Chapter Thirty-Two: Leaving Hope Behind

⚠️ 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 June 1942, Scarlett returns home to find her sister Constance packing her belongings. Constance insists Scarlett must leave England for the United States with William as Jameson’s uncle arranged. Scarlett refuses to abandon hope that Jameson is still alive. Constance argues that staying risks their father declaring Scarlett hysterical and taking William. Scarlett relents, packing a trunk and two cases. She takes Jameson’s pillowcase and writes him a letter. Constance drives them to the airfield, but an air-raid siren forces them to flee on foot. A bomb explodes nearby. Scarlett wakes injured but finds William safe. She discovers Constance dead beneath rubble.

Key Events

Constance packs Scarlett’s trunks without permission, triggering a heated confrontation.
Scarlett refuses to leave England while Jameson remains missing, but Constance warns of their father’s potential legal custody threat.
Scarlett agrees to go for William’s safety, taking only what Jameson’s uncle allows: one trunk and two cases.
She salvages Jameson’s pillowcase and writes a farewell letter, entrusting it to Constance.
The sisters drive toward Martlesham-Heath airfield when air-raid sirens erupt.
They abandon the car and run for a shelter as bombers appear overhead.
A bomb blast knocks Scarlett unconscious; she awakens to William’s cries.
Scarlett finds Constance dead under a pile of masonry, her red dress visible through a broken fence.

Character Development

Scarlett: Shifts from stubborn hope to reluctant acceptance. She prioritizes William’s protection over her own longing to wait for Jameson. The bombing strips away her final support, leaving her utterly alone with her son.
Constance: Reveals hidden strength and self-sacrifice. Despite her own troubled marriage (her wincing suggests abuse), she puts Scarlett and William first. Her death underscores the war’s random cruelty.
William: Though an infant, his cries anchor Scarlett’s will to survive. He represents the legacy of Scarlett and Jameson’s love.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Hope as a double-edged sword: Scarlett clings to hope to keep breathing, yet it delays her necessary departure. Constance’s line, “you can’t help Jameson, but you can save your son,” crystallizes the theme.
Packing as loss: The act of packing symbolizes letting go—of a home, a husband, a future. Scarlett packs only the essentials, but the pillowcase and letter carry emotional weight.
The pillowcase: A tactile symbol of Jameson’s presence. Scarlett keeps it because it smells like him, a small anchor to a man who may never return.
War’s randomness: The bombing occurs mid-journey, killing Constance instead of Scarlett or William. No logic or mercy governs survival.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter Thirty-Two marks the point of no return for Scarlett’s wartime story. She finally concedes to leave England, fulfilling Jameson’s last request. The sudden air-raid and Constance’s death eliminate Scarlett’s remaining lifeline. This tragedy reshapes the novel’s trajectory: Scarlett becomes a single mother in a new country, carrying unresolved grief. The chapter also reinforces the fragility of life during war—no plan, no hope, is safe from a bomb. Constance’s sacrifice and Scarlett’s resilience set the stage for the generations-spanning narrative that follows.

Study Questions and Answers

Q1: What is Constance’s strongest argument that convinces Scarlett to leave England?
Constance warns that their father could have Scarlett declared hysterical and gain custody of William. Scarlett knows this is true, so she chooses to protect her son by leaving.

Q2: Why does Scarlett take Jameson’s pillowcase when she packs?
It still smells like him. She wants a tangible connection to Jameson, a source of comfort to carry into an uncertain future. She also takes two of his shirts, leaving hers for him.

Q3: What happens during the air-raid that changes Scarlett’s circumstances permanently?
A bomb explodes as Scarlett and Constance run for shelter. The blast knocks Scarlett unconscious. She survives with minor injuries, but Constance is killed by falling masonry, leaving Scarlett entirely alone with William.