Escapism and Solitude

The protagonist retreats from Parisian society to his isolated country house at Fontenay, seeking to create a self-contained world of sensory and intellectual pleasures, only to find that solitude exacerbates his nervous disorders and hallucinations.

The protagonist's plan to retreat to a secluded house in Fontenay represents a deliberate flight from human contact and the 'incessant deluge of human folly.'

His move to Fontenay and the creation of a self-contained home are driven by a desire to escape society and live in isolation.

He creates a completely controlled environment in his home, isolating himself from the outside world and its vulgarities, and seeks to replace reality with illusion.

Des Esseintes retreats into his private world of sensory pleasures and memories, using the liquor organ to escape into a realm of internal sensations.