The Immoralist

In this section of the novel, Michel undergoes a philosophical transformation that mirrors his physical rejuvenation. He believes his experience surviving tuberculosis has changed him into new person, stating, “I had been reborn intact” (42). His experience overcoming illness continues to shape him long after he has recovered, primarily by directing his attention to living in the present. Whereas before he was a scholar who spent most of his time thinking about past civilizations, he no longer is interested in the past unless he sees its relevance to the present. He also no longer views intellectual culture as something to be celebrated but regards it as an impediment to accessing one’s true self. He uses a metaphor to compare education to “layers of disguise” that must be stripped away to discover one’s primitive self underneath, which Michel refers to as “the ‘old Adam’” (43). He avoids ancient sites and ruins that he once treasured because they remind him of his former life as a scholar, which he now scorns. For the same reason, he cuts his beard, which he views as a remnant of his past life.

Michel is now only interested in the stories from antiquity that depict people rebelling against the constraints of their society, even if it led to their ruin. This is why he fixates on the story of King Athalaric. Michel tries to keep in mind that he should learn from Athalaric’s demise, but he seems less interested in the moral lesson that immorality leads to early death than in idolizing Athalaric’s lifestyle.

Meanwhile, Michel also tests the limits of his physical strength and endurance, finding pleasure in physical sensations even when they are painful. Viewing his physical weaknesses as obstacles that can be overcome through willpower, he challenges himself with hikes through the hills until he is fitter than he was before. He also determines that he must “conquer” his oversensitivity to temperature by exposing himself to uncomfortable physical sensations, such as lying on hot rocks, bathing in a cold stream, and rubbing himself with mint. Paradoxically, these masochistic actions make him feel more sensual pleasure. His physical activity both changes his outward appearance—making him more tanned and stronger—and continues his inner transformation, making him even more attuned to living in the moment.

Michel’s new physical dominance culminates in a fight with the carriage driver who threatens his wife’s safety. This scuffle directly leads to Michel having sex with his wife for the first time. This anecdote exemplifies Michel’s enactment of his new philosophy of being more in touch with his primitive self. He uses his fists, not his intellect, to resolve a dispute, and the physical rush he feels from this interaction leads him to make love with his wife. Thus, Gide portrays sex as an expression of Michel’s physical dominance. He conforms to a stereotypically masculine role in being his wife’s protector, which finally allows him to “possess” her. The fact that up until this point Michel has not consummated his marriage might indicate that he is not attracted to women. Instead, he is attracted to being in a position of power, which may be the reason he fixates on this one memory of sex with his wife above all subsequent sexual experiences with her. He remarks that “perhaps it was the novelty that gave our wedding night such grace” (51), suggesting that it stands out in his memory not just because it was a pleasurable but also due to the circumstances that preceded it.

Finally, this section also continues to develop the theme of immorality by showing Michel’s changing views on morals. Instead of seeing actions as right or wrong, Michel starts to critique morality by pointing out that is a product of society’s rules. Michell asserts that it can be beneficial to act immorally, such as when he lies to his wife about his new identity, since he is able to become closer to his wife through deceiving her. Although he feels “initial revulsion” when he first lies to her, he claims that lying to her eventually becomes pleasurable because the more he does it, the more he enjoys it. Gide does not endorse Michel’s views on morality, but he does show that moral rules are not universal. They are malleable, and people can go to great lengths to justify immoral acts. Michel does not consider the harm that might come from lying, but the foreshadowing at the end of Chapter 9 hints that Michel will pay for his misdeeds. Nevertheless, Gide does not make out Michel to be a monster. He portrays him as someone simply seeking a more authentic life, even if that requires him to lie to his wife to avoid her censure.