Chapter 20 Summary, Analysis, and Key Themes

⚠️ 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 with Jean receiving an unusual letter from Dr. Stewart Bamber. He writes that Gretchen and Margaret Tilbury failed to attend their scheduled serum protein electrophoresis test and that Gretchen has not responded to his follow-up inquiry. He asks Jean to use her influence to smooth things over, noting that the procedure is simple for the patient and that the research team is excited by the findings so far. He even offers to assist with travel costs if hardship is an issue.

Jean decides not to go through Howard as an intermediary this time, preferring to speak directly to Gretchen. She visits the Tilbury home uninvited on a Monday morning at eleven o'clock, when she judges Margaret and Howard will be out. The elderly neighbor makes an odd comment — “Mothers' meeting?” — which Jean dismisses with a thin smile. Finding the side gate locked and no one answering the door, Jean leaves a brief note through the letterbox saying she will try again the next day.

As Jean walks away, Gretchen catches up with her, holding the crumpled note. She explains that she missed the appointment because Margaret was still unwell from a recent sickness, and she thought she had asked Howard to cancel. Gretchen expresses frustration at being poked and prodded and not believed, and questions why the earlier blood samples couldn't be reused. Jean explains that the test requires fasting overnight and the blood must be analyzed within a day of sampling. She reassures Gretchen that she believes in her and that Dr. Bamber does too, but adds that science has no business with beliefs. She reminds Gretchen that only two stages remain — the serum test and a skin graft. They agree on a new appointment for Friday morning, meeting at Charing Cross at nine, with instructions to fast overnight.

On Friday, they meet under the clock at Charing Cross. Jean notices with dismay that Gretchen has had her hair cut short — it suits her, but makes her look less like Margaret, which is bad for the mother-daughter portrait Jean hopes to accompany her story. Jean is also struck by how thoroughly Howard has displaced Gretchen in her consciousness lately.

Jean is wearing the emerald and opal brooch, pinned to her shabby raincoat. She is curious whether Howard has kept the gift a secret. Gretchen immediately recognizes it as Edie's old brooch and compliments Howard's repair work. Jean feels both disappointed and relieved — the romantic significance is diminished, but Howard's integrity is confirmed. Gretchen then offers a sharp assessment of Aunt Edie's so-called presents, noting they are always broken or incomplete, and mentions she sent some old shoes to a rummage sale but is keeping the fur coat.

At Dr. Bamber's annex in Agar Street, the receptionist has been briefed to expect them. Dr. Bamber's office resembles an academic's study, with a coal fire burning and books and papers covering his desk. Margaret, introduced that morning to the concept of fasting, whispers that she is hungry. Dr. Bamber explains the serum protein electrophoresis test in detail — describing serum, albumin, globulins, and how proteins carry electrical charges that display distinctive patterns. He emphasizes that the test is normally used to diagnose disease, but here they are only comparing the patterns between mother and daughter.

Jean notices a subtle shift in the balance of power. At their first encounter, the men of science treated Gretchen with polite loftiness, presuming her to be at best a curiosity and at worst a charlatan. Now, with each successive test, her status has grown, and she seems to have developed a queenly indifference to the process. Jean also voices her distrust of doctors, suggesting Gretchen should be considered more of a volunteer than a patient since she isn't unwell.

A nurse takes blood samples from both women. Afterwards, refreshments are served — tea and toast — though the seating and portions are awkwardly limited. Gretchen drinks her tea quickly, gives half her toast to Margaret, and prepares to leave. Outside, she hesitantly asks Jean if she would take Margaret back to school while she runs errands in town. Margaret protests, insisting she's already the best at English comprehension and could get there by herself, and even suspects her mother might be sneaking off to have lunch with her father. Gretchen blushes at the accusation. Jean agrees to take Margaret back, despite the work piling up on her desk. After checking Margaret's satchel contains her packed lunch and a note for her teacher, Gretchen sets off along the Strand at a brisk trot, her new short haircut swinging.

Key Events

Jean receives Dr. Bamber's letter about the missed appointment and decides to intervene directly
Jean visits Gretchen's house uninvited and leaves a note; Gretchen catches up with her in the street
They reschedule the serum test for Friday and discuss Gretchen's growing weariness with the process
Jean wears the emerald and opal brooch; Gretchen recognizes it as Edie's old brooch
Dr. Bamber explains the electrophoresis test in detail before blood samples are taken
Gretchen asks Jean to take Margaret back to school while she runs errands

Character Development

Jean — This chapter shows Jean navigating between her journalistic ambitions and her personal investment in Gretchen's case. She chooses to bypass Howard as an intermediary, suggesting a growing awareness of her complicated feelings toward him. Her decision to wear the brooch reveals her curiosity about Howard's intentions, and her mixed reaction — disappointed but relieved — shows her trying to keep her emotions in check. Her distrust of doctors surfaces explicitly, and her willingness to take Margaret back to school despite her own workload shows her commitment to the Tilburys.

