Section 9 Summary

In the final section of the novel, Eliezer describes his relationship with his friend Gyula, the painter. Gyula visits Eliezer every day in the hospital. Despite Eliezer's brush with death, Gyula enters the hospital room in his usual rough and boisterous way. He bullies the nurse into leaving just as she was about to give her patient his injection. He tells Eliezer that he should be ashamed of dying, and he makes Eliezer promise not to die before his portrait is finished. Gyula does not ask how the accident happened. When Eliezer tries to tell him, Gyula says he'd rather figure it out for himself.

One day, Gyula comes to visit but does not speak at all. For hours he just sits and works, in complete silence. Again, Eliezer asks if he can tell his friend about the accident. Gyula says he does...