The Immoralist (Style)

Style

Preface

The Immoralist was first published in 1902 without a preface. However, in later editions of the novel, Gide included a brief "Preface" in response to the reactions of readers and critics to certain aspects of his story. In this preface, Gide explains that many people have misunderstood The Immoralist and criticized it unfairly. He states that he has been blamed for not ending his story with a clear moral condemnation of Michel's behavior. However, Gide insists that it was not his intent to provide moral conclusions to his tale, but to pose a problem. He asserts that the problem represented in The Immoralist is one commonly experienced by many men of his day. He states, "I don't pretend to have invented this 'problem' — it existed before my book came along," and that, regardless of the fate of the character in the novel, "the 'problem' continues to exist." Finally, Gide notes, "I am not trying to prove anything, merely to paint my picture well and set it in a good light."

Frame Narrative and Point of View

The narrative structure and point of view of The Immoralist is somewhat complex. The novel begins with what is called a frame narrative, meaning a brief explanation of the context of the central narrative. Thus, the first two pages of The Immoralist are written in the form of a letter from an unnamed man to his brother, a Monsieur D. R., explaining that Michel summoned his three longtime friends — Denis, Daniel, and "I" — to travel to his hotel in Sidi, North Africa, on an urgent matter. The letter states that Michel told his story to these three friends one night while lounging on his terrace. The letter writer indicates that he has written down Michel's story as it was told to these friends, and that this transcript of the story is enclosed in the letter.

Within this frame narrative, the main body of The Immoralist is a first-person narrative from the point of view of Michel. Michel thus opens his story by addressing his three listeners as "My dear friends," informing them that he is at a point of crisis, and that he is going to tell them the story of his life. Michel explains that he no longer understands anything about life, and that he needs this opportunity to talk with loyal friends about what he has experienced. Thus, the remainder of the novel is narrated in the first-person "I" form; except at several points Michel again addresses his three listeners in the second-person "you" form, in commenting on his own story.

Psychological and Confessional Literature

The Immoralist is considered one of the greatest early psychological novels. A psychological novel is focused primarily on the internal life and development of the individual, stressing thoughts, emotions, and character over plot and external events. The Immoralist is also regarded as one of the great novels in the confessional mode. A confessional novel is a first-person narrative in which an individual character, whether fictional or autobiographical, describes personal experiences expressive of some internal moral or psychological conflict or dilemma. Michel in The Immoralist "confesses" to a group of three close friends the intimate details of his psychological development as a young man, and the conflicts he experiences between the expectations of his marriage and his yearning for personal freedom.

The Récit

Gide referred to the novel form of The Immoralist as "récit," meaning a "narrative" or "account." A récit is a brief novel with an essentially simple narrative focus in which a first-person narrator explores deep psychological and social dilemmas through a personal reminiscence. Gide's short novel La Porte etroite (1909; Straight is the Gate) is also regarded as a récit, as is the novel La Chute (1956; The Fall), by the French existentialist writer Albert Camus.

Topics For Further Study

• The region of North Africa includes the modern nations of Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, and Liberia. Research and report on the political, social, cultural, and economic conditions of one of these nations.
• Although tuberculosis was more widespread during the 19th century than it is today, it continues to be a deadly disease in areas throughout the world. Find out more about the disease of tuberculosis as it impacts today's world. How prevalent is tuberculosis in your own nation? In what regions is it most prevalent and most deadly? What efforts are being made to prevent and cure tuberculosis today?
• The Immoralist is the story of a repressed homosexual man in the late 19th century, struggling to make sense of his natural sexual tendencies. Societal attitudes toward and treatment of homosexuals has changed in the century since Gide's novel was first written. Write an essay describing the societal attitudes and legal status of homosexuals in your own society. What is your own opinion of the status of homosexuals in today's society?
• The Immoralist is a short novel in which the narrator describes a process of discovering aspects of himself that he was not previously aware of. Thus, it is a story of self-discovery. Write your own short story, narrated in the first person, in which the protagonist describes a process of discovering some aspect of her or his personality that he or she was not previously aware of. Describe in what ways this process of self-discovery affects the narrator's approach to life and relationships with others.