Good Morning, Midnight

by

Jean Rhys

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Good Morning, Midnight makes teaching easy.

Nicolas Delmar Character Analysis

Nicolas Delmar is a Russian man whom Sasha meets in Paris. As she’s walking home one night, Delmar and another Russian man call out to her and ask why she’s so sad. They then fall into conversation with her and become friendly acquaintances, though Sasha ends up insulting Delmar’s friend the following day because she doesn’t follow through with their plans to get together in the afternoon. Nonetheless, she runs into Delmar a little later and has a pleasant conversation with him, as he encourages her to make more friends as a way of staving off loneliness and depression. Delmar himself knows what it’s like to feel sad and lonely, but he also tries to take life “as it comes”—life is miserable, he believes, but that’s not his fault, so there’s no point in dwelling on his own unhappiness. Sasha likes Delmar’s outlook, so she agrees to meet his friend, Serge, whom she likes even more than Delmar. Because Delmar is so fond of her, though, he’s a little upset by how much she likes Serge, and though he treats her with kindness, his romantic interest in her calls his intentions into question, as it’s unclear if his kindness is genuine and selfless or if he treats her well simply because he wants to sleep with her.

Nicolas Delmar Quotes in Good Morning, Midnight

The Good Morning, Midnight quotes below are all either spoken by Nicolas Delmar or refer to Nicolas Delmar. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Sadness and Vulnerability Theme Icon
).
Part One Quotes

He says: ‘For me, you see, I look at life like this: If someone had come to me and asked me if I wished to be born I think I should have answered No. I’m sure I should have answered No. But no one asked me. I am here not through my will. Most things that happen to me—they are not my will either. And so that’s what I say to myself all the time: "You didn’t ask to be born, you didn’t make the world as it is, you didn’t make yourself as you are. Why torment yourself? Why not take life just as it comes? […]’

Related Characters: Nicolas Delmar (speaker), Sasha
Page Number: 64
Explanation and Analysis:

‘Do you know what I feel about you? I think you are very lonely. I know, because for a long time I was lonely myself. I hated people, I didn’t want to see anyone. And then one day I thought: “No, this isn’t the way.” And now I go about a lot. I force myself to. I have a lot of friends; I’m never alone. Now I’m much happier.’

Related Characters: Nicolas Delmar (speaker), Sasha
Related Symbols: Hotel Rooms
Page Number: 66
Explanation and Analysis:
Part Two Quotes

I have an irresistible longing for a long, strong drink to make me forget that once again I have given damnable human beings the right to pity me and laugh at me.

I say in a loud, aggressive voice: ‘Go out and get a bottle of brandy,’ take money out of my bag and offer it to him.

This is where he starts getting hold of me, Serge. He doesn’t accept the money or refuse it—he ignores it. He blots out what I have said and the way I said it. He ignores it as if it had never been, and I know that, for him, it has never been.

Related Characters: Sasha (speaker), Nicolas Delmar, Serge
Page Number: 94
Explanation and Analysis:

All his charm and ease of manner have gone. He looks anxious and surly. I say awkwardly: ‘I don’t think it at all too much. But I haven’t got the money….’

Before I can get any further he bursts into a shout of laughter, ‘What did I tell you?’ he says to Delmar.

‘But have it, take it, all the same. I like you. I'll give it you as a present.’

‘No, no. All I meant was that I can't pay you now.’

‘Oh, that’s all right. You can send me the money from London. I’ll tell you what you can do for me—you can find some other idiots who'll buy my pictures.’

Related Characters: Sasha (speaker), Serge (speaker), Nicolas Delmar
Page Number: 100
Explanation and Analysis:
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Nicolas Delmar Quotes in Good Morning, Midnight

The Good Morning, Midnight quotes below are all either spoken by Nicolas Delmar or refer to Nicolas Delmar. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Sadness and Vulnerability Theme Icon
).
Part One Quotes

He says: ‘For me, you see, I look at life like this: If someone had come to me and asked me if I wished to be born I think I should have answered No. I’m sure I should have answered No. But no one asked me. I am here not through my will. Most things that happen to me—they are not my will either. And so that’s what I say to myself all the time: "You didn’t ask to be born, you didn’t make the world as it is, you didn’t make yourself as you are. Why torment yourself? Why not take life just as it comes? […]’

Related Characters: Nicolas Delmar (speaker), Sasha
Page Number: 64
Explanation and Analysis:

‘Do you know what I feel about you? I think you are very lonely. I know, because for a long time I was lonely myself. I hated people, I didn’t want to see anyone. And then one day I thought: “No, this isn’t the way.” And now I go about a lot. I force myself to. I have a lot of friends; I’m never alone. Now I’m much happier.’

Related Characters: Nicolas Delmar (speaker), Sasha
Related Symbols: Hotel Rooms
Page Number: 66
Explanation and Analysis:
Part Two Quotes

I have an irresistible longing for a long, strong drink to make me forget that once again I have given damnable human beings the right to pity me and laugh at me.

I say in a loud, aggressive voice: ‘Go out and get a bottle of brandy,’ take money out of my bag and offer it to him.

This is where he starts getting hold of me, Serge. He doesn’t accept the money or refuse it—he ignores it. He blots out what I have said and the way I said it. He ignores it as if it had never been, and I know that, for him, it has never been.

Related Characters: Sasha (speaker), Nicolas Delmar, Serge
Page Number: 94
Explanation and Analysis:

All his charm and ease of manner have gone. He looks anxious and surly. I say awkwardly: ‘I don’t think it at all too much. But I haven’t got the money….’

Before I can get any further he bursts into a shout of laughter, ‘What did I tell you?’ he says to Delmar.

‘But have it, take it, all the same. I like you. I'll give it you as a present.’

‘No, no. All I meant was that I can't pay you now.’

‘Oh, that’s all right. You can send me the money from London. I’ll tell you what you can do for me—you can find some other idiots who'll buy my pictures.’

Related Characters: Sasha (speaker), Serge (speaker), Nicolas Delmar
Page Number: 100
Explanation and Analysis: