Proust notes Charlus’s mercy for Germany as an aspect of his 
Charlusism: his homosexual desire for lovers who torture him. Germans are not the beautiful lovers who torture him: Germans are ugly to him (just as he is ugly to his beautiful lovers). Thus, by defending “ugly” Germans at end of world war 1, it must be Charlus is showing some occult mercy to himself somehow. But Proust does not mention that conclusion.
I turn to Proust in the middle of the heartbreak of Typhoon Yolanda that decimates Tacloban, and in the middle of chemotherapy for this dratted cancer, November 10, 2013.
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Hello Gina,
Asha and I were thrilled (and remain very sad) to read your op-ed in the nyt. We are so sorry that you are in the middle of chemo; we will pray for you and hope that pain, internal and external eases.
Wonderful to read of your accomplishments; we are ordering your novels today!
Warmly,
Vj and Asha Sathyaraj
Oregon Episcopal School
Hi, VJ and Asha, thank you so much for your note. Yes, these are tough times; I am more ill over Tacloban than I am of anything else. I hope you are well!
All best, Gina