Journey to the End of the Night

Two days later, Robinson pushes Grandma Henrouille down the stairs to the crypt, killing her. Bardamu leaves town that night and returns to Paris. Having kept out of trouble, Bardamu seeks out Parapine to help him find a job. He gets a job with Dr. Baryton, Parapine’s boss, who operates an asylum in the Paris suburbs. Bardamu is not paid much, but he is given lodgings and meals, as well as frequent contact with the nurses. The staff eat together; at meals, Bardamu senses a tension between Parapine and Baryton. Parapine keeps quiet at mealtime, leaving Bardamu to entertain Baryton with stories from his life. Baryton confides in Bardamu about his dislike for Parapine. At the same time, he is fascinated by the English language and starts to receive lessons from Bardamu. Baryton becomes obsessed with the language, history, and literature of England. His passion is “insatiable” (380).

Baryton becomes so obsessed with England that he begins to lose his passion for running the asylum, for his patients, and for administering electro-shock therapy. He then decides to leave France to go to England, placing Bardamu in charge of the mental health facility. Bardamu and Parapine are not “sorry to see him go” (386), though the institution feels emptier without Baryton. The months pass quietly, interrupted only by news from Protiste, who now suspects that Robinson killed Grandma Henrouille. Robinson quickly left Toulouse, the priest explains.

Much to Bardamu’s displeasure, Robinson visits him soon after. Robinson has now recovered his sight and wants a job. He stays with Bardamu, taking up space while fruitlessly searching Paris for something suitable. He finds nothing and asks Bardamu if he can have a job at the asylum. Even better, he wonders if Bardamu could “make it look like [he’s] nuts” (392) and have Robinson committed to the asylum. Robinson confesses to killing Grandma Henrouille. The old woman annoyed him, he insists, and he hoped that he and Madelon would inherit the business in the crypts. Madelon was somewhat involved in the scheme, Robinson says, but he has decided to end their relationship. Madelon still wants to marry him, but he wanted to be left in peace. He ran away from her shortly after regaining his sight. Madelon had become jealous and erratic, Robinson claims, and she blamed Bardamu for Robinson’s behavior. Now, Robinson believes that he would be “a lot safer” (400) if Madelon found him committed to the asylum.

Bardamu is cautious about Robinson’s story. Nevertheless, he takes Robinson on at the asylum. Robinson is given a small set of responsibilities, including playing the accordion for the patients. For several months, no news comes from Toulouse. Robinson’s disposition improves. Bardamu and Parapine inquire about Baryton’s whereabouts but receive little information. Bardamu is concerned when he recognizes a familiar face in a crowd. He is sure that he has seen Madelon, but she disappears too quickly for him to confirm. Baryton sends postcards. He is now in Finland and says nothing about his return. Haunted by nightmares and the possible presence of Madelon, Bardamu wonders whether he should return to Rancy. He finds the Henrouilles’ house, where Madame Henrouille now lives alone. Standing outside the house, Bardamu loses all interest in going inside. He is nothing to Madame Henrouille, as she is to him. Next, he passes the house where Bébert lived with his aunt. Again, he chooses not to go inside. He passes through the old neighborhood, recognizing “those dirty, dingy, dismal things” (406) that no longer speak to him.

At the asylum, Bardamu and the staff eat together. They are joined by a local traffic cop named Gustave, whose two sons once received treatment from Bardamu in Paris. Gustave prefers to dine at the asylum, as his drinking gets him into heated political discussions at the local bar; Bardamu does not want to tell him to stop coming. Bardamu receives a series of anonymous letters filled with accusations about him and Robinson. Bardamu suspects that Madelon is behind the letters. He does not want to receive a visit from Madelon or the police. Bardamu often plays cards with Gustave. During one game, he realizes that Gustave is short sighted. He improves Gustave’s vision, but this improvement fills Gustave with a sudden urge to win, which leads him to cheat. During an angry outburst, Gustave warns that a woman is stalking around the asylum. Bardamu knows that this is Madelon. This throws Robinson into a panic. Nevertheless, he does nothing. He refuses to leave, because he is “sick of moving around” (410). They try to find Robinson a job elsewhere, but he is quickly fired. Then, Madelon appears. Bardamu tries to make her leave, but she refuses. Bardamu slaps her “hard enough to stun a mule” (411), but this does not deter her. In the following days, Parapine spots Robinson with Madelon in public.

For six months, Bardamu tells himself that whatever affair Robinson has with Madelon is not his business. During this time, he begins to date a Slovakian nurse named Sophie. She is often unfaithful to him, but he likes her very much. Bardamu comes up with an idea to go on a double date; he and Sophie will accompany Robinson and Madelon to the carnival. Bardamu also hopes that the evening might result in a sexual encounter. At the carnival, they ride the dodgems and play at the shooting gallery. As the evening progresses, Bardamu suspects that his attempt at reconciliation is not working.

Bardamu’s attempt at reconciliation with Robinson and Madelon deteriorates further. Madelon is angry with everyone, but Bardamu suggests that they return to the asylum, where they can find an empty room for Madelon and retire to bed. Just then, a heavy rain falls, forcing them to take a taxi. Madelon, incensed, launches a verbal tirade against Robinson that continues into the taxi. The four people are crammed together, with Bardamu and Sophie forced to awkwardly witness the argument between Robinson and Madelon. She blames Bardamu for Robinson’s inability to love her. She says that Bardamu will never understand “anything that’s clean and beautiful” (428). Madelon issues Robinson an ultimatum, asking him to choose between her and Bardamu. He refuses Madelon once again, infuriating Madelon further. She threatens to go to the police and tell them about Robinson’s crimes, even though she will be implicated. Robinson defends himself: It is true that he does not love Madelon, he says, but she shouldn’t take it personally: He is disgusted by “absolutely everything” (431). He rejects the concept of love.

As she criticizes everything, Madelon pulls out a revolver. She shoots Robinson and then exits the taxi, running away into the night. Robinson is badly injured. The taxi rushes back to the asylum, where Bardamu tries to treat his friend. He knows that there is very little he can do, so Bardamu watches Robinson die. When Robinson passes, he seems “like a stranger in the room” (436). Gustave arrives and makes arrangements for the body to be taken to the police station. Sophie seems numbed by the experience. After the body is carried away, Bardamu thinks about death. After, Bardamu finds a bar with Gustave, Parapine, and Sophie. Despite the early hour, the bar is open to serve the men who work along the riverfront. They drink and reminisce; they argue and they drink more. A tugboat whistles in the distance, summoning other ships. Bardamu feels as though he and everyone else is being summoned as well, and when they follow, it will be “the end of [them]” (441).