Amaryllis at the Fair · Chapter
XXI explained
Amaryllis works diligently in a cold garret on her drawings, facing repeated rejections from publishers and editors.
What happens
Amaryllis works diligently in a cold garret on her drawings, facing repeated rejections from publishers and editors. She struggles with the cold, her mother's discouragement, and the sight of her father Iden working in the rain or gossiping at the stile, which puzzles and hurts her. The chapter explores her artistic failure, the lack of sympathy with her mother, and the harsh reality that merit alone does not guarantee success. Only Iden's appreciation of one sketch gives her a brief gleam of hope, but the procession of creditors ultimately causes her to neglect her portfolio.
Themes in this chapter
Art, Ambition, and Failure
Amaryllis's relentless work in the garret and the repeated rejection of her drawings highlight the theme of artistic ambition meeting failure, and the harsh reality that merit alone is insufficient without reputation.
Family Conflict and Misunderstanding
The lack of sympathy between Amaryllis and her mother, and her puzzlement over her father's behavior, underscore the theme of family misunderstanding and emotional distance.
Social Class and Money
The family's poverty is evident in the cold garret, the lack of coal, and the procession of creditors, while Amaryllis's need for half a sovereign contrasts with the indifference of the art world.
Characters to notice
- Amaryllis Iden
Works in the cold garret on her drawings, faces rejection from publishers, feels misunderstood by her mother, and is puzzled by her father's behavior.
- Mr. Iden
Works in the rain under a sack, gossips at the stile, but is also a man of deep knowledge and old English taste; Amaryllis values his opinion of her sketch.
- Mrs. Iden
Discourages Amaryllis's artistic efforts, shuffles around the room, and shows inconsistency by criticizing her husband's lack of enterprise while undermining her daughter's ambition.
Key passages
“Poor Amaryllis! They promised well, and she wanted half a sovereign now . If a prophet assured a man that the picture he could not now dispose of would be worth a thousand pounds in fifty years, what consolation would that be to him?”
Amaryllis's drawings were praised as promising, but she needed immediate money, not future value.
Highlights the gap between artistic potential and immediate financial need.
“She had no name—no repute, therefore had her drawings been equal to the finest ever produced they would not have been accepted. Until the accident of reputation arises genius is of no avail.”
Without reputation, even the best work is rejected; genius is useless until chance brings fame.
Critiques the art world's reliance on reputation over merit.
“The three fools—the author, the artist, and the musician—put certain lines on a sheet of paper and expect the world to at once admire their clever ideas.”
Authors, artists, and musicians naively expect immediate recognition for their work, unlike other professions.
Sarcastic commentary on the unrealistic expectations of creative professionals.