Chapters 7 and 8 Summary and Analysis

Chapter 7: The Yellow Armchair

The first book that Charles wrote was about the artist, Albert Durer. A young poet, twenty-one-year-old Jules Laforgue, was hired as his assistant. As Edmund scans Charles' room, he can envision Charles in a black Chinese dressing gown sitting in his yellow armchair, dictating to his young helper. Jules was hired in July 1881 and worked with Charles on the book throughout the summer. Edmund learned that the young man was not paid very well even though he put in long hours, often working through the night.

But Jules admired Charles and felt he was being given a great opportunity. Later, Jules wrote a poem about Monet's impressionism which he dedicated to Charles. Charles was fond of young Jules and secured a job for him in Berlin after that summer. Charles paid tribute to Jules by...