Age of Iron

by

J. M. Coetzee

Age of Iron: Chapter 4 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
Mrs. Curren has a dream where she envisions Florence walking with Hope and Beauty down Government Avenue. In this dream, Mrs. Curren puts on a circus act, but Florence pays no attention to her. As the dream unfolds, Mrs. Curren performs fire tricks, and she notices Florence looking like a goddess, dressed in a white slip with bare feet. Florence is pointing toward something, but Mrs. Curren cannot see what it is. Then, Mrs. Curren becomes engulfed in blue flames.
Mrs. Curren’s dream of performing tricks unnoticed encapsulates her feelings of invisibility and the sense of her actions being inconsequential. Her engulfment in blue flames could symbolize her newfound place fighting for change in South Africa, which is full of violence and destruction. Additionally, she may not live to see the end of apartheid.
Themes
Violence and Perspective Theme Icon
Apartheid in South Africa Theme Icon
Upon waking, Mrs. Curren shares her dream with Vercueil, and she says that everything in the dream symbolizes something else. She expresses her reluctance to go to the hospital, fearing they will put her in a drug-induced coma, depriving her of dreaming. She feels that her dreams are one of the few deeply meaningful parts of her life that she has left, and she wants to hold on to them.
Mrs. Curren’s reluctance to go to the hospital, for fear of being deprived of her dreams, reflects a desire to maintain autonomy over her consciousness and to cling to the profound experiences she feels have changed her over the last few months. Perhaps it is also a protest against an institution that she has witnessed failing Black South Africans first-hand (as when the hospital didn’t treat John’s injuries properly).
Themes
Pain, Suffering, and Companionship Theme Icon
Apartheid in South Africa Theme Icon
Later, Mrs. Curren asks Vercueil to fix her radio, but he suggests bringing in a TV instead. Mrs. Curren rejects his offer, but he brings in the TV anyway. Together, they watch as the South African anthem plays and a blue flag waves in the background. The display of nationalism irritates Mrs. Curren, and she tells Vercueil to turn off the television. Instead, Vercueil turns up the volume and dances to the anthem, infuriating her further. Vercueil eventually switches it off, reassuring her that the turmoil in South Africa will end soon. He also tells Mrs. Curren that she needs to lighten up and allow herself to have fun.
The introduction of the TV and the anthem playing in the background is jarring to Mrs. Curren, who has started to deeply question the values and ethics of her country. Vercueil’s suggestion to lighten up and his dance to the anthem can be interpreted as either a form of mockery or a coping mechanism to deal with the pervasive atmosphere of nationalism and propaganda. That is, he acts absurdly because he views the word as absurd.
Themes
Violence and Perspective Theme Icon
Pain, Suffering, and Companionship Theme Icon
Apartheid in South Africa Theme Icon
Later, Mrs. Curren reflects on her desire not to be put into a drug-induced sleep, as sleep provides her only respite from suffering. The same day, she loses consciousness and then awakens from a bout of apparent madness, scribbling on the walls. Thinking she must have had an adverse reaction to her medication, she calls her doctor and requests a new prescription. Her doctor tells her that she should come see him if she wants to receive proper care. However, Mrs. Curren insists upon staying in her home and once again asks for a new prescription. Eventually, the doctor gives in and writes her the prescription she wants. However, he warns her that the new pills may not help and that she needs to come to hospital if she does not want the end of her life to become a nightmare.
Mrs. Curren’s episode of “madness” and her subsequent call to the doctor illustrate her desperation to maintain control over her life and her distrust of institutional care. Her insistence on staying in her home and managing her pain with medication underscores her need for independence and her fear of becoming a passive recipient of care in her final days. She wants to maintain control over her life for as long as she possibly can without being a burden to other people.
Themes
Pain, Suffering, and Companionship Theme Icon
The Value of Writing and Literature Theme Icon
Quotes
Get the entire Age of Iron LitChart as a printable PDF.
Age of Iron PDF
Mrs. Curren receives the new pills, but, as the doctor suggested might happen, they offer little relief. Mrs. Curren questions Vercueil about why he chose her, and he responds that he didn’t choose her. She inquires why he came to her house, and he explains it was because she didn’t have a dog and wouldn’t cause trouble. In a tense moment, Vercueil briefly puts his hands around her throat, suggesting that he could end her suffering at any moment. The thought of her death makes Mrs. Curren sob. After pulling herself together, she asks if Vercueil’s dog can sleep in her bed for warmth, but Vercueil insists the dog only sleeps where he does. Mrs. Curren suggests Vercueil sleep in her bed as well. He agrees to the arrangement and climbs into the bed. The dog jumps up as well to sleep between them.
