Summary
The man and woman have the colonel sit down and introduce him to the woman who arrived earlier. The invisible guests supposedly have a conversation, though the audience does not see or hear them. They look displeased when they seem to think the colonel has inquired about other guests. They tell him these guests will arrive soon. The man then launches into a story.
The woman seems to be embarrassed by the man's talking, as he goes into detail claiming that he has significant war experience that marks him with distinction. He claims to have killed two hundred and nine enemy combatants and also says that he is a hero. The woman tries to say that they are good and decent people, but the man continues talking. The noise of boats is heard and the doorbell rings again.
In the next scene, the man and woman answer the door for more guests. The man discovers that the woman at the door, who is also invisible, is Madame La Belle, someone for whom he had significant romantic feelings. He also meets her husband. The old man directs his wife to bring them chairs, which she does. The old man then says Belle's husband has given them a gift.
The man says the gift is a painting, though the woman seems very unsure of what it is. She proceeds to show it to their other guests. The woman asks Belle's husband for medical attention, and the man, irritated, says that he is not a doctor but a photo engraver. She finds him to be very attractive. The old man and woman fall into intense conversations with these two guests.
The man talks to Belle and the woman talks to Belle's husband. They describe the other guests. Then the man recalls his earlier memories of Belle while his wife flirts with and then begins making sexual motions toward Belle's husband. These interactions proceed to escalate with both guests as they discuss things pertaining to physical and romantic attraction.
The man bemoans his lost love with Belle but then says he needs to deliver his message. The woman suddenly seems to reject the unheard compliments of Belle's husband. They lead them to the other guests and make introductions between everyone.
Rejoining the larger group of invisible guests, the man and woman share stories from their past. They quickly come to conflict, as the man remembers being a bad son and neglecting his mother, while the woman claims he was a perfect son. The man also says that they never had a child, but the woman says they had one son who they never see. The scene ends with the two of them speaking in stock phases.
Analysis
Violence is a theme present in this section of the play. Attempting to impress the colonel, the man claims to have been distinguished in combat. He says he was a skilled soldier and killed many people. He boasts about this unverified violence in the same tone that he exalts his intellectual accomplishments. The woman is shocked and disturbed by his comments, seeming not to know who he is or that he had the capacity to do these things. This scene is a discomforting one, as the man seems to view violence and bloodshed simply as a means of assisting his social standing. He goes so far as to compare his enemies to flies.
Romance and sexuality also play a significant role in this section of the book. The man is shocked to see Belle again and immediately starts recalling the intensity of his love for her in the past. In contrast, he characterizes his relationship with his wife as one of duty and obligation, in which she allows him to do his intellectual work. Similarly, the old woman seems charmed by Belle's husband and flirts with him in an aggressive fashion, but in the end says she cannot be unfaithful to the old man. The implication of these moments is that their relationship lacks any romantic or sexual feeling and that they have largely settled into a dynamic of dependent complacency.
Communication is also a key theme in this scene of the play, as the characters frequently conflict in their accounts of things. The man says that they never had a child and that he was a bad son, saying that he abandoned his mother on her deathbed. The woman claims that they do have a son but they don't see him. She also says the man was an ideal son. In having such divergent memories of their life together, the man and woman once again appear to be failing to communicate. Despite the fact that they are constantly talking, they never seem able to actually share or agree on substantive matters. Their words are unable to bridge misunderstandings.
These moments also show the oddity of the world within the play. The man and woman carry on intense conversations with their guests, despite the fact that they are unseen. The doorbell rings but no one ever seems to actually arrive. The man and woman have been together for many years but do not have any consistent memories of different events, going so far as to not agree about whether or not they have a child together.
This section particularly highlights the loneliness of both characters. Unfulfilled in their relationship and untethered to a shared understanding of their past, they are adrift in these scenes, carrying on lengthy exchanges with seemingly silent guests. The absurdity of the situation gains weight in this part of the play as it serves to demonstrate just how isolated the old man and woman really are.
