Chapter 39: The Cold Cellar – Summary and Analysis
⚠️ 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 the present day, Iris Chase observes autumn and Halloween preparations, noting her own wariness of children. After a sluggish day caused by heart trouble, she walks to a doughnut shop and sits outside, feeling paranoid that people are staring at her. The flashback returns to October 1934: talk of outside agitators and unions circulates about the button factory. Workers are laid off, hours are cut, and the books show red numbers. Father announces a temporary shutdown, then barricades himself in his turret drinking. A strike is called, culminating in a rally where Father and his daughters are burned in effigy. The factory is set on fire; the night watchman, Al Davidson, is killed. The Mounties question Laura about Alex Thomas, whom they suspect of involvement. Laura refuses to speak, but after the Mounties leave, she confesses to Iris that she hid Alex in the cold cellar. Iris decides to move him to the attic to avoid discovery and goes down to the cellar to confront him. Alex denies setting the fire and suggests others had motives. Iris takes charge of the situation.
Key Events
- Iris’s present-day routine: walking to the doughnut shop, observing passersby, feeling paranoid about her notoriety.
- Flashback to October 1934: rumors of outside agitators and unions at Chase & Sons.
- Father lays off workers, reduces hours, then announces a temporary shutdown.
- Father retreats to his turret, drinking and breaking objects.
- The union holds a meeting; scuffles break out; a striker is kicked in the head.
- Callie Fitzsimmons visits Father; they quarrel bitterly.
- A general strike is called; stores close; public services halt.
- Richard Griffen arrives with detectives; they guard Avilion.
- Rioting erupts downtown; Father is burned in effigy alongside dolls representing Iris and Laura.
- The button factory catches fire; the night watchman is killed.
- Mrs. Hillcoate reports arson; one suspected arsonist is rumored to be Alex Thomas.
- Laura takes a large tray of food to her room.
- The Royal Canadian Regiment and then the Mounties arrive.
- Mounties question Laura; Iris intervenes, claiming Laura is too young to be held responsible.
- Laura admits she hid Alex Thomas in the cold cellar.
- Iris waits until night, then goes to the cold cellar and speaks with Alex.
- Alex denies setting the fire and hints that others would find it convenient to blame him.
- Iris decides to move Alex to the attic.
Character Development
- Iris Chase (present-day): Shows vulnerability (heart trouble, paranoia) and self-awareness about her need for control. Her reflections on Laura’s courage reveal her own chronic self-doubt.
- Iris Chase (young): Emerges as the pragmatic protector. She immediately takes charge after Laura’s confession, moving Alex to the attic to shield her sister and manage the scandal. Her shift from passive observer to active conspirator marks a key development.
- Laura Chase: Demonstrates fierce moral conviction by hiding Alex despite personal danger. Her trembling and tears afterward reveal the strain she has been under. Her action is driven by Christian principles and a need to protect “the least of these,” as Alex himself notes.
- Alex Thomas: Cool and cynical under pressure, he deflects blame humorously (“Capitalist’s Daughter Aids Bolshevik Murderer?”). He insists he did not set the fire and implies that the real culprits have political motives. His willingness to involve Laura and then Iris suggests a manipulative edge, but he also shows gratitude.
- Father (Captain Chase): Collapses under the weight of economic failure and lost loyalty, retreating into drink and destruction. His decline heightens the family’s vulnerability.
- Reenie, Mrs. Hillcoate, Elwood Murray: Serve as conduits for town gossip and maintain the domestic sphere amid the chaos.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Class Conflict and Economic Collapse: The chapter vividly portrays the Depression-era struggle between workers and owners. The factory’s red numbers symbolize the impersonal cruelty of capitalism.
- Hiding and Secrecy: The cold cellar, the attic, and Laura’s silent deception all represent the lengths to which characters go to protect themselves or others. The cellar’s jars of preserves echo the idea of storing food for emergencies, but here it stores a human refugee.
- Rumor and Paranoia: Both present-day Iris (worrying that people stare) and the 1934 townspeople (fearing foreign agitators) illustrate how fear distorts perception.
- Protection and Sacrifice: Laura risks her own safety out of a sense of Christian duty; Iris takes on the burden of moving Alex to protect Laura. Their sisterly bond is tested and strengthened.
- Fire as Destruction and Transformation: The arson destroys the factory and kills a man, but it also forces the family into crisis, prompting new alliances and moral choices.
- Free Speech and Public Discourse: The graffiti Iris reads in the washroom (both the “nice” version and the crude parody) bookends the chapter’s contrast between polite society and raw conflict.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 39 is a turning point in the novel. It reveals the depth of Laura’s commitment to Alex Thomas and introduces Iris as an active conspirator, not merely a passive sister. The chapter connects the public upheaval of the 1934 strike directly to the private lives of the Chase family. The arson and murder set the stage for Alex’s eventual disappearance, Laura’s guilt, and the lasting secrets that haunt both sisters. The present-day frame reinforces Iris’s lifelong struggle with courage and conscience.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Iris decide to help Laura hide Alex Thomas, even though she is skeptical of his innocence?
Iris’s primary motivation is to protect her sister and spare the family scandal. She also seems to mistrust the official story: Alex claims the fire was not his doing and hints at a setup. By taking charge, Iris can control the narrative and prevent Laura from being further implicated or traumatized.
2. How does the chapter use the contrast between present-day Iris and the young Iris to develop the novel’s themes?
Present-day Iris is paranoid, sluggish, and self-critical, while young Iris acts decisively and pragmatically. This contrast highlights her lifelong regret over not standing up for Laura more firmly. It also underscores the theme of memory and how the past shapes identity.
3. What does the cold cellar symbolize in this chapter, and why is it a significant hiding place?
The cold cellar is a space of preservation—stocked with jams, pickles, and apples. Laura chooses it because it provides “enough to eat” in an emergency. Symbolically, it represents a frozen, secret place where Laura can hide her moral convictions. Its dark, cramped atmosphere mirrors the oppressive situation, and Iris’s decision to move Alex to the attic suggests a shift from preservation to concealment in a less-used space.