Chapter 14 Summary: Unpacking 'Chapter Six'
⚠️ 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
Chapter Six opens in the parlor of the Farnsworth estate, where a séance is underway. The medium, Anastasia Rossi (born Edith Simmons), sits between Mr. and Mrs. Farnsworth. The chapter immediately reveals that Anastasia is a fraud who has built her career on theatrical deception, and that she has already begun an affair with Mr. Farnsworth, which took place that morning beneath a stuffed panther.
Anastasia's backstory unfolds. She entered the profession through her sister, who brought her to a séance. There, Edith impulsively out-channelled the medium by inventing a Roman emperor and crying out in his voice. She later partnered with George Rossi, a former chauffeur who recognized her talent and became her manager. He changed her name to Anastasia, and together they toured the district performing séances. George eventually abandoned her for the wife of her milliner, leaving Anastasia to work alone.
Anastasia receives a letter from Mr. Farnsworth requesting help with "rowdy spirits" at his estate. Despite her usual reluctance to take on hauntings, she accepts, drawn by the fee and the challenge. She arrives during a snowstorm and is forced to stay longer than usual, which gives her time to study the family and the house.
At dinner, Mr. Farnsworth describes his purchase of the property and his plans to convert it into the Catamount Lodge, a high-end hunting retreat. He boasts about the animals he has killed and his connections to the President. Mrs. Farnsworth, pale and fragile, reveals that she hears two male ghosts—a painter and a poet—engaged in intimate acts. She describes their laughter, their reading of love poetry, and their sighs and moans. Mr. Farnsworth dismisses his wife's claims as madness, but Anastasia listens carefully, noting the marital discord beneath the surface.
Later, in his study, Mr. Farnsworth confronts Anastasia directly. He tells her he believes his wife is insane and that Anastasia is a fraud. They argue fiercely, trading accusations. Anastasia accuses him of neglecting his wife's emotional and sensual needs, while he calls her a fraud and a whore. The argument escalates until Mr. Farnsworth slams the door, seizes her, and they become lovers.
The séance takes place the following night. Anastasia decides to forgo her usual tricks and work without spectacle, hoping to expose the truth. She blows out the candle and begins her usual performance, but something unexpected happens. Two luminous beings appear—one of pure white light, the other of shifting colors. They dance around the table, terrifying Anastasia, who is unable to speak. The apparitions vanish as suddenly as they appeared.
A single blue light then appears, growing brighter. Anastasia hears a voice, brash and irate, demanding to know what has been done to his apple trees. She delivers the message to the Farnsworths, who are stunned. The chapter ends with this mysterious communication, leaving the true nature of the haunting unresolved.
Key Events
- Anastasia Rossi arrives at the Farnsworth estate during a snowstorm and is forced to stay longer than planned.
- At dinner, Mr. Farnsworth reveals his plans for the Catamount Lodge and his hopes of hosting the President.
- Mrs. Farnsworth describes hearing two male ghosts—a painter and a poet—engaged in intimate acts.
- Mr. Farnsworth privately confronts Anastasia, calling her a fraud and his wife mad.
- The confrontation escalates into an argument, and the two become lovers.
- At the séance, genuine apparitions appear, terrifying Anastasia and shattering her confidence in her own performance.
- A single blue light appears, and Anastasia hears a spirit demanding to know what has been done to his apple trees.
Character Development
Anastasia Rossi undergoes the most significant transformation in this chapter. She begins as a confident, cynical fraud who views séances as theatre and her clients as marks. Her backstory reveals a woman who entered the profession by accident but embraced it fully, growing fat on the proceeds and delighting in the performance. However, her encounter with the genuine apparitions shakes her to her core. For the first time, she is confronted with something she cannot explain or control. Her internal confession—that she has never heard a voice or seen a spirit—highlights the crisis of belief she faces. The chapter ends with her delivering a message she did not invent, suggesting that her carefully constructed worldview is beginning to crack.
Mr. Farnsworth is portrayed as a pragmatic, domineering man who values control and material success. He dismisses his wife's fears as madness and treats the séance as a therapeutic exercise. His affair with Anastasia reveals his restlessness and his need for conquest, both in the bedroom and in the hunting field. Yet his reaction to the apparitions—genuine awe and wonder—suggests that even he is not immune to the supernatural.
