The Fall

Clamence and his cher ami ride a boat back to Amsterdam. The sea is covered in fog, and they cannot tell where the boat is going. Clamence compares the scene to dreaming. Clamence then shares his feelings about women, saying he believes women are the “natural harbor” for men in distress (100). He describes how he used to feel empty and wanted to be loved. He fell in love with a woman and became disappointed shortly after their relationship began; she did not satisfy him sexually, and he declared the whole concept of love a sham. Clamence tried being chaste afterward and failed quickly.

After his crisis, Clamence fell into debauchery and spent his days having sex and drinking. It made him feel immortal and let him dominate his past. He found debauchery liberating because it did not make him obligated toward anybody; it was only about using others to fulfill his desires. Clamence’s promiscuity and hard drinking took a toll on his body, and he was forced to give them up for his health. Clamence exited his spiral of debauchery, describing it as waking up from a “long sleep,” with a shattered reputation, but he believed himself cured of his depression.