The Immoralist

Gide employs climate and weather as a motif to link Michel’s health and emotional state to his environment. Gide subscribes to the theory that climate influences a person’s temperament, a commonly held belief during his era. This theory asserts that people from warmer climates are naturally more prone to anger and passion, justifying racist stereotypes of non-Europeans. It also holds that warmer climates can influence the personalities and behavior of Europeans who travel to them. After Michel contracts tuberculosis, his health and mood oscillate based on the weather patterns in Biskra. He feels spry and joyful whenever the weather is warm and relapses into illness whenever the weather turns cold again.

Gide also depicts the climate as mirroring Michel’s sensual awakening, comparing his new awareness of his senses to the advent of spring: “The African earth was now awakening from winter, bursting with new sap. It rejoiced in a frenzy of spring, striking an echo in my own feelings” (40). The renewal of life in the land reflects Michel’s own rejuvenation following his illness. The novel’s association of Michel’s newfound desire for sensual pleasure with the natural scenery of Tunisia implies that his time in a warmer climate changes his personality, turning him into a more passionate, impulsive person.