Good Morning, Midnight

Enno meets Sasha in London, where he boasts of his career as a journalist during the war. Sasha describes Enno as “the sort that plays cards very well” (40). After they marry, Enno strives to return to Paris and promises Sasha the beginning of a new, stable life “when we get to Paris” (117). He relies on the kindness of various connections to fund their voyage to Paris. Contrary to his promises, Enno abandons Sasha repeatedly in search of more diversion and sexual satisfaction. Abandoning Sasha as he pursues a job in England, Enno is absent from the birth of son, who dies five weeks later. He leaves Sasha one final time with the false promise to return to her. He never does.

Nicolas, a naturalized French citizen from the Ukraine, originally meets Sasha with his Russian friend on a Parisian street. They share a night of drinks and frivolity, with Sasha promising to meet his Russian friend for tea the next afternoon. Nicolas, seeing Sasha in Luxembourg Gardens two days later, admonishes Sasha for skipping the meeting with his friend and strikes up a deep conversation with her in which they discuss Nicolas’s philosophy of life. Nicolas, no longer striving to be something more than he is, “prefer[s] to be as I am” (65). Aware of Sasha’s loneliness, Nicolas commiserates with her feelings and suggests various methods he has found successful to combat his own loneliness, which includes forcing himself to make new friends. He suggests that he connect Sasha with his friend Serge, a painter. Nicolas, Serge, and Sasha enjoy an evening in Serge’s studio, where he helps Sasha choose a picture that she buys. A reliable and trustworthy friend, he helps facilitate the selling of the painting by receiving and delivering Sasha’s payment to Serge, whom he refers to as mad.

After her visit with Nicolas and Serge, Sasha, in her fur coat, ventures to a local bar and meets René, a French Canadian who urgently asks for Sasha’s help. Sasha suspects that René seeks her out because he believes her wealthy; René expresses that he believes Sasha will not betray him. During their time together, René, whom Sasha soon discovers works as a gigolo, shares elaborate tales of escape and adventure with Sasha; despite referring to him as an “optimistic idiot,” she also confesses, “He’s so sure that everything is going to be all right, you have to be sorry for him” (157).

Although Sasha expresses reservations and fears the scrutiny of the other boarders, René does not hesitate to seek Sasha out at her hotel. He lies to the woman at the front desk and tells her that he is Sasha’s friend from London. He appears at Sasha’s door unannounced and urges Sasha to come celebrate with him. Throughout the night, René pressures Sasha to spend the evening with him, a request she denies. Undeterred, René surprises Sasha once again and, after attempting to rape her, he quickly vanishes after being unable to deny Sasha’s offer of money.