Chapter summaries In Memoriam Alice Winn

In Memoriam Chapter 46 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

The chapter opens in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in April 1919. Gaunt wakes before Ellwood and watches him sleep, noting the scarred side of his face. Their relationship has improved since Ellwood asked to be called Sidney: Ellwood occasionally shows the old enchanted moods, though he still avoids quoting anything. Gaunt lives in constant fear that this fragile peace will shatter.

Ellwood delights in Brazil, naming trees like the skyflower, which he tucks into Gaunt’s buttonhole. Gaunt, in contrast, feels deep homesickness for England. He recalls English flora and dreams of home, waking in anguish. Ellwood soothes him when he wakes from these nightmares.

Their most recurring fight concerns the war: Ellwood insists it improved Gaunt, while Gaunt calls it a crime against humanity. Ellwood sarcastically asks if Gaunt’s highlight was the prison camp with Gideon Devi, but the argument quickly fizzles. They always apologise and forgive.

One morning, the servant Luís brings breakfast and post. A letter from Maud arrives. Ellwood avoids looking at the Honour Roll in The Preshutian because news of the dead still appears. Gaunt reads Maud’s letter: she describes the bleak situation in Berlin, her work with the Scientific-Humanitarian Committee to abolish Paragraph 175 (the law criminalising homosexuality), and Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld’s research. She urges Gaunt to come home to England or to Germany, where change is possible. Gaunt is moved by the letter, longing to be closer to Europe, but he knows Ellwood refuses to leave Brazil—especially after Ellwood missed his mother’s funeral.

Ellwood sees Gaunt’s reaction and, after reading the letter, asks if Gaunt would stay in Brazil if he asked. Gaunt initially hesitates but eventually promises to stay forever. Ellwood is overwhelmed with happiness. Gaunt removes Ellwood’s mask and kisses his scarred eye socket, telling him “I love you.” Ellwood struggles to express his own feelings, frustrated that he cannot reciprocate fully. Finally, he quotes Shakespeare from King Lear: “I cannot heave my heart into my mouth.” Gaunt holds him close, recognising the quotation as a significant first step.

Key Events

  • Gaunt and Ellwood continue living in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
  • Their relationship has stabilised since Ellwood asked to be called Sidney.
  • Ellwood, enamoured with Brazil, names trees and picks a skyflower for Gaunt.
  • Gaunt grapples with homesickness for England.
  • They argue about the war; Ellwood claims it improved Gaunt.
  • Maud’s letter arrives from Berlin, detailing her activism against Paragraph 175 and hinting at a future in Germany.
  • Gaunt shows the letter to Ellwood, who becomes defensive.
  • Ellwood asks Gaunt if he would stay in Brazil forever.
  • Gaunt agrees to stay indefinitely, choosing Ellwood over the chance to return to Europe.
  • Ellwood, deeply moved, quotes Shakespeare for the first time since his injury.
  • Gaunt says “I love you,” but Ellwood cannot yet say it back, though he makes a start.

Character Development

Gaunt – Gaunt’s love for Ellwood is fully articulated here. He openly says “I love you” for the first time and commits to a life in Brazil, sacrificing his own desire to return to England or Germany. His longing for home remains a constant ache, but he prioritises Ellwood’s wellbeing over his own nostalgia.

Ellwood – Ellwood shows signs of emotional recovery. He occasionally exhibits his old poetic, enchanted moods, and the chapter ends with his first spontaneous quotation since his trauma—a crucial milestone. However, he still cannot express love directly, and his fear of being abandoned or manipulated surfaces when he tests Gaunt’s commitment.

Maud – Although offstage, Maud’s letter reveals her independence and political engagement. She breaks off from conventional marriage, dedicates herself to social activism, and offers Gaunt a vision of a progressive future in Germany. Her voice brings the outside world into the couple’s isolated Brazilian idyll.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Exile and Belonging – The chapter contrasts Ellwood’s joy in Brazil with Gaunt’s intense yearning for England. Gaunt feels exiled; the Brazilian rain and flora only remind him of what he has lost. Ellwood, by contrast, finds a new home and wants Gaunt to share it.

Recovery from War Trauma – Ellwood’s gradual re-engagement with language—particularly his quoting of Shakespeare—signals healing. The mask he still wears symbolises his disfigurement and emotional guardedness. Gaunt removes it before kissing him, an act of acceptance that helps strip away Ellwood’s defences.

The Mask – The mask is a recurring object. Ellwood fidgets with its ribbons when anxious. Gaunt removes it at emotional moments, suggesting that intimacy requires seeing the person beneath the injury.

Love and Sacrifice – Gaunt’s promise to stay “forever” is an act of sacrificial love. He chooses Ellwood over the chance of a more familiar and perhaps safer life in Europe. This commitment mirrors the earlier loyalty Ellwood showed Gaunt during the war.

Changing Social Attitudes – Maud’s letter introduces the real-world struggle to decriminalise homosexuality in Germany. The chapter places the personal romance within a broader political context, hinting at the possibility of a future where Gaunt and Ellwood could live openly.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 46 marks a turning point in Gaunt and Ellwood’s relationship. Gaunt explicitly declares his love and makes a long-term commitment, a significant step from the tentative, trauma-ridden bond of earlier chapters. Ellwood’s quotation, though a fragment of Shakespeare, represents his first recovery of a lost part of himself—his love of literature and his capacity for emotional expression. Furthermore, Maud’s letter expands the novel’s thematic scope by linking the characters’ private struggles to a broader historical campaign for LGBTQ+ rights, suggesting that the post-war world may offer new possibilities for those who survived.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Gaunt decide to stay in Brazil even though he deeply misses England?
Gaunt chooses to stay because he prioritises Ellwood’s emotional stability over his own longing for home. Ellwood has made it clear he cannot return to England, and Gaunt believes that leaving him would damage their fragile relationship. By promising to stay forever, Gaunt demonstrates that his love for Ellwood outweighs his personal desires.

2. What does Ellwood’s quotation from King Lear reveal about his emotional state?
The quotation “I cannot heave my heart into my mouth” shows that Ellwood wants to express his love for Gaunt but feels blocked by his trauma and disfigurement. It is the first time he has quoted anything since his injury, indicating a reawakening of his former personality. Gaunt interprets it as a hopeful beginning.

3. How does Maud’s letter connect the personal narrative to larger historical issues?
Maud describes her work with the Scientific-Humanitarian Committee to abolish Paragraph 175, which criminalised homosexuality in Germany. This introduces a real-world legal and social struggle for gay rights. Her letter suggests that Gaunt and Ellwood might find acceptance in the Weimar Republic, linking their personal exile to the possibility of political change in Europe.

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