The novel is introduced by a scene of extreme degeneracy in a London hotel room, followed by the narrator's description of a dreamlike encounter with 'the Commendatore' (English: "the Commander"), who in the Don Juan myth is the father of one of Don Juan's victims, and whose statue returns at the end of the story to drag Don Juan down to hell for his sins. Troppmann has to choose between the abject Dirty and her associations of sex, disease, excrement and decay, the politically engaged Lazare, and her ethical values of commitment, resistance and endurance, and Xénie, who has outlived her usefulness. While looking at Lazare beneath a tree, Troppmann realises that he respects her for her social conscience, but also sees her as a rat, and chooses Dirty instead, whilst sending Xénie off with a friend, who is subsequently killed in the street.
The novel starts with an extreme scene of degeneracy in a London hotel room, followed by the narrator's account of a dreamlike encounter with 'the Commendatore' (English: "the Commander"), who is the father of one of Don Juan's victims. Troppmann must choose between abject Dirty and her associations of sex, disease, excrement, and decay, Lazare's ethical values of commitment, resistance, and endurance, and Xénie, whose usefulness has expired. While observing Lazare beneath a tree, Troppmann recognizes her social conscience but also perceives her as a rat, ultimately selecting Dirty over Xénie and sending her friend to their death in the street.