A Pair of Blue Eyes · Chapter
XII explained
Elfride meets her new stepmother, Mrs.
What happens
Elfride meets her new stepmother, Mrs. Swancourt, who encourages her to publish her medieval romance. Meanwhile, Elfride's elopement with Stephen Smith unravels as she panics upon arriving in London, forcing them to return to Plymouth. The chapter explores Elfride's inner conflict between her feelings for Stephen and her desire for decisiveness and social propriety.
Themes in this chapter
Innocence and Experience
Elfride's naivety about the consequences of elopement is contrasted with her growing awareness of social judgment and her own feelings of misery and vacillation.
Sacrifice and Duty
Stephen sacrifices his own desires to allow Elfride to return home, demonstrating duty over personal ambition.
Social Class and Ambition
Mrs. Swancourt's encouragement to publish a novel reflects the social ambition of the time, while Elfride's thoughts of marrying Stephen and living happily highlight class tensions.
Characters to notice
- Elfride Swancourt
Elfride meets her new stepmother, Mrs. Swancourt, and discusses her novel. She also experiences a crisis of conscience during her elopement with Stephen, ultimately deciding to return home.
- Stephen Smith
Stephen accompanies Elfride on the elopement to London, but when she insists on returning, he selflessly agrees and escorts her back to Plymouth.
- Mr. Swancourt
Mr. Swancourt has remarried Mrs. Troyton (now Mrs. Swancourt) and is affectionate toward Elfride, though he admits to having kissed his new wife on the lawn.
- Mrs. Swancourt
The new Mrs. Swancourt (formerly Mrs. Troyton) is introduced as a dark-complexioned, humorous woman who encourages Elfride to publish her novel and plans a family trip to Bath.
Key passages
“Rapture is often cooled by contact with its cause, especially if under awkward conditions.”
Intense excitement or joy frequently diminishes when one is actually confronted with the source of that feeling, particularly in uncomfortable situations.
Reflects Elfride's cooling feelings toward Stephen after the awkward elopement journey.
“Decisive action is seen by appreciative minds to be frequently objectless, and sometimes fatal; but decision, however suicidal, has more charm for a woman than the most unequivocal Fabian success.”
Women often find bold, decisive action more appealing than cautious, gradual success, even if the action is pointless or self-destructive.
Highlights Elfride's internal conflict and her attraction to Stephen's potential decisiveness, which he lacked during the elopement.