Fabienne’s Knife

The moment in which Fabienne cuts herself with a knife helps to concretize the inherent gap between herself and Agnès. She asks Agnès, “I can think for both of us, yes, but can you do the other part, feeling for both of us?” (153). Fabienne then argues that Agnès’ inability to feel the pain of the knife’s cut proves that she is incapable of “feeling for both” (153) of them. This moment of self-harm thus serves as a clear symbol of the divide between Fabienne and Agnès. As Fabienne argues in the final pages of the novel, an impenetrable gap exists between them that will prevent them from fully sharing their internal lives.