Chapter 18: It Goes by So Fast – 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
As the Midnight Train continues its journey through time, Wilbur watches childhood scenes flash past his window. He glimpses his school gates, himself reading The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood in bed, a haberdashery where his mother shopped, and the local bookshop. He moves through the carriage and sits on green velvet seats. He sees Mr. Parkin’s umbrella and his mother’s frustration with Dougie and with young Wilbur. Then a happier memory appears: a house where he watched the Queen’s coronation on television for the first time on 2 June 1953. He recalls the food – fish‑paste sandwiches and coronation chicken – and remarks on the date aloud. The scene vanishes, troubling him about the speed of his travel. He wonders if the train will only stop again at his death. But it slows, and he sees himself reading in bed, then an Elvis Presley record spinning at the Milk Bar where Dougie took him. The train comes to a stop.
Key Events
- Wilbur views rapid‑fire memories from his childhood through the train window.
- He sees the school gates, himself reading Robin Hood, a haberdashery, and the bookshop.
- He observes Mr. Parkin’s umbrella and his mother’s anger toward Dougie and young Wilbur.
- A vivid happy memory emerges: watching the Queen’s coronation at Mrs. Yelland’s house in 1953.
- Wilbur speaks the date aloud and recalls the feeling of a full stomach.
- The scene fades, and Wilbur worries that the train’s speed means it will only stop at his death.
- The train slows again, showing him reading in bed, then an Elvis record at the Milk Bar with Dougie.
- The Midnight Train stops.
Character Development
- Wilbur: The chapter deepens Wilbur’s internal conflict. He is troubled by the relentless pace of the journey, interpreting it as a sign that only birth and death are major stations. His emotional response to the happy coronation memory – one of the few truly good days in his childhood – shows his longing for stability and warmth. The mention of his mother’s frustration reinforces his sense of being an unwanted burden. His spoken remark (“The second of June 1953”) suggests a need to anchor himself with facts amid the disorienting flood of images.
- Dougie: Though not physically present, Dougie appears in the Milk Bar memory, highlighting his role as a rare source of positive experiences for Wilbur. The outing to listen to Elvis represents a small but meaningful gesture of care.
- Wilbur’s mother: Her repeated anger toward Dougie and Wilbur is shown in the flashbacks, cementing her as a source of emotional coldness in Wilbur’s life.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- The passage of time and its relentless speed: The chapter’s title “It Goes by So Fast” directly echoes the theme of time rushing past. Wilbur’s anxiety about the train not stopping until death illustrates how quickly life can feel when viewed in retrospect.
- Memory as a fragmented, non‑linear experience: The flashes of childhood are disjointed and emotionally uneven, mixing painful moments (his mother’s crossness) with rare joys (the coronation party, the Milk Bar). This mirrors how real memory often prioritizes emotional weight over chronology.
- Food as a marker of happiness or lack: The detailed recollection of coronation chicken and fish‑paste sandwiches stands out because it was one of the few times Wilbur’s stomach was full. Food becomes a symbol of scarcity and of fleeting comfort.
- Television as a window to shared cultural moments: The first television experience at Mrs. Yelland’s house links personal memory to a national event (the Queen’s coronation), showing how individual lives intersect with history.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter deepens the reader’s understanding of Wilbur’s emotional landscape by contrasting his traumatic childhood moments with one of his rare happy memories. It also develops the central conceit of the Midnight Train as a vehicle for reviewing a life, raising the unsettling possibility that the journey will bypass most moments and only pause at the absolute beginning and end. Wilbur’s spoken date (“2 June 1953”) is a rare moment of active engagement, as if he is trying to wrest control from the train. The chapter also introduces the Milk Bar as a location tied to Dougie, suggesting that Wilbur’s brother offered occasional escapes from the tension at home. Structurally, the chapter ends with the train stopping, setting up whatever scene lies ahead.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Wilbur feel troubled by the speed of the memories?
Wilbur interprets the rapid flash of scenes as evidence that the train will only stop at birth and death, implying that the rest of his life is merely a blur. This troubles him because it suggests his existence lacks significant landmarks beyond the most basic bookends.
2. What is the significance of Wilbur recalling the exact date “2 June 1953”?
The date anchors the coronation memory to a specific historical event, grounding Wilbur’s personal experience in a wider cultural moment. Speaking the date aloud also indicates his need to assert control over the chaotic flow of images by naming a verifiable fact.
3. How does the coronation memory contrast with the other memories in this chapter?
Most of the earlier flashbacks feature negative or neutral images: school gates, a bookshop he leaves empty‑handed, his mother’s anger. The coronation scene is the first clearly positive childhood moment, emphasizing that Wilbur’s upbringing included only rare instances of contentment and full stomachs.