# Life Without Love explained — Barriers Burned Away

> Chapter companion for Barriers Burned Away by Edward Payson Roe.

## What happens

Christine is devastated after Dennis Fleet's critique reveals her inability to become a great artist. She confesses to Susie Winthrop her despair, her lack of faith, and her cold, pragmatic plan for a marriage of convenience in Germany. Dennis, tormented by the pain he caused, wanders the streets and listens to her mournful music, while Mr. Ludolph plots to restore Christine's pride and practicality.

## Themes in this chapter

### Art and Ambition

Christine's despair stems from her realization that she lacks the emotional depth to achieve true artistic greatness, despite her skill and ambition.

### Faith and Doubt

Christine explicitly rejects faith and immortality, contrasting with Susie's belief, and struggles with existential despair.

### Social Class and Barriers

Christine feels trapped by invisible barriers and plans a pragmatic marriage to secure social position, highlighting class constraints.

## Character check-ins

### Christine Ludolph

Devastated by Dennis's critique, she feels she can never be a true artist and confesses her despair and lack of faith to Susie.

### Dennis Fleet

Tormented by his harsh words, he wanders the streets and listens to Christine's music, believing he has lost her regard.

### Miss Winthrop

Comforts Christine after the critique, urging her to see the success in her work and suggesting love as a remedy.

### Mr. Ludolph

Defends Christine's secret authorship of the painting and plans to restore her pride with practical talk.

### Mr. Cornell

Admires the copied painting and inquires about the artist.

### Mr. French

Expresses interest in Dennis as a discriminating judge of pictures.

## Key lines

> She felt that the verdict was true, and her own judgment confirmed every word Dennis uttered. But she had done her best; therefore her suffering was truly agony—the pain and despair at failure in the most cherished hope of life.

Christine internally agrees with Dennis's critique, and her anguish comes from failing at her life's greatest ambition despite her best efforts.

_Highlights Christine's internal conflict and the depth of her artistic disappointment._

> I do not believe in the immortality that you do, and this was my only chance to live beyond the brief hour of my life.

Christine tells Susie that without belief in an afterlife, art was her only hope for lasting significance.

_Reveals Christine's materialist worldview and her reliance on art for legacy._

> Love. Love to God, and I may add love for some good man.

Susie suggests that love—both divine and human—is the remedy for Christine's coldness and despair.

_Introduces the theme of love as a transformative force, which Christine rejects._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/barriers_burned_away_se/chapters/xxviii-life-without-love
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/barriers_burned_away_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/barriers_burned_away_se/chapters