Vercueil’s strange presence in Mrs. Curren’s life becomes more understandable when he responds to her inquiries about his choice to stay with her. His explanation that he chose her house because she “wouldn’t cause trouble” implies that he chose her because he identified her as a potential pushover, yet their relationship develops into something complex and significant. The tense moment where Vercueil places his hands around her throat brings their relationship to a critical point, confronting the possibility of her death directly and violently. 
Themes
Violence and Perspective Theme Icon
Pain, Suffering, and Companionship Theme Icon
Mrs. Curren gradually learns more about Vercueil’s past, including his hand injury and experiences in Russia and China. Concerned about his future, she discusses what will happen to him after her death. She promises to watch over him in the afterlife if that is a possibility. Mrs. Curren expresses worry about Vercueil’s ability to care for himself, mentioning his unusual food preferences. However, Vercueil himself is largely unconcerned. He thinks he will be able to continue on, just as he always has.
Mrs. Curren’s concern for Vercueil’s future and her promise to watch over him in the afterlife reveal her maternal instincts and her desire to leave a lasting, positive impact on someone’s life. Despite Vercueil’s nonchalant attitude toward survival, Mrs. Curren’s worry for him signifies her need to find some form of legacy in the care and concern for another person.
Themes
Pain, Suffering, and Companionship Theme Icon
Quotes
Every night, Vercueil and his dog sleep by Mrs. Curren’s side to help keep her warm. Vercueil also helps her with household chores and tries to soothe her when she is in pain. Mrs. Curren tells Vercueil about how she used to be a classics teacher in her younger years. She quotes him some lines from Virgil, which pique Vercueil’s interest. He asks her if she would be willing to help him learn Latin. Mrs. Curren tells him she would be happy to teach him with what time she has left. However, she knows there is much he will not have time to learn because her death is near. She regrets not having more time to teach Vercueil.
The arrangement for Vercueil and his dog to sleep in Mrs. Curren's bed suggests an intimacy and companionship that transcends their initial interactions and reflects a mutual need for physical and emotional warmth. Similarly, Mrs. Curren’s teachings are also mutually beneficial; she gets to do something that gives her life meaning and Vercueil appears genuinely interested in what she has to say.
Themes
Pain, Suffering, and Companionship Theme Icon
The Value of Writing and Literature Theme Icon
Quotes
Mrs. Curren considers asking Vercueil to deliver her papers to her daughter in the United States in person but knows he won’t agree to it. Mrs. Curren reflects on her lack of connection with her grandchildren and her general feelings of loneliness. She regrets that she does not know more about her daughter’s life and desperately wishes they were together. She also thinks that Vercueil is lonely like her, and she regrets not being able to provide him with more companionship.
Mrs. Curren’s contemplation of sending Vercueil to deliver papers to her daughter in the United States reflects her hope that she could reconcile with her daughter before her death. Yet, her understanding of Vercueil’s likely refusal to undertake such a task underscores a sense of resignation to the broken lines of communication within her family.
Themes
Pain, Suffering, and Companionship Theme Icon
The Value of Writing and Literature Theme Icon
One night, Mrs. Curren wakes up feeling cold. She finds that Vercueil is not in her bed. Instead, he is standing on the balcony attached to her bedroom, allowing the wind to blow into her room. She asks Vercueil what he is looking at, but he does not respond. Then, she asks him, “Is it time?” Again, Vercueil does not respond. Instead, he approaches the bed and forcibly embraces her. The breath rushes out of Mrs. Curren, and she feels no warmth in his embrace.
The coldness Mrs. Curren feels upon waking and finding Vercueil standing on the balcony introduces a physical manifestation of the emotional chill that has characterized many of her recent experiences. Her question, “Is it time?” is loaded with significance—questioning whether it is time for her death, time for some revelation, or simply time for Vercueil to return to bed.Vercueil's non-response and subsequent cold embrace suggest that her death is near.
Themes
Pain, Suffering, and Companionship Theme Icon
Quotes