Chapter 21 Summary, Analysis, and Key Themes

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This page discusses plot points and character developments that occur in this chapter, so proceed with caution if you prefer to avoid spoilers.

The chapter is set on Friday, March 4, 1921, during the seventh week of term.

It is a pivotal social outing that brings several threads together, and the analysis below will explore the key events, character arcs, and themes that emerge.

Please note that all claims are based on the provided chapter evidence and are paraphrased rather than quoted directly.

If you are looking for a quick overview, the Summary section provides a chronological account, while the Key Events section offers a bulleted list of the most important moments.

The Character Development and Themes sections delve into the deeper implications of these events.

Finally, the Study Questions section offers three questions with model answers to help you think critically about the chapter.

Let's begin.

Summary

The chapter opens on the evening of Friday, March 4, 1921, during the seventh week of term.

While the first-year students are sitting their Divinity examinations (Divvers), the Eights—Marianne, Dora, Otto, and Beatrice—are invited by Ursula to a private view of Pre-Raphaelite artworks at the Ashmolean Museum.

The event is a fundraiser for the museum's new Coin Room and features the Combe Collection, donated by Martha Combe.

To the group's dismay, Miss Jourdain, their chaperone and an amateur watercolourist, has also been invited and will accompany them.

Formal evening wear is required, which causes Marianne distress, but Otto insists on lending her a dress.

After rejecting several outlandish options, Marianne settles on a simple turquoise cocktail dress—fashionably tubular, a little short, with a high neck and three-quarter-length sleeves.

Marianne hopes the outing will cheer up Dora, who has been withdrawn and distracted since failing her mathematics Responsion for the second time.

Dora does not seem terribly bothered by the failure, but she refuses to discuss Charles Baker's deception, does not want to tell her parents, and is attempting to behave as if nothing is wrong.

She still visits Otto's room after supper to smoke cigarettes, but she sleeps a great deal and often misses breakfast.

Some days she is confused and angry, other days filled with self-loathing.

Marianne and Otto suspect that Charles's actions may have had little to do with Dora at all, and that Dora is, in her own way, a victim of war.

Poor Frank Collingham continues to send flowers and invitations, but Dora rarely accepts and often cancels.

He has taken them to a piano recital and a walk around Christ Church Meadow to watch Torpids, but the outing was not a success; Dora asked to leave after only two races.

This evening, Otto insists Dora wear the emerald-green silk dress she tried on last term, saying it is too long for her anyway.

Dora has applied lipstick and looks sophisticated, even a little dangerous.

At the museum, the group is led through a blood-red room with towering portraits and a pianist playing Chopin's nocturnes.

Otto daringly hands each of them a glass of champagne, starting with Miss Jourdain, who accepts it without protest.

Marianne works her way around the permanent collection and is bewitched by Millais's The Return of the Dove to the Ark.

She is moved by the rapt expressions of the two little girls and the passivity of the dove.

She wonders what it must have been like for Martha Combe to host the Pre-Raphaelite artists and to own the collection for twenty years after her husband's death.

While she is absorbed in the painting, Henry Hadley taps her on the elbow.

They have not seen each other since the disastrous lecture at the Sheldonian, though Marianne has thought of him more than she would admit.

Henry mentions that he is deaf on his left side, and Marianne swaps places with him.

They discuss the painting, and Henry expresses his ambivalence about the Pre-Raphaelites, wondering what these idealized images have to do with a world recovering from war.

Marianne responds that art can offer escape and remind people of innocence and beauty, and that the two can coexist.

She mentions the Unknown Warrior as an example of idealization.

Henry is attentive and tells her he likes listening to her.

He mentions that the poet Robert Graves was earlier at the museum, and he quotes a line from Graves's poem 'Last Day of Leave' (1917).

Marianne finishes the line, and her eyes fill with tears.

Henry then tells her that Charles Baker is present.

Meanwhile, Otto and Beatrice are looking at other paintings, with Otto mocking the Pre-Raphaelite obsession with animals and Beatrice laughing.

Ursula joins Beatrice, and Beatrice feels a strong attraction to her, studying the plump curve of her upper lip and the way she smells of cigarettes and hyacinths.

Beatrice decides that from tonight she will adopt a more masculine wardrobe—shirts, ties, men's shoes, jackets, and plain straight skirts—and cut her hair short, following Ursula's style.

Marianne interrupts to say that Dora is missing and that Charles Baker is in the building.

Otto has gone to look downstairs.

