The Immoralist

Pick two natural landscapes depicted in the novel and explain how these environments mirror Michel’s moods and behaviors.

How does Michel’s fear of mortality drive his actions throughout the novel?

How does Michel’s desire to prove his masculinity influence his embrace of hedonism?

According to the novel, is marriage a stifling institution or a beneficial partnership? Are the challenges that Michel and Marceline face in their marriage due to the institution itself or caused by their conflicting desires and values?

What literary devices does Gide use to portray the pursuit of sensual pleasure as noble and intellectualism as devoid of meaning? How does the fact that Gide is portraying pleasure and intellectualism through a novel complicate this portrayal?

Why does Michel frequently objectify the men, women, and children he finds attractive? What does this reveal about his view of his own status and agency in comparison to theirs?

How does Gide use sentence structure and stream-of-consciousness techniques to reflect Michel’s emotional state throughout the novel?

Pick two examples of scenes where Michel commits acts considered immoral by the standards of his culture. How does Michel justify these actions and what does that show about his own moral code?