Chapter 17: Reginald – A Christmas Phone Call and Rising Distance
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
On Christmas Day, Reginald arranges a long-distance phone call from his supervisor’s office at the factory. He paces in the cold, dark room while Millie waits by the phone. When the phone is late, Millie worries they’ve been forgotten, but Reginald dismisses it. The call finally arrives, and Millie answers. She initially speaks in a chilly, formal tone before softening and breaking into tears. Reginald takes the receiver so they both can hear Beatrix. Her voice sounds different—her accent has shifted, and she chatters about a party with a boy (William or Gerald). Reginald notices that Ethan calls her “Bea,” a familiarity that should comfort him but instead gnaws at him. After the call, Millie is silent and withdrawn on the walk home. Later, in their dim flat lit only by candle nubs, Millie raises a glass and says, “Happy Christmas.” Reginald lifts his own glass but cannot find the words to reply.
Key Events
- Reginald arranges a Christmas phone call from the factory to speak with Beatrix.
- Millie and Reginald anxiously wait; the call is delayed.
- Millie answers, speaking formally at first, then emotionally.
- Reginald and Millie hear Beatrix’s changed voice and accent.
- Beatrix mentions attending a party with either William or Gerald.
- Ethan calls Beatrix “Bea,” a nickname that unsettles Reginald.
- Millie becomes silent and distant on the walk home.
- Back at the flat, Millie toasts “Happy Christmas”; Reginald cannot reply.
Character Development
Reginald – His anxiety is palpable throughout the chapter. He paces, closes his eyes in frustration, and struggles to understand the subtle shifts in Beatrix’s speech and life. The familiarity that Ethan and the boys have with her triggers a protective, fearful reaction. His inability to respond to Millie’s toast shows his emotional paralysis.
Millie – She mirrors her own mother’s chilly, formal voice at the start of the call, revealing the family pattern of emotional reserve. Her later silence and withdrawal indicate that hearing Beatrix’s new voice has affected her deeply, perhaps reinforcing the sense of loss.
Beatrix (off-page) – Although not physically present, her voice demonstrates her adaptation to American life: a changed accent, casual mention of parties and boys, and a new nickname (“Bea”). This transformation is the central source of Reginald’s unease.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Distance and Disconnection – The phone call itself symbolizes the physical and emotional gap between England and America. The scratchy silence between words underscores how war and relocation strain family bonds.
- Change and Loss – Beatrix’s altered accent and easy use of American slang represent the inevitable transformation of a child sent away. Reginald’s inability to pinpoint the change mirrors his helplessness in halting her drift.
- Darkness and Light – The chapter begins in Reginald’s dark office and ends in a flat lit only by candle nubs. The darkness reflects the emotional gloom of the parents and the limited warmth available to them.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 17 marks a turning point in Reginald’s perception of Beatrix’s absence. Earlier chapters focused on the logistics of her evacuation; here, the emotional cost becomes concrete. The phone call forces both parents to confront that their daughter is becoming someone else. Reginald’s silent toast closes the chapter on a note of unresolved grief, setting up future tension between his desire to keep Beatrix close and the reality of her new life.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Reginald dismiss Millie’s fear that the family forgot the call?
He is likely trying to maintain hope and control his own anxiety. Acknowledging the possibility of being forgotten would confirm his deepest fear—that Beatrix is slipping away from them. By blaming the connection, he preserves a fragile sense of connection.
2. How does Millie’s behavior on the phone mirror her own mother’s?
Millie initially speaks in a “chilly, formal voice” that Reginald recognizes as sounding like her mother. This pattern suggests a learned emotional armor, a way to protect herself from the pain of separation. When she later breaks down crying, the armor cracks.
3. What does Beatrix’s changed accent and mention of “William or Gerald” reveal about her adaptation?
Her Americanized accent and casual references to boys indicate she is integrating into her host family and community. The fact that Reginald cannot distinguish between the boys’ names highlights how much of her new life is opaque to him, increasing his sense of displacement.