Marianne goes to check the lavatory, and Beatrice is left to keep an eye on Miss Jourdain.

Beatrice scans the crowd for Dora's emerald-green dress and dark curls, noting that Dora could be one of Rossetti's 'stunners.'

Henry Hadley appears and delivers a message from Marianne that the others are gathered near the piano.

As Beatrice descends the stairs, she sees Dora sitting stiffly on a velvet couch, her face chalky.

Charles Baker and his friends are gathered around the piano, demanding the pianist play Gershwin.

They are reeling, rank with cigar smoke and arrogance.

Otto hands Dora a glass of champagne and tells her to drink it.

One of the men begins to sing in the style of Al Jolson, and Baker joins in.

Dora rises, circles behind her friends, and stands unsteadily at the far end of the piano.

She looks magnificent in her green dress against the crimson rug.

For a moment, Beatrice thinks Dora might throw her drink in Baker's face, but instead she gulps down the champagne, taps the arm of the singer next to her, and when he turns, she kisses him hard on the mouth.

Baker stumbles over the lyrics and stares transfixed.

When Dora releases the man, he has lipstick smudged around his face.

There are cheers and shouts as Dora drags her hand across her mouth and staggers out of the room.

The others hurry after her.

Otto catches Baker's eye and smirks, but Baker quickly turns away.

Beatrice notices that Baker looks thoroughly miserable, with charcoal rings under his eyes and a sore on his bottom lip.

Outside, Dora is sobbing and wiping her mouth in disgust.

She flops onto a bench on the terrace.

She says she knew Baker would be there, that she hates him.

An elderly couple moves off, muttering in disapproval.

Otto tells her to calm down and goes to find a cab.

Beatrice sits with Dora, who continues to rub her lips.

Dora says that at first she was so happy Baker was alive, but now she wishes he really were dead.

She says it is her life that was a lie, not his.

She waves toward the Randolph Hotel across the street and says she stayed there once when she was fifteen, in that room right there.

Beatrice has her own memories of that hotel as a girl, which are horribly vivid after the kiss.

Dora continues to sob, saying she wanted to come to Oxford to visit the treasures, but they wouldn't let her.

She says that all the time she should have been thinking about her brother, she was crying over Baker.

She calls herself a bloody fool.

Eventually, they bundle her into a cab and return to St. Hugh's.

As they ride back, Beatrice cannot bring herself to reveal that Miss Jourdain, standing with her arms folded at the top of the crimson-carpeted staircase, watched the entire scene at the piano unfold.

Key Events

• The Eights attend a private view of Pre-Raphaelite artworks at the Ashmolean Museum, a fundraiser for the new Coin Room featuring the Combe Collection.

• Miss Jourdain accompanies the group, to their horror.

• Otto lends Marianne a turquoise cocktail dress after Marianne rejects more outlandish options.

• Dora continues to be withdrawn and distracted after failing mathematics Responsion for the second time; she refuses to discuss Charles Baker's deception with her parents.

• Marianne is deeply moved by Millais's The Return of the Dove to the Ark and reflects on Martha Combe's ownership of the collection.

• Henry Hadley approaches Marianne, and they have a meaningful conversation about art, war, and idealization.

• Henry reveals that Charles Baker is present at the event.

• Beatrice feels a strong attraction to Ursula and decides to adopt a more masculine wardrobe and short hair.

• Dora sees Charles Baker with his friends at the piano, kisses another man forcefully, and flees sobbing.

• Outside, Dora expresses her wish that Baker were dead and recalls staying at the Randolph Hotel at fifteen.

• The group returns to St. Hugh's by cab; Beatrice notices that Miss Jourdain watched the entire scene from the staircase.

Character Development

Dora is the emotional centre of this chapter.

Her behaviour throughout the evening reveals the depth of her trauma.

She has failed her mathematics Responsion for the second time, but she seems numb to it, more concerned with suppressing her feelings about Charles Baker.

She refuses to tell her parents about his deception, claiming they have been through enough.

Her new habit of smoking cigarettes, her excessive sleeping, and her alternating moods of anger and self-loathing all point to a profound psychological struggle.

The kiss at the piano is a desperate act of public defiance—a way to reclaim agency and hurt Baker in return, but it leaves her sobbing and disgusted.

Her confession that she wishes Baker were dead, and her recollection of staying at the Randolph Hotel at fifteen, suggest a long history of emotional entanglement and perhaps a deeper betrayal.

Her reference to her brother indicates that she carries guilt about not thinking of him, possibly because he died in the war.

