He looked away The experience of falling out of love in La Jeunesse du commandeur by Prévost

In La Jeunesse du Commandeur, the reunion of the chevalier and Helena inverts the topoi of the scene in which they first see each other. Eyes that meet are replaced with eyes that look away: the chevalier wants to escape the sight of Helena’s disfigured face. The significance of this sudden falling out of love implies a reinterpretation of a famous quote from Pascal, in which, using the example of smallpox, he discredits the aspiration to be loved for one’s self rather than for precarious qualities.