Chapter 17 (Part ii) Summary and Analysis
⚠️ Spoiler Notice
This summary contains spoilers for Chapter 17 of Long Island by Colm Tóibín.
Summary
Eilis drives Larry and Rosella from Dublin to Enniscorthy, warning them not to mention the troubles at home. During the journey, Larry talks about a book claiming the Irish resorted to cannibalism during the Famine, while Rosella reads The Price of My Soul by Bernadette Devlin. Eilis later recalls her night with Jim Farrell in Dublin: they had dinner at an Italian restaurant, discussed Northern Ireland and Watergate, and spent the night together. At her mother’s house, Eilis is surprised to find the fridge, washing machine, and cooker she bought are still there. Over the following week, Eilis takes her mother and Rosella on drives, while Larry explores the town’s pubs and inadvertently reveals that Uncle Frank gave Eilis money for the rental car. Rosella learns from her grandmother that Larry told her everything about the pregnancy. Eilis writes a distant letter to Tony, tries twice to phone Jim but fails, and imagines a life with Jim in a bungalow near Lindenhurst. She concludes she needs more time, fearing she would lose Larry and Rosella if she left Tony.
Key Events
- Eilis stops the car to warn Larry and Rosella to keep their family situation secret from their grandmother.
- Larry mentions the Great Hunger book; Rosella shows her copy of Bernadette Devlin’s memoir.
- Flashback: Eilis and Jim meet at the Montrose Hotel, dine together, and discuss Nixon and the Troubles.
- Eilis’s mother has kept the appliances Eilis bought, though she claimed she sent them back.
- Larry becomes a regular in Enniscorthy’s pubs and mentions Frank’s loan, causing Martin alarm.
- Rosella confesses that Larry told their grandmother about the pregnancy; Eilis waits in vain for her mother to confront her.
- Eilis tries to call Jim from two phone boxes but cannot complete the call.
- The family goes through boxes of photographs Eilis sent from America; her mother reveals she kept them all.
Character Development
Eilis is caught between two worlds: her memory of the passionate night with Jim and her duty to her children and husband. She hesitates to act, fearing the consequences for Larry and Rosella. Her letter to Tony is cold and evasive, signalling emotional distance.
Larry adapts quickly to Irish life, adopting a local accent and becoming a gregarious pub-goer. His inability to keep secrets exposes the family’s tensions.
Rosella acts as a mediator, gently probing her mother’s intentions and observing her grandmother’s behaviour. She shows maturity by sharing what Larry revealed.
Mrs. Lacey (Eilis’s mother) reveals she has been quietly following her daughter’s life through the photographs, and now knows about the pregnancy without directly acknowledging it. Her silence becomes a powerful pressure.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
The Great Hunger as metaphor – Larry’s book about the Famine cannibalism echoes the theme of consuming relationships: Eilis feels devoured by competing loyalties.
Photographs – The stacks of pictures Mrs. Lacey has saved show her silent devotion and prove she was never indifferent, countering Eilis’s assumption.
Phone boxes – Failed communications with Jim symbolise Eilis’s indecision and the barriers between desire and duty.
Northern Ireland vs. Republic – The conversation about the North highlights differing perspectives on identity and conflict, mirroring Eilis’s own divided sense of home.
Watergate – Jim’s remark that Nixon was caught on something “small” suggests how large transgressions can be overlooked, perhaps reflecting how Eilis minimises her own betrayal.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter deepens Eilis’s emotional paralysis. The memory of her night with Jim gives her a glimpse of a different future, but practical responsibilities—especially her children’s attachment to Tony’s family—keep her from acting. The discovery of the photographs reveals that Eilis’s mother has been a silent witness all along, while Rosella’s disclosure confirms that the secret is no longer hidden. The chapter sets the stage for Eilis’s agonising choice between a passionate possibility with Jim and the stability (and guilt) of her marriage.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Eilis write such a distant letter to Tony, and what does she sign it with? She cannot bring herself to write “love” or anything formal, so she signs it “Will be in touch again soon” and her name. This shows she is emotionally withdrawn from Tony and uncertain about their future.
2. What prevents Eilis from calling Jim, even when she has the opportunity? First a jammed coin foil her attempt; later, when she dials his number, she cannot press button A to connect. Her fear of commitment and the risk to her children paralyse her.
3. How does the conversation between Eilis and Jim about Nixon and the North reflect their different perspectives? Jim sees Watergate as a small charge given Nixon’s larger crimes, while Eilis sees the Troubles as oddly absent in the Republic. Their exchange highlights how distance shapes perception of events—a parallel to their own relationship.