Chapter 40: The Attic – 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
After the factory fire and general strike, Iris and Laura hide Alex Thomas in the attic of Avilion. They bring food, manage his hygiene, and plan his escape. A kiss between Alex and Iris creates tension, which Iris hides from Laura. Laura cuts herself out of a photograph of the three. Alex eventually leaves, leaving behind a cryptic list. The chapter explores secrecy, sibling rivalry, and the dangerous allure of rebellion. It ends with daily life resuming.
Key Events
- Iris lights a candle and leads Alex from the cellar to the attic, installing him behind three empty trunks with old quilts.
- Iris and Laura hold a whispered conference to plan food delivery, watchfulness, and chamber pot duties, taking turns to avoid Reenie’s suspicion.
- They smuggle leftovers such as toast crusts, bacon rinds, and a leg of fricasseed chicken. Laura claims she ate the missing pumpkin pie crusts.
- Alex requests cigarettes and writing materials. He uses a school exercise book and pencil provided by the sisters.
- The newspaper and a Wanted poster paint Alex as an arsonist and murderer. Laura steals a poster from a telephone pole; Elwood Murray’s missing negative adds mystery.
- Iris makes a solo trip to the attic with dried figs and currants. Alex kisses her, and she flees, feeling both desire and shame.
- Iris proposes moving Alex elsewhere; Laura insists the attic is safest. Alex expresses a desire to leave before winter.
- In early January, they outfit Alex with Father’s old coat and a packed lunch. He hugs each sister equally and departs at night.
- After his departure, they find an exercise book containing a list: “Agate, Garnet, Amber, Beryl, Coral, Coral, Jet.” Laura suspects a code and offers to burn it.
- Laura later gives Iris a photograph of the three of them at the picnic, but she has cut herself out, leaving only her hand tinted pale yellow.
- Life returns to normal; Father receives insurance money for the burned factory, providing a breathing space.
Character Development
- Iris : Becomes more aware of her own desires and the risk of being alone with Alex. The kiss forces her to confront her feelings and the potential consequences. She also shows practical caution (washing dishes, hiding evidence) and a growing unease with secrecy.
- Laura : Displays obsessive devotion toward Alex. Cutting herself out of the photograph and keeping the negative shows her desire to erase herself from the memory of Alex’s love. She is also more willing to take risks (stealing the poster) and less willing to compromise on hiding him.
- Alex Thomas : Initially grateful and cooperative, he grows restless and stir-crazy. His kiss with Iris reveals a more predatory or thoughtless side. He leaves behind a cryptic list, suggesting he may be involved in espionage. His departure is businesslike; he gives brotherly hugs equally to both sisters.
- Reenie : Though peripheral, she is perceptive (suspecting the missing food) but chooses not to press the matter, preparing to claim ignorance if caught.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Secrecy and Guilt : The sisters share a dangerous secret that both bonds and separates them. Iris’s solo visit and the kiss create a private guilt she cannot share with Laura.
- Sibling Dynamics : Laura and Iris’s collaboration highlights their contrasting roles – Iris as the practical Martha, Laura as the devoted Mary. The unequal intimacy with Alex strains their relationship.
- The Attic as Liminal Space : It is a hidden realm between the family home and the outside world, allowing the girls to play at heroism. It also becomes a site of taboo desire.
- Photography and Memory : Laura’s mutilation of the photograph literalizes her wish to be absent from Alex’s life. The yellow hand creeping toward Alex suggests her lingering, ghostly presence.
- The Burning of Avilion : Iris’s dream of the house burning reflects her conflicted desire to leave home without destroying it. The cigarette spark in the attic nearly makes this literal.
- Codes and Secrets : The list of gems (Agate, Garnet, etc.) hints at hidden communication, possibly marking Alex as a spy or saboteur, complicating the girls’ trust.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is a turning point in the sisters’ relationship and in Iris’s coming-of-age. The kiss with Alex marks her sexual awakening and introduces a dangerous element into the hidden world she shares with Laura. The photograph mutilation foreshadows Laura’s eventual disappearance and sacrifice. The coded list suggests that Alex is more than a simple fugitive, raising questions about his true identity and motives. Finally, the chapter shows how even a “breathing space” in daily life is built on secrets that will inevitably resurface.
Study Questions and Answers
-
Why does Laura cut herself out of the photograph, leaving only her hand?
Laura removes her own image to express that she does not wish to be remembered in the context of Alex. Her tinted yellow hand, however, “creeping” toward Alex, indicates that she still wants to touch his life without being seen. This act simultaneously denies her presence and preserves her connection in a distorted way. -
What does the kiss between Alex and Iris reveal about Iris’s character?
The kiss reveals Iris’s vulnerability and her struggle with desire. She is “transfixed” and cannot move, feeling her bones turn to “melting wax” – a reaction that alarms her because it feels like losing control. Afterwards she feels afraid and ashamed, deciding she cannot be alone with Alex again. It shows her emerging sexuality and her fear of being an “accident waiting to happen.” -
How does the chapter use the attic as a symbol?
The attic is both a literal hiding place and a symbolic space of boyish adventure, danger, and taboo intimacy. It allows the sisters to play “good Samaritans” while also keeping a guilty secret. For Iris, it becomes a place where her desires are awakened and must be suppressed. The attic’s small window and lack of facilities also represent the constriction of their lives and the risks they take.