# XXXIII explained — His Family

> Chapter companion for His Family by Ernest Poole.

## What happens

Roger Gale watches Laura return to her carefree, defiant self after her marital troubles, while Edith grows increasingly hostile. Laura eventually leaves a goodbye note and departs to join her lover in Italy, leaving Roger feeling old and defeated.

## Themes in this chapter

### Love, Marriage, and Women's Roles

Laura's unashamed pursuit of love and her decision to leave her husband and family highlight shifting norms around marriage and female autonomy.

### Family and Generational Change

The conflict between Roger's traditional values and Laura's modern behavior, along with Edith's rigid stance, underscores generational tensions within the family.

## Character check-ins

### Roger Gale

Observes Laura's behavior with bewilderment and anger, ultimately feeling old and out of date after her departure.

### Laura Gale

Returns to her natural self, sells jewelry, defies her father's expectations, and leaves a goodbye note to go to her lover in Italy.

### Edith Gale

Confronts Laura about the divorce, argues with Roger, and is horrified that Laura remains in the house with her children.

### Deborah Gale

Informs Edith about the impending divorce and tries to maintain geniality at Christmas dinner.

### Allan Baird

Present at Christmas dinner, attempting to be genial with the children.

## Key lines

> She was actually unashamed, unafraid. That first display of feelings, the night of her arrival, had been only the scare of an hour.

Laura showed no shame or fear; her initial emotional outburst was brief and she quickly recovered.

_Roger's observation of Laura's resilience and lack of remorse._

> Rome reborn, all clean, old-fashioned Christian living swept away by millions of men at each others’ throats like so many wolves.

The new age of Rome symbolizes the destruction of traditional Christian morality by the chaos of war.

_Roger's bitter reflection on modernity and the loss of old values._

## Links

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