Chapter 2 Summary

The narrator describes in great detail a tenant of the quarter named Charlie. Charlie is young and rosy, a son of a wealthy and educated family who has run away from home and lives on occasional remittances. The narrator doesn't like Charlie, but it's not clear why until the narrator overhears Charlie telling a story about true love, one of his favorite topics.

Charlie tells of how he stole 1000 franks from his brother when the brother came to visit and then used the 1000 franks on a prostitute. The prostitute was young and frightened, probably the daughter of a poor country farmer, and Charlie raped her. Charlie reminisces about that day as the greatest day of his life. He thinks that's what true love is.

Chapter 2 Analysis

Charlie symbolizes a desire for baseness. Charlie comes from a family of wealth and means but chooses...