Chapter 60: William – Summary and Analysis
⚠️ 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
William arrives in London and immediately seeks a hotel with phone banks. He finds fifteen listings for "B. Thompson" and starts calling each one, hanging up as soon as he realizes the voice is not Bea or her mother. He grows increasingly desperate but refuses to call his own mother for Bea's address. Finally, he reaches Bea's number. She answers with her characteristic voice, now noticeably more British, and after a few unanswered hellos she hangs up in annoyance. William tears the page from the phone book, memorizing the address: 283 Liverpool Road.
On his way out of the hotel, he stops in the gift shop but cannot decide on a present; he does not know what the adult Bea might like. He passes a florist and buys a bouquet, recalling a memory from Maine: on their last night together, he picked wildflowers for Bea, and after she left for New York, he pressed them into a copy of Romeo and Juliet or Love's Labour's Lost. Years later, he found the pressed flowers and almost wept in the library.
He takes the Tube, emerging in a leafy neighborhood with pubs and baby carriages. After walking the wrong way, he gets directions and arrives at Bea's building. Just as he reaches for the bell, a woman with a kerchief over her hair rushes out, holding the door without a smile. William enters and climbs the narrow, dark stairs to Bea's door.
Key Events
- William searches the phone book for B. Thompson listings and calls each one, hanging up immediately after wrong connections.
- He finally hears Bea's voice, recognizes it, and memorizes her address after she slams the phone.
- William buys a bouquet of flowers, prompted by the memory of wildflowers he pressed into a Shakespeare play years earlier.
- He travels by Tube to Bea's neighborhood, gets lost, but eventually finds her building.
- A woman holds the door for him, allowing him to enter, and he walks up to Bea's apartment.
Character Development
William is portrayed as driven yet hesitant. His decision not to call his mother suggests a desire for independence or a fear of judgment. His frantic calling reveals desperation, while his inability to choose a gift shows that the Bea he knew has become a stranger. The memory of pressing wildflowers into a Shakespeare book underscores his lingering romantic attachment, but also his awareness that time has changed them both. Moments of uncertainty—wondering if Bea has a boyfriend, worrying that she might be married—reveal a vulnerable William who risks disappointment. His persistence, however, shows courage.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Memory and Nostalgia: The pressed wildflowers symbolize William's attempt to preserve a fleeting moment. Finding them years later in a library underscores how the past persists but is fragile.
- Communication and Distance: The phone calls are one-sided; William cannot speak when he hears Bea, and she responds with irritation. The chapter highlights the gap between intent and connection.
- Time and Change: Bea's British accent and her present life (the neighborhood, the unknown partner) confront William with the reality that six years have reshaped her identity.
- Home and Belonging: William navigates a foreign city (London) seeking a person who once belonged to his world. The ivy-covered buildings and baby carriages indicate a settled life that excludes him.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is the turning point of William's quest. It heightens emotional tension by placing him at Bea's doorstep without revealing what happens next. The chapter deepens William's character, showing his vulnerability and capacity for romantic memory. It also emphasizes the central theme of reunion: after years of separation, the two may finally face each other, but William's fear and Bea's changed voice remind us that time cannot be reversed.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does William avoid telling his mother he is in London?
William wants to find Bea on his own, without his mother's knowledge or involvement. He likely fears she would disapprove or try to dissuade him, and he may also want to protect himself from her expectations.
2. What does the pressed wildflower memory reveal about William's feelings for Bea?
The memory shows that William has cherished Bea for years after she left. Pressing the flowers was a romantic gesture, and finding them later in a Shakespeare book caused him to cry, indicating that he never fully moved on from that deep emotional attachment.
3. How does William's perception of Bea's "Britishness" reflect the passage of time?
William notes that Bea sounds much more British than the girl he knew in New York. This change, along with her irritation on the phone, forces him to realize that Bea has become a different person. It highlights how six years of separation have transformed her identity and created a distance that William must now confront.