Mrs. Farnsworth remains fragile and hysterical throughout the chapter, but her descriptions of the ghosts are vivid and specific. She is the only one who hears the painter and the poet, and her distress is palpable. Her insistence that the ghosts are "vile" and her fear of the President hearing about them reveal her anxiety about social standing and propriety.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Deception and Performance: The chapter is steeped in themes of fraud and theatre. Anastasia's entire persona is a construction, from her claimed ancestry to her séance tricks. Mr. Farnsworth, too, performs a role, presenting himself as a successful sportsman while hiding his marital troubles. The séance itself is a performance, but the genuine apparitions blur the line between performance and reality.
Belief vs. Skepticism: The chapter explores the tension between belief and skepticism. Anastasia is a skeptic who profits from others' belief, while Mr. Farnsworth is a skeptic who claims to see through her tricks. Yet both are confronted with something that defies their skepticism. Mrs. Farnsworth, the believer, is vindicated, at least in part, by the appearance of the apparitions.
The Past and the House: The house is a repository of history, with its succession of owners and its unfinished rooms. Mr. Farnsworth has stripped it of its past, hauling out the "junk" and refashioning it for his own purposes. The ghosts, however, represent the persistence of the past, refusing to be erased. The apple trees, mentioned at the end, are a symbol of this neglected history—the previous owner's orchard, now tangled and useless.
Marital Discord and Infidelity: The chapter is suffused with marital tension. Mr. Farnsworth dismisses his wife's fears, and their relationship is marked by condescension and neglect. Anastasia's affair with Mr. Farnsworth is a symptom of this discord, as is Mrs. Farnsworth's fixation on the ghostly couple's intimacy. The ghosts' "celestial marriage" stands in stark contrast to the Farnsworths' earthly unhappiness.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter Six is a pivotal chapter in North Woods, marking a shift from the historical and domestic to the supernatural. It introduces Anastasia Rossi, one of the novel's most memorable characters, and uses her to explore themes of fraud, belief, and the persistence of the past. The chapter also deepens the novel's engagement with the house's history, as the ghosts of the painter and the poet connect to earlier chapters and hint at the lives that came before the Farnsworths.
The chapter's climax—the appearance of genuine apparitions—is a turning point for Anastasia, who is forced to confront the limits of her own understanding. The final message about the apple trees ties the supernatural to the physical landscape, suggesting that the past is not just a matter of ghosts but of living, tangible things. This chapter sets up questions that will resonate throughout the rest of the novel, making it essential reading for understanding the book's larger themes.
Study Questions and Answers
1. How does Anastasia's backstory shape her approach to the séance, and why does she decide to forgo her usual tricks?
Anastasia's backstory reveals a woman who has built her career on performance and deception. She entered the profession by accident, but embraced it fully, learning to read people and manipulate their emotions. Her partnership with George Rossi professionalized her act, but also left her cynical and alone. When she arrives at the Farnsworth estate, she initially plans to use her usual tricks. However, her affair with Mr. Farnsworth and her growing understanding of the family's dysfunction lead her to decide that she must "drag it into the light." She chooses to work without spectacle, hoping to expose the truth of the situation. This decision reflects her confidence in her ability to read people, but it also leaves her vulnerable when the genuine apparitions appear.
2. What does the appearance of the ghosts reveal about the Farnsworths' marriage and the house's history?
The ghosts—a painter and a poet engaged in intimate acts—stand in stark contrast to the Farnsworths' own marriage. Mrs. Farnsworth is hysterical and neglected, while Mr. Farnsworth is dismissive and unfaithful. The ghosts' "celestial marriage" represents a kind of intimacy and joy that the Farnsworths lack. The ghosts also connect to the house's history, suggesting that the past is not easily erased. Mr. Farnsworth has stripped the house of its previous owner's belongings, but the ghosts remain, a reminder that the past persists. The final message about the apple trees reinforces this theme, linking the supernatural to the physical landscape and the neglect of the previous owner's orchard.
3. How does Anastasia's reaction to the apparitions change her understanding of herself and her profession?
Anastasia's reaction to the apparitions is one of terror and astonishment. She, who has spent her career pretending to see spirits, is confronted with something real. Her internal confession—that she has never heard a voice or seen a spirit—reveals the depth of her fraud. The apparitions shatter her confidence and force her to question everything she believes. The chapter ends with her delivering a message she did not invent, suggesting that she is no longer in control of the performance. This moment marks a turning point in her character, as she is forced to confront the possibility that the supernatural is real and that her carefully constructed worldview is incomplete.
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