# XIII explained — Amaryllis at the Fair

> Chapter companion for Amaryllis at the Fair by Richard Jefferies.

## What happens

At a family dinner hosted by Grandfather Iden, Amaryllis watches as he distributes sovereigns to his descendants, culminating in a spade-guinea for her. She feels humiliated by her worn boots and angered by his neglect of her parents. When he later invites her for a walk, she rebels by hiding the guinea under a dressing-table.

## Themes in this chapter

### Social Class and Money

Grandfather Iden's distribution of sovereigns and the spade-guinea highlights the power of wealth and the sycophantic behavior of relatives vying for favor.

### Family Conflict and Misunderstanding

The empty chair of Mr. Iden and Grandfather Iden's groan reveal deep familial estrangement and a missed opportunity for reconciliation.

### Gender Roles and Female Experience

Amaryllis's shame over her worn boots and her mother's lack of decent footwear underscore the economic vulnerability of women in the family.

## Character check-ins

### Amaryllis Iden

Sits in proud indignation at the dinner, ashamed of her cracked boot and furious at her grandfather's hypocrisy; she hides the spade-guinea under the dressing-table.

### Grandfather Iden

Distributes sovereigns and a spade-guinea; groans deeply while clinging to his son's empty chair, revealing a longing for reconciliation.

### Mr. Iden

His empty chair at the dinner table symbolizes the estrangement between him and his father.

### Mrs. Iden

Mentioned as having no decent boots and suffering from rheumatism due to dampness through a crack in her boot.

### Iden Pacha

Nicknamed by townsfolk; his pompous distribution of money and his treatment of Amaryllis's parents fuel her resentment.

## Key lines

> if he had but had a patent of nobility, Grandfather Iden would have made a wonderfully good duke.

Grandfather Iden's mannerisms and sense of entitlement would have suited a duke, had he been granted a title.

_Highlights the ironic contrast between his actual status and his aristocratic pretensions._

> She actually felt lowered in her own esteem by being noticed at all among them.

Being singled out by her grandfather among the sycophantic relatives diminished her self-respect.

_Reflects Amaryllis's internal conflict and her rejection of her grandfather's approval._

> The Flamma blood was up in her veins—what did she care for guineas!

Her fiery Flamma temper made her disdainful of the money offered by her grandfather.

_Emphasizes her pride and defiance against material bribery._

## Links

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