Escapism and Solitude

Where it surfaces

• Notice

  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.'

• I

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

• Chapter II

  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.

• IV

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

• VII

  Des Esseintes' retreat into solitude and his past memories, as well as his plan to decorate with flowers, illustrate his attempt to escape from his deteriorating health and ennui.

• Chapter XI

  Des Esseintes' desperate attempt to flee his solitude by traveling to London highlights the theme of escapism, as he seeks to break free from the oppressive silence of his home.

• XIV

  He uses literature to escape the triviality of his own time, wandering in imagination to other epochs or dreamlike realms.

• XV

  Des Esseintes rejects public music performances and prefers solitary, introspective experiences, such as listening to Schubert's lieder or recalling monastic chants.

• XVI

  The chapter centers on the forced end of Des Esseintes' solitary refuge at Fontenay, which he sees as his only haven from the world.