Chance · Chapter
V: The Tea-Party explained
Marlow is invited to the Fynes' cottage but instead proposes they come to his rooms for tea.
What happens
Marlow is invited to the Fynes' cottage but instead proposes they come to his rooms for tea. Mrs. Fyne arrives and, over tea, discusses Flora de Barral's situation. She reveals that Flora has told Captain Anthony all about her life, and Marlow learns more about the hardships Flora endured after her father's arrest, including being taken away by an odious relative and her father's refusal to communicate with her.
Themes in this chapter
Gender and Women's Roles
Mrs. Fyne's appearance and demeanor are compared to a military officer, and her conversation with Marlow highlights the limited agency and difficult circumstances faced by women like Flora.
Social Class and Wealth
Flora's fall from wealth and the 'vulgar people' she became dependent on illustrate the precariousness of social standing.
Family and Parental Failure
De Barral's refusal to communicate with his daughter after his arrest is a clear example of parental failure and abandonment.
Characters to notice
- Marlow
The narrator, who hosts a tea party for the Fynes and learns more about Flora's past.
- Fyne
Accepts Marlow's invitation to tea on behalf of himself and his wife, appearing preoccupied.
- Mrs. Fyne
Visits Marlow for tea, seeking his practical sagacity and revealing details about Flora's difficult history.
- Flora de Barral
Discussed at length; her past hardships and her relationship with Captain Anthony are the main topics of conversation.
- Captain Anthony
Mentioned as the person Flora has confided in about her life.
Key passages
“She had formed a very favourable opinion of my practical sagacity.”
Mrs. Fyne believed Marlow was a sensible and practical person.
This is the first time Marlow learns that Mrs. Fyne has any particular opinion of him.
“But she had a thirst—the sign of deep, of tormenting emotion.”
Mrs. Fyne's desire for a drink revealed she was deeply troubled.
Marlow interprets Mrs. Fyne's physical state as an indication of her inner emotional turmoil.
“That little cry of distress quite genuine in its inexpressiveness, altered my feeling towards Mrs. Fyne.”
Marlow's opinion of Mrs. Fyne changed when she showed genuine, if understated, distress.
Her exclamation about what else they could do for Flora made her seem more human to Marlow.