# XXVIII explained — His Family

> Chapter companion for His Family by Ernest Poole.

## What happens

Roger Gale reads war news and reflects on humanity's immaturity, then learns from Edith that John has tuberculosis and must leave the house, leading to a tense confrontation.

## Themes in this chapter

### The Impact of Modernity and War

Roger reflects on how the war has shattered his faith in humanity's maturity, comparing mankind to a precocious child with dangerous toys.

### Family and Generational Change

The conflict between Edith's protective motherhood and Deborah's broader social activism highlights generational and familial tensions.

### Mortality and Legacy

John's tuberculosis and the risk to the children underscore themes of illness, death, and the struggle to protect one's legacy.

## Character check-ins

### Roger Gale

Reads war news, reflects on humanity, feels pride in Deborah's work, then clashes with Edith over John's illness.

### Edith Gale

Mends clothes, sings a lullaby to Tad, and confronts Roger about John's tuberculosis, insisting he must leave.

### Deborah Gale

Mentioned as having a meeting and being involved in child welfare; Roger reads about her in the paper.

### John

Has Pott's Disease of the spine and now tuberculosis; Edith insists he must be moved out of the house.

### Tad

Little Tad; Edith mends his rompers and sings him a lullaby.

## Key lines

> Dead and wounded by the thousands, famine, bombs and shrapnel, hideous atrocities, submarines and floating mines, words once remote but now familiar, always there on the front page and penetrating into his soul, becoming a part of Roger Gale, so that never again when the war was done would he be the same man he was before.

The constant war news has become so ingrained in Roger that he will be permanently changed by it.

_Illustrates the psychological impact of war on an individual._

> He has tuberculosis. He has no such thing! John has Pott's Disease of the spine! Yes, I know he has. And I'm sorry for him, poor lad. But in the last year certain complications have come. And now he's tubercular as well.

Edith reveals that John's spinal disease has developed into tuberculosis, which Roger initially denies.

_Key plot point revealing John's worsening health and the ensuing conflict._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/his_family_se/chapters/xxviii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/his_family_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/his_family_se/chapters