# III explained — Interim

> Chapter companion for Interim by Dorothy M. Richardson.

## What happens

Miriam returns to the Baileys' boarding house, feeling the weight of her role as Sissie's French teacher. She observes the household's dynamics, including a new manservant and the presence of Mr. Mendizabal, a foreign visitor. A lively conversation in French with Mr. Mendizabal sparks a sense of cosmopolitan connection, contrasting with the stifling atmosphere of the house. The chapter explores themes of performance, authenticity, and the search for a broader intellectual world.

## Themes in this chapter

### Social Performance and Authenticity

Miriam feels she is 'masquerading' and that her true self is unknown, while the household engages in theatrical pretense.

### Urban Life and Escape

The boarding house represents a confined urban existence, while the idea of Cosmopolis offers an intellectual escape.

### Class and Respectability

Miriam's initial resentment of Mr. Mendizabal's vulgar appearance reflects class prejudices, which she later questions.

## Character check-ins

### Miriam

Feels trapped by her role as a boarder and teacher, longing for intellectual freedom and cosmopolitan connection.

### Mrs. Bailey

Hosts an evening with Mr. Mendizabal, managing the household with a theatrical flair.

### Sissie

Struggles with French pronunciation during her lesson, showing a docile but uncomprehending attitude.

### Mr. Mendizabal

A foreign visitor who engages Miriam in a spirited French conversation, challenging her ideas about cosmopolitanism.

### Emile

The new manservant, who appears as a farcical character in the household's amateur theatrics.

## Key lines

> I’m cut and dried, everybody thinks. Moving and speaking stiffly, the stamp of my family, the minute anything is expected of me. Nobody knows me. I grow more and more unknown and more and more like what people think of me.

Miriam feels that everyone sees her as stiff and predictable, a product of her family's expectations, and that her true self remains hidden and increasingly obscured by others' perceptions.

_Highlights the theme of social performance and authenticity._

> All over the globe, dotted here and there were people who read and thought, making a network of unanimous culture.

Miriam imagines a worldwide community of intellectuals connected by shared ideas, transcending national boundaries.

_Reflects the ideal of Cosmopolis and the desire for intellectual escape._

> There is no Cosmopolis. Bernard Mendizabal.

Mr. Mendizabal dismisses Miriam's idealistic notion of a unified global culture, asserting that it does not exist.

_Challenges Miriam's cosmopolitan vision and introduces a contrasting perspective._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/interim_se/chapters/iii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/interim_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/interim_se/chapters