Chapter 21 delves deeply into the narrator’s complex friendship with Heinz Schildknecht, his closest companion during the war. The narrator reflects on the beginnings of their bond, admitting that he borrowed Heinz’s motorcycle, rather than stealing it, an act that symbolizes the intimate and sometimes problematic nature of their friendship. Their relationship evolved as they navigated personal struggles, particularly following the narrator’s marital difficulties. Many of their conversations took place late at night, often accompanied by alcohol, which served as both a catalyst for their emotional openness and a means of escape from the harsh realities surrounding them.

In one of their discussions, Heinz makes an unsettling confession, revealing that he loved his motorcycle more than he ever loved his wife. This startling admission prompts the narrator to question Heinz’s perspective, but Heinz, with undeniable sincerity, insists on the truth of his feelings. He explains that his devotion to his motorcycle came at the cost of his wife and possessions, highlighting the absurdity and tragedy of their lives during wartime, where material possessions began to hold more significance than personal relationships. This reflection serves as a stark commentary on the dehumanizing effects of war, where even emotional connections are overshadowed by the need for survival and the pursuit of fleeting comforts.

Heinz’s revelation that the loss of his wife left him with only his motorcycle, which he had acquired on the black market, further illustrates the emotional void he felt. He shares a memory of being offered money for the motorcycle, a moment that forced him to confront the fact that material possessions had taken precedence over human relationships in his life. This conversation between the two friends then spirals into a broader reflection on human nature, with Heinz asserting that people, in their essence, are all insane, driven by irrational impulses that shape their lives. This idea captures the madness of their world, where sanity and reason are often overshadowed by the chaos that surrounds them.

The narrator continues by describing Heinz’s late wife, a woman consumed by the desire for success, who idolized those thriving in positions of power—individuals whose actions perpetuated destruction and suffering. This obsession with success, particularly in the context of the war, further distorts the characters’ perception of value, where achieving success becomes synonymous with perpetuating harm. As the war nears its end, both Heinz and the narrator struggle to escape the suffocating environment of chaos and violence, seeking refuge in their shared drinking spots. These places, once sites of comfort and camaraderie, had now become transformed into grim symbols of war, further reinforcing the futility and devastation that permeated every aspect of their lives.

In a moment of reflection and a test of their friendship, the narrator asks Heinz if he can borrow the motorcycle to visit his in-laws. Heinz’s trust in the narrator is unwavering, allowing him to take the motorcycle without hesitation. However, this act becomes symbolic, as the narrator leaves for good, marking the end of their deep connection and a poignant farewell that encapsulates the emotional distance that had grown between them over time. This departure is not just a physical one but also an emotional severance, illustrating the inevitable breakdown of relationships in a world ravaged by war.

The narrator later learns of Heinz’s fate through a report from the Haifa Institute. It is revealed that Heinz now lives in Ireland, working as a groundskeeper, and has become an expert on Hitler’s death. This news strikes the narrator with both sadness and a sense of irony, reflecting on how their lives have diverged so dramatically after the war. He ends the chapter with a bittersweet message to his long-lost friend, contemplating the absurdity of their lives and the harsh realities that war imposed on their personal connections. Through this exploration of friendship, loss, and the impact of war, the chapter offers a surreal and haunting reflection on the human condition, encapsulating the absurdity of their existence amid the devastation they endured.