# XXIV explained — Memoirs of a Midget

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

## What happens

At Lady Pollacke's tea party, the narrator is the center of attention, presenting a Nankin pot to Sir Walter and being drawn into conversation with the formidable Mrs. Monnerie. After a song by Miss Templemaine, the narrator recites a poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, 'The Weakest Thing,' and discusses its meaning with the company, revealing her youthful perspective. Mrs. Monnerie takes an interest in her, proposing sea-air and arranging a visit, while Mr. Crimble and Mr. Pellew also engage with her.

## Themes in this chapter

### Performance and Being on Show

The narrator is the center of attention, reciting a poem and being scrutinized by the company, highlighting the theme of being on display.

### Class and Social Hierarchy

The interactions at Lady Pollacke's tea party, with Mrs. Monnerie as a dominant figure and the narrator as a subordinate, reflect social hierarchies.

### Deception and Self-Deception

The narrator chooses a poem for its general appeal rather than personal meaning, and Mrs. Monnerie's questioning reveals the gap between appearance and understanding.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown (Narrator)

The narrator is the focal point of the tea party, delivering a pot to Sir Walter, reciting a poem, and engaging in conversation with Mrs. Monnerie and others.

### Mrs. Monnerie

Mrs. Monnerie dominates the gathering, questioning the narrator about her poem and health, and proposing sea-bathing and a visit.

### Lady Pollacke

Lady Pollacke hosts the tea party, orchestrates the entertainment, and hovers over the narrator and Mrs. Monnerie.

### Mr. Crimble

Mr. Crimble speaks up to defend Mrs. Bowater and mentions the tragic story of Wanderslore, causing a blush from the narrator.

### Mr. Ambrose Pellew

Mr. Pellew, who baptized the narrator, recalls her christening and invites her to visit his rectory in Devonshire.

### Miss Templemaine

Miss Templemaine sings a song about broken hearts and parting, which the narrator finds physically distressing.

## Key lines

> My moment had come, but I was prepared for it. In my last ordeal I had broken down because I had chosen a poem that was a kind of secret thing in my mind. So, after receiving Lady Pollacke’s letter, I had hunted about for a recitation as short, but less personal: one, I mean, whose sentiments I didn’t mind.

The narrator had prepared for her recitation by selecting a less personal poem after a previous failure, aiming for something that would not reveal her inner feelings.

_This shows the narrator's strategic approach to performance and her awareness of the social risks of self-exposure._

> “And the moral?” The silence that hung over this little exchange was growing more and more dense. Luckless Miss M. ! She only plunged herself deeper into it by her reply that, “Oh, there’s nothing very much in the moral, Mrs. Monnerie. That’s quite ordinary. At least I read about that in prose , why, before I was seven!”

When asked about the poem's moral, the narrator dismissively says it is ordinary and something she learned in childhood, which deepens the awkward silence.

_The narrator's naive response highlights her youth and the social tension of the moment._

## Links

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