Sodoma i gomora I-II

"Sodom and Gomorrah" is the fourth volume of Marcel Proust's seven-part novel In Search of Lost Time, published in 1921 and 1922. This volume marks a pivotal turning point in the cycle, as it openly introduces and thoroughly dissects themes of homosexuality ("inversion") and social hypocrisy within early 20th-century French high society. The central figure of this installment is the eccentric Baron de Charlus; through his behavior and secret life, the narrator, Marcel, uncovers a hidden aristocratic subculture. With psychological depth and sociological precision, Proust portrays how members of the social elite simultaneously condemn and secretly indulge in repressed passions. Alongside social analysis, a significant portion of the narrative is devoted to Marcel's stay at the seaside resort of Balbec, where his obsessive and toxic jealousy toward Albertine intensifies, fueled by suspicions regarding her own attraction to women. In this volume, Proust masterfully elaborates on his signature themes: the subjectivity of time, involuntary memory, the illusory nature of romantic happiness, and the inevitability of transience. "Sodom and Gomorrah" is an exceptionally complex and daring work that, through superb essayistic prose, lays bare human nature and false moral facades.