The Last Man

The emigrants are superstitious and fearful as they leave for Switzerland. Even Adrian is changed: He cries to Lionel about his fears after a man in their group dies of the plague. Several people begin to catch the plague on the way to Geneva and Adrian’s group, which was the last to leave Versailles, does not catch up with Lionel’s group, which left first. People in Adrian’s group want to go back to Paris and join the cult of the imposter, and Adrian wants to go back and try to save as many people as possible.

Lionel has a crisis as his group moves further east while Adrian remains in the city, so he rides back to Versailles alone overnight. When he reaches Versailles, he learns that an emissary of the imposter has attempted to assassinate Adrian. Many of his followers join Adrian.

Some of Lionel’s group head on toward Geneva while Lionel remains with Adrian’s group throughout June. More begin to die, and the survivors start to believe in seemingly-supernatural events around them. They begin to see people they believe are ghosts, but most of these circumstances have rational explanations.

Although about 1500 people left Versailles, there are now only 80 in the group as they approach the border with Switzerland. The Countess asks for Lionel just before she dies; she tells Lionel and Clara to take care of one another and Adrian. The group ascends the mountains outside of Geneva and are cheered by the picturesque views they see from the top. They also hear music as they head into town, and feel hopeful for one moment.

More continue to die, but they are consoled by the sublime nature that surrounds them. Only Lionel, Adrian, Clara, and Evelyn survive by the time they reach Mont Blanc, and the plague dies with the last person outside of the four. Adrian and Lionel plan to do whatever they can for the happiness of the young Clara and Evelyn, and decide to head toward Italy, even though they are reluctant to leave the beautiful mountains.

The little family is as happy as they can be as they visit the cities of northern Italy, taking up residence in the best houses and trying to enjoy what is left of life. They spend the winter in Milan and summer in Como. Adrian and Lionel often sail on the lake, but one day they return to find Evelyn sick with typhus. Clara tells the others that, if they wish for her to live after Evelyn’s death, they must take her away from Como, so the three head to Rome.

They sail down the eastern coast. They see the coast of Greece, where Clara is desperate to go. They decide to sail to Athens rather than Rome, talking merrily of their futures on the way. A sudden storm comes on, but Adrian, the captain of the boat, is determined to get the others to shore. They get closer to the shore and Lionel hopes they can swim as the boat begins to flood. They are thrown into the water and separated, but Lionel finally reaches the sand, where he faints.

He looks for the others. He cannot find them, yet still does not believe he is the last man left on earth. He finds a lighthouse, then goes out to look for Adrian and Clara again. Lionel goes to a nearby town where he finds no people but plenty of animals and nature.

The next morning, Lionel thinks about Adrian and Clara’s deaths. He considers them the two most perfect humans that ever lived. He leaves the town and finds a cottage, where he sees a meal set out for someone. He hopes that there is another living person but soon realizes that the meal is too old. He continues to travel and wander through deserted towns and houses and scares himself when he comes across a mirror and sees his own reflection. Lionel makes a plan to go to Rome to search all the houses he comes across for survivors. In every town he goes through, he plans to paint his name and where he is going in three different languages, adding the phrase, “friend, come! I wait for thee!” (506).

He contemplates dying by suicide but never considers it seriously. He thinks of the animals around him and how even they have companions, but he is determined not to be jealous of them. He tries to take an interest in the sights of Rome, trying to remember what he always wanted to see before the plague. He becomes enthusiastic about art, poetry, and history again, feeling somewhat healed. He makes a home in a palace in Rome and decides to stay for some time. He begins to read again and decides to write down his story, to leave a monument to the human race for posterity.

It is a year since Lionel began to write his story, and he has yet to see anyone else. On the first day of the year, he follows a Roman tradition and carves the date of the year 2100 into a stone of St. Peter’s. He knows he is going to leave Rome and decides to become a wanderer, still intending to search for another person. He plans to take a few books and a dog he has befriended, and sail along the coasts in search of a companion.