▁by ▁allowing ▁them ▁to ▁experience ▁a ▁mod icum ▁of ▁cheer ▁and ▁em otion . ▁ ▁Mir be au ▁saw ▁in ▁the ▁story ▁a ▁valuable ▁opportunity ▁to ▁expand ▁his ▁literary ▁range , ▁by ▁tre ating ▁subjects ▁and ▁sketch ing ▁out ▁characters ▁and ▁settings ▁that ▁he ▁intended ▁to ▁develop ▁more ▁fully ▁in ▁subsequent ▁nov els . ▁ ▁Universal ▁suffering ▁▁ ▁Mir be au ▁privile ged ▁the ▁them es ▁of ▁the ▁trag ic ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁human ▁condition , ▁the ▁« ▁horror ▁of ▁being ▁a ▁man ▁», ▁suffering ▁co ext ensive ▁with ▁human ▁existence , ▁and ▁the ▁sad ism , ▁hom ic idal ▁imp uls es , ▁and ▁the ▁« ▁law ▁of ▁murder ▁», ▁on ▁which ▁society ▁is ▁founded . ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁short ▁stories , ▁Mir be au ▁also ▁addresses ▁the ▁failure ▁of ▁communication ▁between ▁the ▁sex es , ▁the ▁der is ory , ▁lar val ▁existence ▁of ▁people ▁de human ized ▁by ▁an ▁opp ress ive ▁and ▁al ien ating ▁society . ▁Before ▁Le ▁J ardin ▁des ▁supp lices ▁, ▁Mir be au ▁draw s ▁up ▁an ▁invent ory ▁of ▁the ▁evidence ▁of ▁human ▁ign om iny ▁and ▁universal ▁suffering : ▁« ▁Man ▁drag s ▁himself ▁- ▁Mir be au ▁writes ▁- ▁p ant ing , ▁from ▁tort ure ▁to ▁ag ony , ▁from ▁the ▁nothing ness ▁of ▁life ▁to ▁the ▁nothing ness ▁of ▁death ▁». ▁ ▁Dem yst ification ▁▁ ▁Fil led ▁as ▁they ▁are ▁with ▁references ▁to ▁current ▁events , ▁Mir be au ' s ▁stories ▁complement ▁his ▁journal istic ▁chron icles