Gretchen — Gretchen's frustration with the testing process is on full display. She is tired of being poked and prodded and not believed, and her question about why earlier blood samples can't be reused shows her practical impatience. Yet she also apologizes for being an awkward patient and expresses gratitude. Her queenly indifference to the scientific process marks a notable shift from her earlier diffidence. Her sharp comments about Aunt Edie's presents reveal a more pragmatic, even cynical side to her character.

Dr. Bamber — He is shown as enthusiastic about the science but somewhat oblivious to the human cost. His letter is described as peevish by Jean, and his explanation of the test, while thorough, treats Gretchen and Margaret primarily as subjects of scientific interest. He smooths over Gretchen's concerns about being kept in the dark.

Margaret — Her brief appearances show her growing confidence and independence. She protests being taken back to school, insists she could get there by herself, and shrewdly suspects her mother might be meeting her father for lunch.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Scientific proof versus belief — Jean's statement that science has no business with beliefs captures the central tension of the chapter. Gretchen's case rests on evidence that must be verified through testing, yet the human dimension — trust, faith, personal conviction — cannot be separated from the process.

Power dynamics in medical research — The chapter traces a subtle shift in power. Gretchen begins as a curiosity to the scientists but, with each test, gains status. Jean notices her queenly indifference and the way Dr. Bamber now treats her with more deference. Jean's suggestion that Gretchen be considered a volunteer rather than a patient reframes the relationship.

Distrust of medical authority — Jean's distrust of doctors is stated explicitly. Her insistence on Gretchen's volunteer status challenges the paternalistic assumptions of the medical establishment.

Symbolic value of gifts — The brooch functions as a test of Howard's intentions. Jean wears it to see whether he has kept the gift a secret, and Gretchen's recognition of it as Edie's old brooch both diminishes its romantic significance and confirms Howard's integrity. Gretchen's dismissive comments about Edie's so-called presents add another layer — gifts carry meaning beyond their material value.

Identity and physical resemblance — Gretchen's new haircut makes her look less like Margaret, which Jean sees as a problem for the portrait she hopes to publish. The physical resemblance between mother and daughter is central to the story's premise, and this small change threatens to undermine the visual evidence.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter advances the scientific investigation at the heart of the novel while deepening the personal relationships. The rescheduled test brings Gretchen and Margaret closer to the final proof — or refutation — of the parthenogenesis claim. Jean's decision to bypass Howard as an intermediary signals a shift in her relationship with him, and the brooch episode tests the meaning of his gift. The chapter also develops the theme of power in medical research, showing how Gretchen's status has risen as the evidence accumulates. Finally, Jean's agreement to take Margaret back to school, despite her own deadlines, demonstrates her deepening commitment to the Tilbury family.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Jean decide to visit Gretchen uninvited rather than contacting Howard?

Jean prefers not to use Howard as an intermediary unless absolutely necessary. She needs to speak directly to Gretchen to understand what lies behind the missed appointment and the fresh resistance to further tests. The decision also reflects her growing awareness of her complicated feelings toward Howard — she is almost surprised to be confronted with the origin and purpose of their meetings, suggesting Howard has displaced Gretchen in her thoughts.

2. What does the brooch reveal about Jean's feelings toward Howard?

Jean wears the brooch to test whether Howard has kept the gift a secret. When Gretchen recognizes it as Edie's old brooch, Jean feels both disappointed and relieved — disappointed because the romantic significance is diminished, but relieved because Howard's integrity is confirmed. The episode shows Jean trying to read meaning into Howard's actions while also guarding against her own hopes.

3. How does the balance of power between Gretchen and the scientists shift in this chapter?

At their first encounter, the scientists treated Gretchen with polite loftiness, presuming her to be at best a curiosity and at worst a charlatan. By this chapter, with each successive test, her status has grown. Jean observes that Gretchen now seems to have developed a queenly indifference to the process, and Dr. Bamber is more deferential. Jean's suggestion that Gretchen be considered a volunteer rather than a patient further reframes the relationship, challenging the scientists' authority.