1 Introduction

This section introduces Céline's in-depth and concentrated depiction of the scientific fervor and the inventor community during the "Belle Époque" in Death on the Installment Plan. It points out the limited and scattered scholarly attention on the image of inventors. The author will focus on the duality of inventors, exploring their connection to the tragedy of the inventor world from three levels—the Parisian inventor community, family, and character—and introduce contemporary philosophical perspectives to discuss Céline's reflection on technological progress and modernity.

2 Two Camps Under One Banner: Moderate Pragmatists and Zealous Science Devotees

This section delves into Céline's binary portrayal of the "inventor" community in Death on the Installment Plan. These "inventors" are contributors and subscribers to Génitron, mostly amateur science enthusiasts whose inventive activities are characterized as "handmade" and "small-scale." Céline divides them into two camps: one consists of moderate pragmatists who aim to improve daily comfort, with inventions mostly being household items like kitchen utensils; the other comprises zealous science devotees, often dedicated to research defying scientific principles, such as "perpetual motion machines," treating science as a new religion and displaying strong aggression towards skeptics. Through the "invention competition" organized by Courtial, Céline warns of the risks of excessive worship of technological magic, pointing out that overlooking internal dangers within the inventor community can lead to severe consequences, reflecting the complexity of the dual nature of good and evil in modern technology.

3 Two Roles Within a Marriage: The Chaotic Thinker and the Stubborn Doer

This section explores the duality of the "inventor" image in marital relationships in Céline's Death on the Installment Plan. The couple Courtial and Irène form a stark contrast in their inventive endeavors. Courtial is a thinker brimming with innovative ideas, whose "chaos of wisdom" is reflected in his cluttered office and broad scientific interests. However, this free-thinking also makes him easily distracted by new ideas, ultimately leading to failure. Irène, on the other hand, is a doer—gullible yet fearless, providing Courtial with material support and the courage to act but lacking independent thought. Their collaborative experiment, "cosmic electromagnetic wave potato cultivation," ultimately fails, revealing that inventive work requires the fusion of free thought and execution, yet these two elements are mutually exclusive, suggesting a pessimistic limitation on the long-term viability of such work.

4 The Double Life of an Inventor: The Soaring of Truth and the Descent of Carnality

This section delves into Céline's critique of the scientific craze during the "Belle Époque" in Death on the Installment Plan. Through the inventor figure Courtial, it presents the binary opposition between the pursuit of truth and the degradation of human nature. Courtial achieves excellence in the scientific field and is passionate about popular science education, yet in his private life, he indulges in various carnal vices, ultimately leading to the ruin of his career and reputation. This complexity of coexisting good and evil transcends the moral didacticism of traditional allegories, touching upon philosophical issues of the era and echoing the philosophical reflections of Nietzsche and Bataille on the coexistence of good and evil, presenting the paradox of the sublime and the base in human nature.

5 Conclusion

This section summarizes the duality of the "inventor" image in Céline's Death on the Installment Plan, pointing out that it serves functions of satirical deconstruction, cautionary anti-modern allegory, and philosophical reflection at structural, stylistic, and connotative levels, respectively. It reveals contradictions at the community, family, and human nature levels, showcasing Céline's underlying concerns about the process of modernization.