Einstein's Dreams

Content warning: This section of the guide mentions suicide.

Again, Besso and Einstein spend time together during the dream phase that leads to his theory of special relativity. Besso continues to worry about Einstein, who looks weak, tired, and run-down. Besso asks why Einstein married Mileva, but Einstein isn’t sure. He neglects her, as he does his son, Hans Albert. Einstein is singularly focused on his work, taking pride and joy not from his family or friend but from the fruits of his labor. Besso recalls how Einstein cawed like a crow for five minutes after seeing his name in print and knows that Einstein will devote himself to correcting a bottle centrifuge concept that he views as flawed and will send his correction to Rasmussen, the designer. Besso reveals that Einstein, in his work as a patent clerk, often anonymously expands on or corrects inventions delivered to the patent office while also writing corrections and enhancements for fellow physicists.

After the Interlude, the novel leaps back into Einstein’s dreams, resuming with the revelation of a world where time moves backward. Several examples are given, and this is the first dream in which Einstein himself appears as a dream character.