Section 18 Summary

This section begins with the phrase, "Why kid ourselves, people have nothing to say to one another..."

People only talk about their own troubles, which they hope to unload by falling in love. Bardamu muses that this works for awhile, but eventually fails and then people recommence with the same trick, "you're pretty Mademoiselle.." As they age, people's faces slowly reveal more of their unhappiness. By a certain age, a man's soul has climbed from his belly to his face, giving him a hideous grimace that takes a lifetime to compose, he reflects.

People start to visit him, among them, Grandmother Henrouille and Robinson. Grandma Henrouille wants to ensure Bardamu will never commit her and also seems to enjoy socializing with his neighbors. Robinson asks for various favors, such as a hospital job and a cure for his cough. Working in the hospital...