Crome Yellow · Chapter
XVIII explained
The chapter opens with Ivor departing for Mass in his lemon-yellow car, accompanied by Mary.
What happens
The chapter opens with Ivor departing for Mass in his lemon-yellow car, accompanied by Mary. Meanwhile, Mr. Bodiham preaches a sermon on the War Memorial, advocating for a religious monument rather than a library or reservoir. Henry Wimbush walks home, reflecting on the loss of traditional rural pleasures and the Puritan suppression of pagan rites.
Themes in this chapter
Religion and Mysticism
Contrast between Ivor's Catholic devotion and Mr. Bodiham's stern Anglican sermon, highlighting differing religious practices.
Time and Transience
Henry Wimbush's reflection on the loss of ancient pagan traditions and the ephemeral nature of cultural practices.
Social Class and Farming
The village youths' lack of communal amusements and the decline of rural social life, contrasted with the gentry's nostalgia.
Characters to notice
- Ivor
Departs early for Roman Catholic Mass in his lemon-yellow car, punctilious in his devotions.
- Mary
Accompanies Ivor to the Roman Catholic service, curious about the experience.
- Mr. Bodiham
Preaches a sermon on the War Memorial, advocating for a religious monument and condemning secular proposals.
- Henry Wimbush
Walks home after the sermon, musing on the loss of indigenous country pleasures and the Puritan suppression of pagan dances.
Key passages
“And the cedar of the house within was carved with knops”
The interior cedar of the temple was decorated with ornamental buds.
Biblical verse used by Mr. Bodiham as the text for his sermon on the War Memorial.
“What old, earthy, Panic rite came to extinction here? he wondered. Who knows?—perhaps their ancestors had danced like this in the moonlight ages before Adam and Eve were so much as thought of.”
Henry ponders what ancient pagan ritual was lost when Puritan magistrates suppressed a naked moonlit dance.
Reflects Henry's melancholy over the eradication of indigenous rural traditions.