Thursday, April 19, 2007

The Age of Reason - post II

Sartre uses each chapter as a platform to introduce characters and then take the story on so Mathieu remains on his hunt for money to pay for the abortion but you are introduced to his rich friend, brother and sister-in-law and an old friend who has become a communist party recruiter exploiting the Spanish Civil War and the fears about Nazi Germany.

Bullet points between pages 70 – 134

* Having sent Sarah off on her mission to find out the cost of getting her Jewish surgeon contact to perform the abortion Mathieu meets up with Ivich in a café and awaits the call, which informs him that the cost will be, 4,000 francs

* There are only a couple of people who could provide that sort of money and so Mathieu makes a mental note to visit them after taking Ivich to see some Gauguin pictures but on the way he kisses her in the taxi and fears that he has spoilt the friendship for ever

* Before he gets there to ask for the money Daniel is described as a good looking confident man who is on his way to drown his three cats but when he gets to the river he has second thoughts and takes them back home

* Although he planned to keep the reason why he wanted the money secret Mathieu blurts out that Marcelle is pregnant not just to Daniel, who turns down his request for money, but also to his brother Jacques who also refuses to help him out with a loan

* His brother challenges Mathieu’s philosophy on life and accuses him of murder but also not following the freedom to surprise everyone and marry Marcelle and he outlines is belief to his brother that now is the age of reason

“You have attained the age of reason, Mathieu, you have attained the age of reason, or you ought to have done so”


* From those bad meetings Mathieu heads home to be met by Boris who invites him to a night club and then his old friend Brunet who tries to get him to join the communist party and then gives up on him when Mathieu refuses

* Meanwhile Daniel is off for his secret meeting with Marcelle but stops in a fair that seems to be a notorious hang out for men looking for rent boys and there meets one of his old conquests (not totally clear) who badgers him for money

More tomorrow…