ABSTRACT
Section III: I've Got to Get Back to a Normal Life. The drawing room of Murielle's flat. New Year's Eve 1967.
M urielle (43) isseparatedfrom herhusbandTristan, whohascustody of theireleven-year-old sonFrancis. In return for hersonTristan hasgiven her'an allowance and theflat'. She was raised with theexpectation that love, marriage and babies were to be her destiny, and now shefinds herselfbereftofall three. She hasbeen married once before to Albert, and Sylvie, herdaughterfromthatmarriage, committedsuicide whenshewas seventeen. Murielle blames herselffor this tragedy. She reflects on what mighthave been,ofwhat wouldhave happened ifshehadgone offwith F lorent, a serious admirerfromheryouth. She hasnoresources, noskills, no ambitionand no confidence to helpherescape herpredicament. She has become imprisoned by herown limitations and heronly recourse is rage. As shesays,'I sithere stewinginmyownjuiceI'm fed upwith it,fed up with it . . . I'm bored stiffwith beingbored.'She is aloneon New Year's Eve and is reflecting on herlife.
