Bertram Cope’s Year · Chapter
XVII: Cope Among Crosscurrents explained
After the sailing accident, Amy Leffingwell is dreamy and defensive, while Hortense is angry and Medora Phillips concedes the foolishness.
What happens
After the sailing accident, Amy Leffingwell is dreamy and defensive, while Hortense is angry and Medora Phillips concedes the foolishness. Cope faces subdued hilarity in his class and embarrassment at the president's wife's reception, where the incident is publicly discussed. He avoids calling on Amy, feeling mortified by Mrs. Phillips' romanticizing. Randolph invites Cope to dinner in his new apartment, where he raises the possibility of marriage following a rescue, which Cope firmly denies.
Themes in this chapter
Performance and Artifice
Cope's sailing mishap becomes a public spectacle, with his class, the president's wife, and the newspaper treating it as a performance to be judged.
Unrequited and Ambiguous Desire
Amy's romanticized view of the rescue contrasts with Cope's disinterest and discomfort, while Randolph probes Cope's feelings about marriage.
Escape and Confinement
Cope feels trapped by the social consequences of the accident and seeks escape through Randolph's invitation, yet remains confined by expectations.
Characters to notice
- Amy Leffingwell
Rapt and meditative at breakfast, defends Cope's actions to Carolyn, cuts out the newspaper paragraph about the accident.
- Bertram Cope
Embarrassed by the sailing incident, ill at ease in class and at the reception, avoids calling on Amy, accepts Randolph's dinner invitation.
- Basil Randolph
Takes Cope to the president's wife's reception, hosts Cope for dinner in his new apartment, probes Cope's intentions regarding marriage.
- Medora Phillips
Concedes the foolishness of the sailing trip, calls Cope on Monday, poetizes him into a hero and regards Amy as an instrument.
- Hortense Dunton
Gives Amy impatient, half-angry glares and makes stinging observations about Cope at breakfast.
- Carolyn Thorpe
Amy speaks a few words to her after breakfast about the rescue.
Key passages
“But it was foolish," Medora Phillips felt obliged to concede. "What in the world made you do it?"”
Medora Phillips admitted the sailing trip was foolish and asked Amy why she went along.
Mrs. Phillips acknowledges the poor judgment of the outing.
“You should have seen how he shook himself free from that sail, and all," she said. "And while we were swimming in he held his hand under my chin—at least part of the time. And when we reached the sandbars he put his arm through mine and helped me over every one."”
Amy described how Cope freed himself from the sail, supported her chin while swimming, and helped her across the sandbars.
Amy romanticizes the rescue to Carolyn.
“Which saved which?" she asked heartily.”
The president's wife asked Cope who rescued whom, implying mutual assistance.
Public teasing about the accident at the reception.
“I don't feel any more inclination to wedded life than ever, nor any likelihood"—here he spoke with effort, as if conscious of a possible danger on some remote horizon—"of entering it."”
Cope stated he has no desire to marry and sees no likelihood of it, speaking with effort as if aware of a distant threat.
Cope firmly denies any intention of marriage to Randolph.
