Austerlitz

Continuing his story, Austerlitz recounts that two years after Gwendolyn’s death, in the summer of 1949, the headmaster of Stower Grange informed him his real name was Jacques Austerlitz, not Dayfydd Elias. The headmaster tells Austerlitz he must put his real name on his coming exams but keep it a secret. Austerlitz is distressed because he’s never heard of anyone having the surname Austerlitz; all the headmaster says is that Austerlitz was the site of a famous battle.

The next year, Austerlitz learns about the battle of Austerlitz from a teacher, André Hilary, whose vivid lectures captivate Austerlitz and his classmates. Hilary insists his detailed descriptions of the battle fail to truly capture it, arguing that “history [...] is a concern with preformed images already imprinted on our brains, images at which we keep staring while the truth lies elsewhere” (88). Hilary’s lessons on the battle change Austerlitz’s view of his circumstances: Instead of feeling haunted by a star of misfortune as he has his whole life, he begins seeing his name as a bright sun connecting him to France’s glorious history.

Austerlitz becomes Hilary’s star pupil. After Austerlitz tells Hilary his true name, he does everything he can to support Austerlitz through the rest of his education.