Beppo's Failed Search and Ransom

Momo

This flow traces Beppo's unsuccessful attempts to find Momo, his detention, and the bargain that forces him into a false form of time-saving.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

The Police Station The Police Station from "Momo". The Police Station A Truth Without Proof Beppo reports Momo missing and describes the Gray Men, the amphitheater, and the trial he witnessed.

The Police Station from "Momo". The Police Station A Truth Without Proof Beppo reports Momo missing and describes the Gray Men, the amphitheater, and the trial he witnessed.

The Police Station A Truth Without Proof Beppo reports Momo missing and describes the Gray Men, the amphitheater, and the trial he witnessed. The desk sergeant treats his account as a drunken fantasy, although Beppo has never been drunk. His honesty cannot overcome the authorities' demand for conventional evidence. His attempt to protect Momo makes him seem unreliable to the very people he hopes will help.

A Hospital Cell A Hospital Cell from "Momo". A Hospital Cell Concern Recast as Madness An inspector has Beppo taken for examination at a hospital for nervous disorders.

A Hospital Cell from "Momo". A Hospital Cell Concern Recast as Madness An inspector has Beppo taken for examination at a hospital for nervous disorders.

A Hospital Cell Concern Recast as Madness An inspector has Beppo taken for examination at a hospital for nervous disorders. Staff members listen to his story repeatedly but do not release him while their investigation continues. Beppo waits because he thinks they are searching for Momo. The institution's politeness does not change the fact that he is kept from acting on her behalf.

The Midnight Proposal The Midnight Proposal from "Momo". The Midnight Proposal Ransom Under Threat A Gray Man visits Beppo and confirms that Momo is their prisoner.

The Midnight Proposal from "Momo". The Midnight Proposal Ransom Under Threat A Gray Man visits Beppo and confirms that Momo is their prisoner.

The Midnight Proposal Ransom Under Threat A Gray Man visits Beppo and confirms that Momo is their prisoner. He says that every attempt to help her makes her suffer, then offers her return in exchange for silence and one hundred thousand hours. Beppo agrees under pressure, believing that refusal would leave Momo trapped forever. The agent turns Beppo's care into a tool for extracting more time.

The Promise of Silence The Promise of Silence from "Momo". The Promise of Silence A Captive's Choice Beppo stops telling his story and is released a few days later.

The Promise of Silence from "Momo". The Promise of Silence A Captive's Choice Beppo stops telling his story and is released a few days later.

The Promise of Silence A Captive's Choice Beppo stops telling his story and is released a few days later. He does not return to a normal life; he immediately takes up his broom and begins working to meet the ransom demand. His silence is not agreement with the Gray Men's account. It is the consequence of a coercive bargain made by someone who believes another person is at risk.

A False Return to Work A False Return to Work from "Momo". A False Return to Work Time Saved Through Self-Denial Beppo sweeps day and night, abandoning careful work, regular meals, and proper sleep.

A False Return to Work from "Momo". A False Return to Work Time Saved Through Self-Denial Beppo sweeps day and night, abandoning careful work, regular meals, and proper sleep.

A False Return to Work Time Saved Through Self-Denial Beppo sweeps day and night, abandoning careful work, regular meals, and proper sleep. He behaves like the time-savers he once would have distrusted, convinced that the hours will ransom Momo. The demand exploits his trust in a promise the Gray Men never intend to honor. His exhausting labor shows how fear can make self-sacrifice resemble the very ideology that caused the crisis.

after Beppo fails to find Momo

after repeated visits to police stations

one night during Beppo's hospital stay

the days after the Gray Man's visit

the months after Beppo is released