directors, made assistant at the Academy of Arts, and got a painting into the National Museum via a trick.
- Rehnhjelm
Now manager of a large factory, visited Borg; became distressed upon reading about Agnes Rundgren.
- Agnes Rundgren
Mentioned in a medical treatise as a subject of a Caesarean operation; Rehnhjelm knew her from the stage.
Key passages
“The political situation is becoming more and more interesting; all parties have corrupted one another by presents and counter-presents, and now all of them are grey.”
Politics is increasingly corrupt, with all parties bribing each other until they are indistinguishable.
Borg's cynical view of political corruption.
“The Triton went into liquidation, as you know. Directors and liquidators took over the printed shares, but the shareholders and depositors received a number of lithographed ones from the well-known society at Norrköping, which alone managed to weather this period of frauds and swindles.”
The Triton company failed, and while directors kept the real shares, ordinary investors got worthless lithographed certificates from a Norrköping society that survived the scandals.
Description of the Triton's collapse and the fraudulent aftermath.
“Religious swindle and charitable fraud are more rampant than ever, and make life in our country very unpleasant.”
Religious and charitable scams are widespread, making life in Sweden unpleasant.
Borg's condemnation of religious hypocrisy.