The role calls for violence
The narrator tells that “From time to time, these gentlemen [the Dutch] indulge in a little knife or revolver play, but don’t get the idea that they’re keen on it. Their role calls for it.” Thus the narrator shows his scorn concerning those people and their moral turpitude.
Humble king’s son
Jean says: “Certain mornings, let me confess it humbly, I felt like a king’s son, or a burning bush.” Thus he shows his self-esteem. Though he tried to seem modest and “lowly”, his essence was egoistical and proud.
Slavery
The protagonist shows his attitude towards slavery: “Charming house, isn’t it? The two heads you see up there are heads of Negro slaves. A shop sign. The house belonged to a slave dealer. Oh, they weren’t squeamish in those days! They had assurance; they announced: “You see, I’m a man of substance; I’m in the slave trade; I deal in black flesh.” Can you imagine anyone today making it known publicly that such is his business? What a scandal! I can hear my Parisian colleagues right now. They are adamant on the subject; they wouldn’t hesitate to launch two or three manifestos, maybe even more! And on reflection, I’d add my signature to theirs. Slavery?—certainly not, we are against it! That we should be forced to establish it at home or in our factories—well, that’s natural; but boasting about it, that’s the limit!” Here he ironically depicts hypocritical society, where everybody wants to seem respectable. They are eager to make claims about their pretended virtues, but actually they are not better than those people whom they judge and censure.
