Flight · Chapter
Chapter XXII explained
Mimi and Jimmie attend a party at the Crosby home, where Mrs.
What happens
Mimi and Jimmie attend a party at the Crosby home, where Mrs. Crosby has assembled a mismatched group of guests to meet a Chinese dignitary. Mimi observes the social dynamics, including Bert Bellamy's gossip about Horace Crosby's interest in a showgirl named Dolores d'Aubigny. She engages in a thoughtful conversation with the guest of honor about global stirrings against colonialism, and reflects on the absurdities and hypocrisies of the social scene.
Themes in this chapter
Class and Materialism
The Crosby party showcases a mix of social classes, from Iowa relatives to Broadway types, highlighting the materialism and social climbing of the era.
Religion and Hypocrisy
Mrs. Crosby's casual racism and the use of Japanese waiters for a Chinese guest expose the hypocrisy and ignorance of the social elite.
Cultural Pride and Alienation
The Chinese guest's dignified demeanor contrasts with the superficiality of the party, and his conversation about global stirrings reflects a sense of cultural pride and alienation.
Characters to notice
- Mimi Daquin
Attends the Crosby party, observes the social dynamics, and converses with the Chinese guest of honor.
- Jimmie Forrester
Accompanies Mimi to the party, makes a cynical comment about Jewish workers, and whispers commentary about the guests.
- Bert Bellamy
Provides gossip about the guests, including Horace Crosby's affair with Dolores d'Aubigny.
- Mrs. Horace Crosby
Hosts the party, complains about having to entertain a Chinese guest, and is oblivious to her husband's infidelity.
- Horace Crosby
Hosts the party, talks volubly to the guest of honor, and is involved with the showgirl Dolores d'Aubigny.
Key passages
“How odd Of God To choose The Jews.”
Jimmie makes a flippant remark about the Jewish workers, but Mimi is moved by their weary faces.
Highlights Jimmie's insensitivity and Mimi's empathy.
“I told Horace he oughtn’t expect me to entertain this Chinaman—Chinks always give me the creeps—but he would have me do it.”
Mrs. Crosby complains about having to host a Chinese guest, revealing her racial prejudice.
Shows the casual racism of the social elite.
“There is a change taking place in China—all over the world, in fact. Gandhi in India, we in the Far East, in Africa, in Turkey, in the whole Near East—there is a stirring going on.”
The Chinese guest speaks of a global movement against colonialism, reflecting a broader historical shift.
Adds a serious, intellectual note to the otherwise frivolous party.