Goodbye to Berlin, Section 3 Summary

"On Ruegen Island (Summer 1931)"

This narrative seems to be set in a period referred to in "Sally Bowles" (see "Goodbye to Berlin, Section 2) - the point at which Christopher goes away for a few weeks to work on his novel. The narrative focuses on Christopher's involvement with neurotic, British Peter and selfish, animalistic, German Otto (see "Characters"). In episodic detail, Christopher describes Peter's history (as the aimless, troubled son of British aristocracy), Peter's meeting Otto (who, in a somewhat bullying way, tries to cheer Peter out of his frequent turns of depression), and how the "friendship" between the two men becomes volatile, testy, and somewhat sado-masochistic. The narrative also includes brief descriptions of fleeting relationships the trio of friends has with a nosy doctor and a flirtatious school teacher, both of which lead essentially nowhere but cause...