# XL explained — Memoirs of a Midget

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

## What happens

The narrator, brooding over her insignificance and jealousy of Fanny, encounters the unexpected arrival of Adam Waggett at Mrs. Monnerie's house. She receives a marriage proposal from Wanderslore and a letter from Sir W. P. about her finances, which she tears up in rage. Susan Monnerie questions her about Fanny and a possible marriage, leading the narrator to feel betrayed by Fanny's loose talk.

## Themes in this chapter

### Deception and Self-Deception

The narrator deceives herself about her own insignificance and jealousy, while also suspecting Fanny of betraying her confidence.

### Solitude and Self-Discovery

The narrator's brooding and introspection in the library, and her realization of her own vanity and loneliness, highlight this theme.

### Class and Social Hierarchy

The narrator's concern about Adam Waggett's behavior reflecting on her social standing, and her fall from 'Court Favourite' to 'Court Fool' at Mrs. Monnerie's.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown (Narrator)

Broods over her jealousy and insignificance, receives a marriage proposal, and confronts Susan about Fanny's betrayal.

### Adam Waggett

Appears unexpectedly in the library, causing the narrator to panic and instruct him to forget their past and not address her in company.

### Fanny Bowater

The narrator's jealousy of Fanny's social success and her suspected betrayal of the narrator's private matters are central to the chapter.

### Susan Monnerie

Questions the narrator about Fanny and a possible marriage, revealing that Fanny may have spoken about the narrator's private affairs.

### Marvell

Discreetly enters the library to adjust a newspaper, hinting at the electrical disturbance caused by the thunder.

### Sir W.

Sends a letter about the narrator's finances, which she tears up in anger.

## Key lines

> Life became a continuous game of chess, the moves of which at times kept me awake and brooding in a far from wholesome fashion in my bed.

The narrator feels like a pawn in a game she cannot control, leading to sleepless and bitter thoughts.

_Reflects her sense of powerlessness and jealousy._

> I was sullenly stewing in my thoughts in the library one morning over a book which to this day I never weary of reading; Gilbert White’s Natural History of Selborne.

The narrator tries to escape her troubles by reading a natural history book, but is interrupted.

_Highlights her attempt to find solace in nature and learning._

> It ended with a proposal of marriage. In most of the novels I have read, the heroine simply basks in such a proposal, even though scarcely her fingertips are warmed by its rays. For my part, this letter, far from making me happy or even complacent, produced nothing but a feeling of fretfulness and shame.

Unlike typical heroines, the narrator feels ashamed and troubled by the marriage proposal.

_Shows her complex feelings about love and social expectations._

> I saw myself—gossamer veil, dwarfed orange-blossom, and gypsophila bouquet, all complete.

The narrator imagines herself as a dwarf bride, mocking the idea of her own marriage.

_Reflects her self-deprecating humor and anxiety about her size and social role._

> From being Court Favourite I gradually sank to being Court Fool.

The narrator's status at Mrs. Monnerie's declines from favored to ridiculed.

_Illustrates her fall in social standing and increasing isolation._

## Links

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