# XIV explained — Memoirs of a Midget

> Chapter companion for Memoirs of a Midget by Walter de la Mare.

## What happens

The narrator awakens to a snowy morning and reflects on Fanny's beauty and elusive nature. Mr. Crimble visits twice, eventually having tea with the narrator, who probes his feelings for Fanny. The narrator recalls conversations with Fanny about love and her own childhood, revealing her infatuation and Fanny's theatrical, heartless character.

## Themes in this chapter

### Love and Obsession

The narrator's infatuation with Fanny is central, describing her beauty as haunting and her own love as a 'dream that remained a dream in spite of its intensifying resemblance to a nightmare.'

### Deception and Self-Deception

The narrator admits to shutting her eyes to Fanny's commonness and cruelty, and reflects on the duplicity of appearances versus inner reality.

### Performance and Being on Show

Fanny is described as theatrical, watching herself in mirrors and observing her effects on others, and the narrator notes her 'serene, theatrical' seriousness.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown (Narrator)

Reflects on Fanny's beauty and her own infatuation; hosts Mr. Crimble for tea and probes his feelings.

### Fanny Bowater

Absent during the snow; later discussed as clever, beautiful, and heartless; reveals her view on love ('I shall go blind').

### Mr. Crimble

Visits twice, has tea with the narrator; shows interest in Fanny and discusses pessimism and religion.

### Mrs. Bowater

Scatters crumbs for birds; hosts tea; the narrator withholds the secret of Fanny's mother's death out of loyalty to her.

### Dr. Phelps

Mentioned as a visitor to whom Fanny does not show her cleverness.

## Key lines

> How believe that such beauty is any the less a gift to its possessor than its bespeckled breast and song to a thrush, its sheen to a starling?

The narrator questions whether beauty is as much a gift to the person who has it as a bird's song or feathers are to the bird.

_Reflects on the disconnect between outer beauty and inner character._

> I shall go blind.

Fanny says she will become blind if she falls in love, implying she will be unable to see the truth or the person clearly.

_Reveals Fanny's cynical and theatrical view of love._

> Whomsoever we love becomes unique in that love, and I suppose we are responsible for what we give as well as for what we accept.

The narrator suggests that love makes the beloved special, and we must take responsibility for both what we offer and what we tolerate.

_The narrator's reflection on her own infatuation and self-awareness._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/memoirs_of_a_midget_se/chapters/xiv
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/memoirs_of_a_midget_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/memoirs_of_a_midget_se/chapters