Evelyn's Chapter 2: Summary, Analysis, and Study Guide
⚠️ 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
In October 1960, Evelyn Taylor arrives at St. Agnes’s Home for Unwed Mothers in Toronto. Her first impression is that the building resembles an abandoned castle, stripped of joy and overtaken by ivy and rats. As her father parks the car, she glimpses a pale face at an upper window, quickly pulled away by two hands behind the curtains. The sight deepens her dread. Her father does not turn off the engine, offers no help with her luggage, and simply says “Well, goodbye, then” before driving off. Evelyn watches the car retreat, feeling the weight of her abandonment.
She recalls how her mother and a priest, Father Richard, arranged her placement over tea. She is grateful to escape her mother’s disapproving glances but heartbroken and afraid of what lies behind the heavy wooden door. She imagines neighbors watching her, and briefly considers running away, but resigns herself and knocks.
Sister Mary Teresa, the warden, opens the door. The nun’s gray eyes are cold, and she wears a tea towel, rosary beads, and what Evelyn suspects is a whip, along with a crucifix. Sister Teresa immediately scolds Evelyn for placing a protective hand on her belly, telling her no one has time to feel sorry for her. She leads Evelyn into a sitting room with heavy brown drapes pulled shut, despite the late afternoon light.
During the intake interview, Sister Teresa asks how Evelyn became pregnant. Evelyn explains that she was engaged to Leo, who died of a heart attack before they could marry. The nun dismissively refers to Leo as the “putative father,” a label that stings Evelyn. Sister Teresa records details about Evelyn’s family and friends, then announces that Evelyn will give the baby up for adoption to a “deserving” couple. Evelyn protests, saying the baby was conceived in love and that she has already lost Leo, but Sister Teresa ignores her plea and proceeds to list the house rules.
The rules are strict: residents use only first names, cannot leave the house or open curtains, have all letters reviewed, must attend mass and domestic lessons, and after birth must work for three months to “reform” themselves before returning to their parents. Evelyn is assigned to a dormitory with two other girls, Louise and Anne, with a third, Margaret, arriving the next day. She is told to pick up her case and follow, and she responds with a subdued “Yes, Sister Teresa.”
Key Events
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Evelyn’s father drops her off without helping or saying goodbye, leaving her alone at St. Agnes’s.
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Evelyn sees a girl at an upper window, foreshadowing the isolation within.
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Sister Mary Teresa admits Evelyn and immediately establishes an authoritarian tone.
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The intake interview reveals Leo’s death and Evelyn’s grief, but Sister Teresa dismisses the relationship.
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Sister Teresa announces that Evelyn must relinquish her baby for adoption, overriding her objections.
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The house rules are laid out: first names only, no leaving, no opening curtains, reviewed mail, mandatory mass and lessons, and a three-month work period after birth.
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Evelyn is assigned to a dormitory with Louise, Anne, and soon Margaret.
Character Development
Evelyn Taylor enters the chapter as a frightened, grieving young woman. Her initial reaction to the home is visceral fear, but she also shows resilience by forcing herself to knock and enter. During the interview, she tries to assert her agency by explaining her love for Leo and questioning the adoption requirement, but she is quickly silenced. Her grief is palpable—she describes Leo’s death as tasting like vinegar—and she struggles to reconcile her love with the institution’s cold judgment. By the end, she suppresses her defiance and complies, saying “Yes, Sister Teresa” with her gaze dropped. This moment marks the beginning of her loss of personal identity, as she is stripped of her surname and forced into submission.
Sister Mary Teresa embodies institutional control. She is cold, efficient, and dismissive of Evelyn’s emotions. She uses language that dehumanizes both Evelyn and Leo, referring to Leo as the “putative father” and framing Evelyn’s pregnancy as a “fix” she got herself into. She treats the adoption as a foregone conclusion, not a choice. Her physical appearance—the whip, crucifix, and cold eyes—reinforces her role as an enforcer of religious and social norms. She is not cruel for cruelty’s sake but operates as a cog in a system that prioritizes discretion and “reformation” over compassion.
Evelyn’s father appears only briefly but his detachment is significant. He does not speak beyond a curt goodbye, does not help with her luggage, and leaves without looking back. His absence underscores the family’s shame and their willingness to outsource Evelyn’s care to the institution.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Shame and Secrecy dominate the chapter. Evelyn feels the neighbors’ eyes on her, and the home’s rules about using first names and reviewing letters are designed to protect families from public disgrace. The closed curtains symbolize this secrecy—the home hides its residents from the outside world, and the residents are hidden from themselves.
Institutional Control and Loss of Identity are evident in Sister Teresa’s rules. Evelyn is stripped of her surname, forbidden from discussing her past, and told when to eat, pray, and work. The home functions as a prison, with the whip and crucifix serving as dual symbols of punishment and religious authority. The crucifix, normally a symbol of compassion, here becomes a tool of judgment.
Forced Adoption and Reproductive Coercion are central. Sister Teresa presents adoption as non-negotiable, framing it as a benefit to both Evelyn (reputation intact) and the adopting couple. Evelyn’s plea that her baby was conceived in love is dismissed, highlighting the system’s disregard for maternal bonds.
Isolation from Family is shown through the father’s abandonment and the rule against discussing home life. Evelyn is cut off from her brother and friends, and even her letters are monitored. The home becomes a liminal space where she is neither daughter nor mother.
Love versus Institutional Coldness is a recurring motif. Evelyn’s memories of Leo are warm and intimate, contrasting sharply with Sister Teresa’s clinical questions and the sterile sitting room. The closed curtains and dim lamps suggest that love cannot survive in this environment.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter establishes the oppressive world Evelyn must navigate and introduces the central conflict of the novel: the forced separation of mothers and babies. It also sets up the institutional machinery that will affect not only Evelyn but likely other characters in the book. The chapter’s focus on Evelyn’s grief and her powerlessness creates a strong emotional foundation, making the reader understand why she might later seek help from an organization like “Looking for Jane.” The rules and atmosphere foreshadow the secrecy and trauma that will permeate the story.
Study Questions and Answers
1. How does Sister Teresa’s language dehumanize Evelyn and Leo?
Sister Teresa uses clinical terms like “putative father” to strip Leo of his identity and relationship to Evelyn. She refers to Evelyn’s pregnancy as a “fix” she got herself into, implying moral failure. She also insists on using only first names, erasing family connections and reducing residents to anonymous inmates. This language reinforces the institution’s view of the women as problems to be managed, not individuals with feelings.
2. What does the closed curtain symbolize in this chapter?
The closed curtains in the sitting room symbolize the secrecy and shame surrounding unwed pregnancy. They block out the outside world, preventing both the residents from seeing out and the neighbors from seeing in. They also represent the emotional and physical confinement of the women—they are hidden away, their identities and stories suppressed. The fact that Evelyn has to fight her instinct to open them underscores her desire for freedom and honesty.
3. How does Evelyn’s grief over Leo influence her reaction to the adoption announcement?
Evelyn’s grief makes the adoption announcement especially devastating. She has already lost Leo, and the baby is her only remaining connection to him. When Sister Teresa says she must give the baby up, Evelyn pleads that the child was conceived in love, hoping that this will matter. Her voice cracks as she asks, “Must I lose his baby, too?” This emotional plea shows that the adoption is not just a practical decision but a profound personal loss, and it highlights the cruelty of a system that ignores such bonds.