Long Island Chapter 6 (v) Summary & Analysis
⚠️ Spoiler Notice
This page contains detailed plot points from Chapter 6 of Colm Tóibín's Long Island, including revelations about Tony's infidelity, the pregnancy, and a major decision by Eilis. Read the novel first if you want to avoid spoilers.
Summary
The chapter opens with Eilis haunted by the stranger's visit. She takes photographs at work to mail to her mother, and Mr Dakessian asks why her mother has never visited America—Eilis admits they have not seen each other in more than twenty years.
Lena slips over to Eilis's house, offering money, advice, or any help needed. She and Clara are shocked about "this awful baby," and Lena warns Eilis to say nothing, as Enzo is sleeping at his parents' house until he "learns manners."
A letter from Eilis's mother lists everyone in Enniscorthy who sends best wishes. Eilis notices that Jim Farrell's name is absent. This triggers a memory: more than twenty years ago, after Rose died, Eilis returned to Ireland and had a romance with Jim. She told no one she was already married to Tony. At summer's end, she left abruptly as Jim wanted to marry her.
Eilis drives to Jones Beach, recalling idyllic summers with the Fiorello family. Those early Sundays featured a close-knit group where Tony was seen as a devoted husband and their marriage as a great romance—despite how little they knew about her.
Francesca visits. She says Tony told her about the baby, claims she thought Tony could not be so foolish, and offers to "deal with the father." Eilis insists she will not have the baby in her house and will not answer the door if it is left on the doorstep. Francesca asks if Eilis would allow her to raise the child next door. Eilis sees the trap: the baby raised in Francesca's house, visible from her own kitchen window. She refuses to tolerate it and refuses to let Francesca make plans behind her back. Afterward, Eilis lies to Tony about what his mother said.
That night, Eilis tells Tony she is going to Ireland for her mother's 80th birthday. She will go soon; Larry and Rosella will join later. Tony whispers, "Will you promise to come back?" Eilis demands his promise that she will never see the baby and that no family member will raise it. Tony says he will do what he can but cannot give that promise.
Eilis tells Larry, who already heard jokes and rumors about a "girlfriend." She explains the truth: a woman is having Tony's baby, and the husband plans to abandon it on their doorstep. Larry asks to come to Ireland. Rosella is devastated, cries, and also decides to come. Eilis announces to Tony that the three of them are leaving; Tony has no say. In bed, they exchange a look of regret, and the lights are turned off.
Key Events
- Eilis photographs her workplace to send to her mother; Mr Dakessian gently notes her mother has never visited in over twenty years.
- Lena visits, offering help and revealing that Enzo is sleeping at his parents' house.
- A letter from Eilis's mother lists well-wishers but omits Jim Farrell, triggering a memory of Eilis's secret romance with him while still married to Tony.
- Eilis drives to Jones Beach and reminisces about lost family summers.
- Francesca confronts Eilis about the baby; a tense negotiation follows in which Francesca offers to raise the child herself next door.
- Eilis realizes she has been outmaneuvered and that she will see Tony's child growing up on an unfenced lawn.
- Eilis lies to Tony about the conversation, telling him it was "lovely" and that Francesca told a funny story about Lena.
- That night, Eilis informs Tony she is going to Ireland; Tony asks her to promise to return.
- Eilis tells Larry the truth about the baby; Larry already heard jokes and rumors.
- Rosella is told and weeps; both children decide to join their mother in Ireland.
- Eilis tells Tony that all three are leaving and he has no say.
- The chapter ends in an emotionally cold bedroom, with a wordless look of regret between husband and wife.
Character Development
| Character | What We Learn |
|---|---|
| Eilis | Shows increasing resolve and strategic thinking. She lies to Tony, manipulates Francesca's attempted trap into a refusal, and takes decisive action by planning a return to Ireland. Her memory of Jim Farrell hints at unresolved feelings from her past. |
| Tony | Revealed as weak and evasive. He will not promise that Eilis will never see the baby or that his family will not raise it. He asks Eilis to promise to return but offers nothing in return. His apology feels hollow. |
| Francesca | Emerges as a shrewd, controlling mother-in-law. She offers to raise Tony's child in her own home, effectively bypassing Eilis's authority. She is a "stickler for form" and will not forget Eilis's insult of not escorting her to the door. |
| Lena | Shows solidarity with Eilis, offering help unconditionally. Indicates her own marital strain with Enzo. |
| Larry | Mature and perceptive. Already heard gossip and jokes about his father. Chooses to travel to Ireland with Eilis. |
| Rosella | Deeply hurt by her father's betrayal. Her initial reaction is to wish she hadn't heard the news. Clings to her father in an embrace but still decides to leave. |
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Betrayal and secrecy. The central marital betrayal is compounded by the family's secrecy: jokes are made behind Eilis's back, Larry is "sworn to secrecy," and Tony withholds his mother's plans.
The unfenced lawn. A powerfully concrete image. The lack of a fence between Eilis's house and Francesca's symbolizes the impossibility of drawing clear boundaries—Eilis will see Tony's child growing up next door no matter what she says.
The photograph and the memory. Eilis's camera, the missing name in the letter, and the drive to Jones Beach all show her trying to fix a vanishing past. The beach memories of "contentment that seemed complete" contrast sharply with the present crisis.
Flight as agency. Eilis's decision to go to Ireland is a deliberate refusal to accept her prescribed role. It mirrors her abrupt departure from Enniscorthy twenty years ago after her summer with Jim.
The wordless look. The chapter ends not with words but with a shared look "filled with regret." Language has failed the marriage; what remains is silent, mutual acknowledgment of loss.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 6 is the pivot of the novel. Eilis finally acts on her accumulated anger and hurt, announcing she will leave for Ireland with her children. The confrontation with Francesca lays bare the power struggle over the unborn baby's fate. The revelation of Eilis's secret summer with Jim Farrell twenty years ago deepens the novel's symmetry—Eilis herself once carried a hidden marriage into another relationship. The chapter forces every major character to choose a side, and Eilis chooses herself.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Eilis notice the absence of Jim Farrell's name in her mother's letter, and what does this memory reveal about her past?
The letter lists everyone in Enniscorthy who has asked about Eilis, but Jim Farrell's name is missing. This absence triggers a memory of the summer after Rose's death, more than twenty years ago, when Eilis had a romance with Jim without telling him she was already married to Tony. The memory shows that Eilis has a hidden past involving deception similar to Tony's—she kept her marriage secret and left abruptly when Jim wanted to marry her.
2. What is the nature of the conflict between Eilis and Francesca in this chapter, and how does Eilis attempt to assert control?
Francesca reveals that Tony told her about the baby and implies that Eilis's inaction is to blame. She offers to raise the child herself. Eilis sees the plan: Tony's baby will be raised next door, visible from her kitchen window, with no fence to separate the houses. Eilis refuses: she says she will not have the baby in her house, will not answer the door, and will not tolerate the baby being raised in Francesca's house. She lies to Tony about the conversation to maintain her independence.
3. Why does Eilis decide to go to Ireland, and how does her family react?
Eilis decides to go to Ireland for her mother's 80th birthday in August, but she plans to leave immediately to train Erik Dakessian for her job. Tony asks her to promise to come back and apologizes, but cannot promise that she will never see the baby. Larry wants to come and has already heard gossip about a "girlfriend." Rosella cries and also decides to join. Eilis informs Tony that all three are going; he has no say. The chapter ends with them lying in bed in cold silence, exchanging a wordless look of regret.