What are the main themes in the novel, The Mandarins?

In The Mandarins, Beauvoir develops two contrasting themes: that of the finitude of man with its contingent fear of aging and obsession with death as illustrated in the attitude and actions of its heroine Anne; and the opposing theme of optimism, with its inherent positive attitude geared toward action, which runs parallel throughout the novel and is embodied in the protagonist Henri Perron.