Iron In The Soul

Iron in the Soul is the third novel in Sartre's Roads to Freedom trilogy. It takes place in 1940, as France faces military defeat and occupation. Characters from earlier volumes, including the teacher Mathieu, are caught up in the collapse of the army and the confusion that follows. The novel looks at what happens to people's sense of purpose and freedom when the world they relied on falls apart. It is a sober, unsparing portrait of a nation and individuals in crisis.