This chapter shows Dora at her most vulnerable, yet also her most defiant.

Marianne is more introspective.

Her reaction to the Millais painting reveals her longing for beauty and innocence in a post-war world.

Her conversation with Henry Hadley allows her to articulate her philosophy of art as both escape and reality.

She is clearly attracted to Henry, but she is also cautious, aware of her borrowed clothes and her social position.

Her empathy for Dora is evident, as she compares Dora's situation to her own encounter by the riverbank, and she suspects that Dora is a victim of war.

Marianne's growth here is in her willingness to engage with someone who challenges her, and her ability to see the coexistence of idealization and reality.

Beatrice undergoes a significant personal revelation.

Her attraction to Ursula is intense and physical, and she decides to adopt a more masculine wardrobe and cut her hair short, following Ursula's style.

This is a bold step toward self-expression and possibly a recognition of her own identity.

She also shows loyalty and concern for Dora, and she is observant enough to notice Miss Jourdain's surveillance, though she chooses not to reveal it.

Otto is the pragmatic and protective friend.

She lends Marianne a dress, insists Dora wear the emerald dress, and takes charge of getting Dora out of the museum.

She also shows a sharp wit and a willingness to defy convention, as when she hands out champagne.

Her smirk at Baker indicates her loyalty to Dora.

Miss Jourdain is a background but ominous presence.

She accompanies the group, accepts champagne, and later watches the scene at the piano from the staircase without intervening.

This suggests she may be more observant and perhaps more judgmental than she appears, and it sets up potential consequences for the group.

Henry Hadley is a new and intriguing figure.

He is deaf on his left side, a result of war injury, and he is thoughtful and open.

His conversation with Marianne reveals his own struggle with the idealization of art in a world recovering from war.

He is respectful and attentive, and his mention of Robert Graves and the poem 'Last Day of Leave' creates a moment of shared emotion.

He also delivers the news about Charles Baker, showing that he is aware of the group's dynamics.

Ursula is a catalyst for Beatrice's self-discovery.

She is confident, stylish, and intellectually engaged, arguing about a new poet.

Her presence inspires Beatrice to embrace a more masculine presentation.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

War Trauma and Its Aftermath is a central theme.

Dora's behaviour—her withdrawal, her anger, her self-loathing—is a direct result of the emotional devastation caused by Charles Baker's deception, which Marianne and Otto interpret as a war-related trauma.

Dora's reference to her brother suggests a deeper grief.

Henry Hadley's deafness is a physical reminder of the war's cost.

The poem 'Last Day of Leave' evokes the loss of innocence and the fragility of life.

Deception and Betrayal are explored through Dora's relationship with Charles Baker.

She feels that her life was a lie, and her public kiss is a desperate attempt to reclaim control.

The fact that Baker looks miserable and has visible signs of distress suggests that he, too, is affected, but the betrayal has shattered Dora's trust.

Art as Escape is embodied in Marianne's immersion in the Millais painting.

She is transported to a world of beauty and innocence, which offers a temporary reprieve from the harsh realities of war and personal pain.

However, the chapter also questions the value of such escape, as Henry wonders what these idealized images have to do with a world recovering from war.

Marianne's answer—that art can remind us of innocence and beauty while also coexisting with reality—suggests a balanced view.

Idealization versus Reality is a motif that runs throughout.

The Pre-Raphaelite paintings depict idealized women, children, and biblical scenes, but the reality of the characters' lives is far messier.

Dora, with her haunted gaze, could be a Rossetti 'stunner,' but she is broken, not idealized.

Henry's comment about the paintings being too idealized highlights this tension.

Gender Exclusion in Institutions is touched upon when Marianne reflects on the Oxford Union murals, which she cannot see because the society does not admit women.

This underscores the barriers women face in accessing art and education.

Female Self-Expression through Fashion is evident in Otto's bold dress, Ursula's masculine attire, and Beatrice's decision to adopt a similar style.

Fashion becomes a means of asserting identity and challenging gender norms.

Romantic Attraction is explored through Marianne and Henry's growing connection, and Beatrice's intense feelings for Ursula.

Both are tentative and complicated by social expectations.

Grief and Guilt are present in Dora's confession that she should have been thinking about her brother instead of crying over Baker.

This suggests a survivor's guilt and a sense of misplaced priorities.

Class Privilege is subtly present in the setting of the Ashmolean and the Combe Collection, which were funded by wealthy benefactors.

The event is a fundraiser, and the attendees are likely privileged.

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