Bertram Cope’s Year · Chapter
V: Cope Is Considered Further explained
Randolph visits Joseph Foster, who is confined to a wheelchair and nearly blind, in his cluttered room.
What happens
Randolph visits Joseph Foster, who is confined to a wheelchair and nearly blind, in his cluttered room. They discuss Foster's isolation, the noise of the young women in the house, and Cope's recent singing, which Foster heard but did not see. Foster describes Cope's voice as cool and correct, like an 'icicle on Diana's temple.' Randolph shares his impressions of Cope from a tea at Mrs. Ryder's, noting his trim figure and breezy manners but also a detached quality. The conversation turns to the generational gap and how young people treat their elders. Later, Randolph speaks with Medora Phillips, who plans a young people's dinner and invites him, hinting that Cope may attend.
Themes in this chapter
Youth vs. Middle Age
The chapter contrasts Foster's and Randolph's aging, isolated perspectives with Cope's youthful vitality and the noise of the young women.
Performance and Artifice
Cope's singing is described as a cool, correct performance, and Foster's commentary highlights the artifice in social interactions.
Class and Provincialism
The discussion of how young people treat their elders, and the condescending pity or practical use they have for them, reflects class and generational hierarchies.
Characters to notice
- Basil Randolph
Visits Foster, discusses Cope, and accepts an invitation to Medora's dinner.
- Joe Foster
Confined to a wheelchair and nearly blind, he hears Cope sing and describes his voice as cool and correct.
- Medora Phillips
Plans a young people's dinner and invites Randolph, expecting Cope to attend.
- Bertram Cope
Discussed by Randolph and Foster; his singing is heard but not seen; described as having a cool, correct baritone and a detached manner.
Key passages
“An icicle on Diana’s temple—that would be my guess.”
Foster describes Cope's singing as cold and detached, like an icicle on a statue of the goddess Diana.
Highlights Cope's cool, unemotional demeanor.
“He called me 'sir,' with a touch of deference; yet somehow I felt as if I were standing too close to an electric fan.”
Randolph felt that Cope's respectful manner was accompanied by a cool, distancing effect.
Illustrates the ambiguous and slightly uncomfortable dynamic between Cope and older men.
“There are no teahouses on the road to Parnassus.”
There are no leisurely distractions on the path to artistic or academic success.
Reflects the theme of youth vs. middle age and the seriousness of Cope's ambitions.