Memoirs of a Midget · Chapter
XXXIX explained
The narrator, summoned by Marvell, meets Sir Walter Pollacke in the library.
What happens
The narrator, summoned by Marvell, meets Sir Walter Pollacke in the library. Sir Walter reveals that Mrs. Bowater has gone husband-hunting and left him as a trustee. The narrator shows him a troubling letter about 'Shares.' Later, Fanny Bowater confides her desire for ease and security, and the narrator learns that Fanny does not know Mrs. Bowater is not her real mother. Fanny warns against mentioning Mr. Crimble. Mrs. Monnerie, in a pensive mood, eventually offers Fanny a position as a morning governess and companion. The chapter ends with the narrator reflecting on aging and solitude.
Themes in this chapter
Class and Social Hierarchy
The chapter explores social climbing, the role of trustees and patrons, and Fanny's pragmatic pursuit of ease and security within the upper-class household of Mrs. Monnerie.
Deception and Self-Deception
The narrator and Fanny share secrets about parentage and the 'Crimble chapter,' while Fanny hides her true motives behind a facade of mockery and heartlessness.
Solitude and Self-Discovery
The narrator reflects on aging and the prospect of becoming a 'little bent-up, old, midget woman,' finding solace in her own company and internal entertainment.
Characters to notice
- Unknown (Narrator)
The narrator meets with Sir Walter, shows him the letter about Shares, and has a deep conversation with Fanny about secrets and friendship.
- Sir Walter Pollacke
Sir Walter is revealed as a trustee left by Mrs. Bowater; he examines the narrator's letter and discusses the nature of life and trust.
- Fanny Bowater
Fanny confides her ignorance about her parentage, her desire for ease and security, and her intention to please Mrs. Monnerie. She also declares the 'Crimble chapter' closed.
- Mrs. Monnerie
Mrs. Monnerie is in a pensive, dreamy state, but later offers Fanny a position as a morning governess and companion, showing her influence and hidden depth.
- Mr. Crimble
Referenced as the subject of a closed chapter; Fanny forbids mentioning his name in the house.
- Susan Monnerie
Mentioned as being engaged, with Fanny deducing the engagement from a ring bulge under her glove.
Key passages
“So it was with a deep sigh—half of regret at being called away, and all of joy at the thought of seeing my old friend again—that I followed Marvell’s coattails over the threshold.”
I sighed deeply, partly sad to leave but mostly happy to see my old friend, as I followed Marvell out the door.
The narrator expresses mixed emotions about leaving one situation to meet Sir Walter.
“I pounced on it like a wasp on a plum.”
I seized on that word eagerly, like a wasp attacking a ripe plum.
The narrator eagerly latches onto Sir Walter's word 'trustee' as a key to understanding her situation.
“Life consists, of course, in shedding various kinds of skin—and tanning the remainder.”
Life is about changing and adapting, like a snake shedding its skin, while toughening what remains.
Sir Walter offers a philosophical reflection on transformation and resilience.
“The Crimble chapter is closed.”
We must never speak of Mr. Crimble again, at least in this house.
Fanny firmly ends any discussion of Mr. Crimble, indicating a painful or secret past.
“I actually saw myself a little bent-up, old, midget woman creeping down some stone steps out of a porch, with a fanlight, under a street lamp.”
I imagined myself as a tiny, hunched old woman slowly descending stone steps beneath a street lamp.
The narrator has a vivid, unsettling vision of her own future aging and solitude.
