The Ball at Versailles Chapter 5 (Chapter 4) Summary: Jane’s Betrayal and a Mother’s Resolve

⚠️ 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

This chapter begins with Jane and Amelia recovering from a bad cold together in February. Once back at work, Jane is called to a meeting with her boss, Phillip Parker. She expects to hear that she will finally become CEO, a role he has promised her for years. Instead, Phillip reveals that the company’s owners—the three Axelrod sisters—have chosen a male candidate, Ted Barnes, with a Harvard MBA. Phillip tells Jane that she is not getting the promotion and that she should leave her job within the week to avoid awkwardness. Jane is devastated. She quietly packs her office, tells her secretary Hilary what happened, and leaves with her belongings. That evening, she calls employment agencies and begins searching for a new job. When Amelia calls to discuss shopping for a ball gown for Versailles, Jane decides not to tell her daughter about the setback and resolves to fund the trip, even though it is now financially burdensome. The chapter also follows Caroline Taylor shopping for a gown in Beverly Hills with her mother Betty, then sneaking off to meet her lover Adam. Felicity, at MIT, struggles to stick to her diet and binges on pizza, gaining weight instead of losing it.

Key Events

Jane and Amelia recover from the flu at home, discussing summer plans.
Phillip Parker summons Jane to his office and informs her that Ted Barnes, not she, will become the next CEO.
Jane is told to leave the company by the end of the week; she receives a modest severance.
Jane confides in her secretary Hilary, who is outraged and fears for her own job.
Jane cleans out her office, signs severance papers, and departs quietly.
She contacts three employment agencies, willing to take a job as a senior editor.
Jane conceals her firing from Amelia and agrees to shop for an elegant summer ball gown.
Betty and Caroline select an Oscar de la Renta gown for the ball; Betty buys a red Halston.
Caroline meets her lover Adam for a physical encounter.
Felicity runs on the track but then buys four slices of pizza, eating them in private.
She rationalizes the weight gain and continues to buy more pizza, avoiding her diet.

Character Development

Jane: Experiences a profound professional betrayal. Her trust in Phillip Parker and the company is shattered. Yet she maintains her dignity, refuses to break down in public, and prioritizes her daughter’s happiness above her own financial fears. Her resolve to fund the ball shows her unwavering maternal dedication.
Amelia: Remains blissfully unaware of her mother’s crisis. She is enthusiastic about Versailles, dreaming of a Cinderella-like dress. This chapter reinforces her sheltered, optimistic outlook.
Hilary: The loyal secretary who values Jane as a considerate boss. Her emotional reaction—tears and outrage—underscores the workplace’s gendered injustice. She also reveals her own financial caution as a single woman.
Phillip Parker: Shown as a weak messenger. He cannot defy the owners and fails to protect Jane despite years of promises. His guilt is evident but does not change the outcome.
Caroline: Enjoys her mother’s company during gown shopping but hides her secret relationship with Adam. Her addiction to physical pleasure contrasts with her public role as an innocent debutante.
Felicity: Battles her appetite and weight in private. At MIT, without her mother’s supervision, she gives in to cravings and deceitfully disposes of evidence. She cannot sustain the discipline needed for her weight-loss goal.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Gender discrimination in the workplace: Jane is explicitly passed over because the owners prefer a man. Hilary states directly that a man would not have been fired this way. The chapter critiques the old-boy network in publishing.
Maternal sacrifice and protection: Jane shields Amelia from the bad news, intending to give her a worry-free youth. She is willing to sell jewelry or her apartment to pay for the Versailles trip, reinforcing the motif of a mother’s unconditional support.
Financial insecurity as a constant threat: Jane’s sudden unemployment reveals how precarious her stability is. Her calculations of tuition, maintenance, and savings highlight the economic vulnerability of a single mother.
Self-deception and denial: Felicity convinces herself that the scale is broken and that she can diet later. Her binge eating in secret symbolizes a struggle with self-image and lack of genuine commitment.
Physical settings as emotional markers: Jane associates Phillip’s antique clock with the moment her dreams die. The cold walk home, her silent crying in bed, and the bare office all mirror her emotional desolation.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter delivers a major turning point for the story’s parallel arcs. Jane’s firing shatters the financial and professional safety she has built for nine years, raising the stakes for her and Amelia. It directly connects the Versailles ball—already a symbol of aspiration—to Jane’s determination to give Amelia a life free from such betrayals. Meanwhile, Caroline’s hidden affair and Felicity’s failed dieting introduce early cracks in their own journeys. The chapter sets up the central tension: how each woman will navigate obstacles as they move toward the summer event.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Jane decide not to tell Amelia about losing her job?
Jane has spent Amelia’s entire life shielding her from worry, especially after losing her father. She does not want to burden Amelia during her college years, and she believes that Amelia deserves to enjoy her youth and the Versailles opportunity without fear.
What evidence in the chapter suggests that gender played a role in Jane’s firing?
Phillip Parker admits that the Axelrod sisters “were uncomfortable having a woman as CEO.” Hilary whispers that “they wouldn’t do this to you if you were a man.” Jane suspects the same, and the company hires a man with a Harvard MBA instead of promoting her despite nine years of dedication.
How do Felicity’s actions contradict her stated goal?
Felicity tells her mother she will lose weight and begins running twice a week, but she immediately buys four slices of pizza, eats all of them, and hides the evidence. She then buys doughnuts and more pizza, gaining weight instead of losing it. She rationalizes that the scale is wrong and that she has “lots of time,” showing that her diet is performative rather than genuine.