Clamence's Relationships with Women

Clamence describes his numerous, successful relationships with women, which he treated as a game of conquest. He was not interested in love but in sensual pleasure and the satisfaction of his vanity. He used a rehearsed speech about his mysterious, unattainable nature to seduce them. He demanded fidelity from his partners while remaining emotionally detached, and he would often become cruel and possessive when he felt his power was threatened. This behavior, he admits, was a form of confession, revealing his true, selfish nature.