Chapter 35 (Chapter 7) Summary & 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

Jack arrives at Mildred’s apartment with a rustic bouquet of red roses—an unusual gesture. Her father, already in the kitchen, jokes about the proper number of roses for love versus funerals, removing one to make an odd count. Jack also brings a sour wine made by friends on Long Island. The conversation turns to politics; Mildred’s father delivers a fiery speech on European fascism, Stalin’s purges, and the need for “radical action.” He warns that the only choices are variations of imperialism and terror. Mildred has long wondered what her father actually means by “action,” as his anarchist past is vague and possibly embellished, though certain silences among his comrades hint at real violence. She reflects on the difficulty of growing up with a secret political family and the thrill and burden of being entrusted with her father’s beliefs. The lack of historical records on anarchists in America compounds her inability to verify his role.

Jack, moved by the speech, declares he might go to Europe to report from the front or join the International Brigades, comparing himself to Hemingway. Mildred feels embarrassed by both men’s bombast, and then shames herself for measuring them against Andrew Bevel and acknowledging Bevel’s superiority. Her father leaves. Jack guides Mildred to her bedroom, where the floor is covered in shorthand notes and the bed in typed pages. He picks up a page titled “A Destiny Realized”—the biography she is ghostwriting for Bevel. She snatches it away, saying she is not allowed to show it. Jack complains he can do nothing right; they hug stiffly, and he leaves. Mildred hides the rolled-up pages inside a raincoat sleeve in her closet.

Key Events

Jack brings roses and sour wine; Mildred’s father chides him for an even number.
Her father delivers an impassioned anarchist speech about radical action.
Jack announces he wants to go to Europe to fight in the Spanish Civil War or report on it.
Mildred becomes embarrassed by both men’s rhetoric and then by her own comparison to Andrew Bevel.
Her father leaves to deliver leaflets.
Jack discovers Mildred’s typed manuscript “A Destiny Realized” in her room.
Mildred refuses to let him read it; they argue and he leaves.
She hides the pages in a raincoat sleeve.

Character Development

Mildred: This chapter reveals her growing internal conflict. She is caught between her father’s radical anarchist world and the polished, powerful world of Andrew Bevel. Her embarrassment at her father and Jack—and her subsequent shame at measuring them against Bevel—shows she is beginning to internalize Bevel’s values, even as she clings to her family’s secrets. Her secretive behavior with the manuscript underscores her divided loyalty.
Jack: His desire to join the International Brigades reflects his idealism and restlessness. He also displays a more vulnerable, frustrated side when Mildred rebuffs his curiosity about her work.
Mildred’s father: Speaks with passion about revolution, but his past remains hazy. The chapter deepens the mystery of his actual involvement in anarchist violence, hinting at both bluster and real, unspoken deeds.

Themes, Symbols & Motifs

Anarchism vs. Capitalism: The father’s fierce opposition to hierarchy and imperialism stands in direct contrast to the world of finance represented by Bevel. Mildred’s uncomfortable comparison of the two men shows the ideological tug-of-war inside her.
Secrecy and Shame: Mildred has always kept her father’s politics secret; now she also hides her work for Bevel. The repeated motif of hiding (the shorthand, the manuscript) reflects her sense of shame and division.
Performance of Masculinity: Both the father and Jack try to perform an ideal of heroic, decisive action (radical violence, war reporting). Mildred sees their “bombast” as boyish, yet she is drawn to Bevel’s quieter, more genuine authority.
The Erasure of History: Mildred notes that anarchist periodicals and activists have been virtually erased from American historical records, a comment on how power shapes what is remembered.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter crystallizes the central conflict in Mildred’s life: the choice between her inheritance—her father’s radical, secretive world—and the seductive, orderly power of Andrew Bevel. Jack’s accidental discovery of the manuscript forces Mildred to confront her double life, and her own embarrassment signals her growing allegiance to Bevel. The chapter also deepens the mystery of her father’s past, setting up questions about violence, complicity, and the ideological roots that will shape Mildred’s decisions. It is a turning point in her internal journey, where the cost of loyalty becomes visible.

Study Questions & Answers

Why does Mildred become embarrassed by both her father and Jack, and then ashamed of that embarrassment?
She sees their speeches as theatrically boyish compared to the quiet, effective power of Andrew Bevel. Her shame comes from realizing she has let Bevel convince her of his superiority, betraying her own family’s values and her past self.
What is the significance of Mildred hiding the typed pages inside a raincoat sleeve?
It mirrors the pattern of concealment in her life—she keeps her father’s politics secret, and now she must hide her work for Bevel. The raincoat sleeve suggests she is always ready to cover up her true activities, highlighting her fragmented identity.
How does the chapter portray the idea of “radical action”?
Through the father’s vague anarchist rhetoric and Jack’s desire to fight in Spain, “radical action” remains an abstract, romantic concept. Mildred doubts its reality, yet she is surrounded by men who claim to want it. The chapter questions whether any of them actually have the will or means to act decisively.