Veronika Decides To Die

Veronika awakens in Igor’s office. Her mother has already departed. She overhears Igor saying that she could live to be one hundred as she comes to, though he won’t clarify this for her. Igor asks about her episode with the piano and Eduard. He explains that, as a person with schizophrenia, Eduard lives in a “world of insanity” of his own making that is quite unlike the “real” world. Reality, Igor declares, is a consensus of the majority.

He uses the example of his necktie to demonstrate this idea to Veronika. Igor believes that “sane” people accept a necktie as-is; one must wear a necktie when working professionally. An “insane” person would call it a “ridiculous, useless bit of colored cloth” (87). The “sane” tacitly accept reality, assuming things must have  purpose, while the “insane” question everything and refuse to accept reality at face value. Igor then explains Vitriol to Veronika; Vitriol results from a lack of emotions, both positive or negative, and a meaningless, “safe” daily routine. Igor suggests that this Vitriol causes somebody’s “sanity” to slip.

Internally, Igor compares his idea of Vitriol to Sigmund Freud’s idea of the libido, which also does not literally exist within the body. Igor compares himself to his patients. Like the “sick” that feed the medical-industrial complex of Villete, Igor doubts he will be taken seriously by “normal” people.

Veronika contemplates her childhood dream of becoming a pianist. Despite her prodigious skill, her mother insisted that “no one makes a living” playing the piano and that Veronika should only pursue a path that earns her money, a home, and a husband (94). Veronika believes that she should have been “crazier” when she had the opportunity.

Veronika drops into a Fraternity meeting where the group listens to a guest lecturer, an unnamed Sufi teacher. Sufism is a branch of Islam that believes in finding divinity in the material world and growing closer to that divinity in the here-and-now. The teacher tells the story of a respected Sufi master, Nasrudin, who pretended to be drunk and belligerent in front of prospective pupils to test who would weather the storm and who would leave. Those that stayed became Nasrudin’s pupils.

The Sufi teacher leads the Fraternity in meditation on a single rose. While meditating, Veronika begins thinking about her past sexual exploits: Mari, who had previously asked her if she masturbated, suspected that Veronika never experienced genuine pleasure. Veronika realizes that she has only engaged in sex for the sake of men or for the social script; she has never engaged in sex or masturbation that she truly desired. As the meeting with the Sufi teacher ends, Veronika begins regretting her decision to die.

Afterwards, Veronika plays the piano for Eduard again while Mari goes outside for a cigarette. The narrative switches to Mari’s perspective, who ruminates on her past. She ponders the Tree of Knowledge in the Biblical Garden of Eden, which supposedly caused the fall of humankind. Mari, a lawyer, believes God told Adam and Eve about the tree as a double-bind trap to make them fall. She views God as a stalking serial killer who took pleasure in expelling humanity and making humans suffer. She views God’s actions within Genesis as the perfect basis of today’s law systems: Malicious, petty, and largely ineffective. Mari, a core part of the Fraternity, begins rethinking her permanent stay in Villete. She thinks about becoming a seamstress when she leaves Villete and concludes that Veronika has forced her to rethink her attitude.

Mari began experiencing severe panic attacks one day while watching a film about a humanitarian crisis in El Salvador. Mari had been contemplating retiring from her law firm and spending the latter half of her life as a humanitarian aid worker. Mari’s panic attacks worsened over weeks, afflicting her even at her office. She is put on 30 days of unpaid leave and suffers silently in her house. Her husband convinces her to see a doctor and Mari ends up in Villete and diagnosed by Dr. Igor. After a short stay, Mari tries to return to the outside world, only to find that she has been fired from her job; the social stigma around seeking mental health assistance makes Mari look like an unreliable lawyer to the firm. Mari’s husband also files for divorce due to the impacts of her mental health struggles. Mari then begins lying to stay in Villete, unable to face her crumbling life outside.

As Mari contemplates her life, Veronika continues playing for Eduard. In an act of boldness, Veronika undresses and attempts to seduce him. Eduard is unmoved, and Veronika masturbates in front of him while voicing the fantasies she had deemed “perverted” before, including her desire for other women. Afterwards, Veronika discovers that Mari has returned and partially witnessed the scene. Veronika plays the piano for Eduard again in thanks for watching her.

The next day, Veronika supposedly has 24 hours left to live. She visits Dr. Igor and asks him to let her out into the city; she wants to live up her last night on Earth. Dr. Igor agrees to her request.

Eduard is shaken by his experiences with Veronika; Eduard now wants to live and return to life on the outside. Eduard takes a walk with Mari and the two talk about their previous experiences. Mari is the only person Eduard talks to, otherwise he pretends to be mute. The two agree that they must return to life on the outside. Afterwards, Eduard voices his desire to leave to a nurse, and the nurses try to sedate him for perceived aggression.

Veronika intervenes as the nurses try to drag him away and Eduard talks to her for the first time. Eduard agrees to go calmly with the nurses if Veronika can accompany them to his “treatment.” The treatment turns out to be electroshock therapy, a “treatment” that works by electrocuting the victim often to the point of causing short-term memory loss. The practice is widely banned and considered torture by the United Nations. Veronika watches helplessly in horror as Eduard is subjected to the treatment. Eduard finds it peaceful because the short-circuiting of his short-term memory stops him from confronting the difficult choice of leaving Villete.

Zedka comes to say goodbye to Veronika and finds her asleep, covered in her own vomit from the “heart attacks,” watching over the unconscious Eduard as he recovers from his electroshock. The two talk about love; Zedka considers Veronika’s decision to spend her final hours watching over Eduard the ultimate act of love. Veronika confesses that she could only play the piano again because of the burgeoning love she feels for Eduard and the desire to live. Zedka says goodbye, leaving Villete and excited to be “crazy, like those who first invented love” on the outside (164).