News from Nowhere · Chapter
XIX: The Drive Back to Hammersmith explained
The Guest, Dick, and Clara leave Old Hammond after a deep conversation.
What happens
The Guest, Dick, and Clara leave Old Hammond after a deep conversation. The Guest feels uneasy about returning to his own time, while Clara and Dick try to reassure him. They discuss the beauty of people's clothing and the Guest's outdated perspective. Clara insists on finding him proper attire for their upcoming journey.
Themes in this chapter
Utopian Socialism
Old Hammond hints that the Guest might carry a message back to his own time, embodying the hope of spreading utopian ideals.
Art and Beauty in Everyday Life
Clara defends the beauty and harmony of people's clothing, arguing that ornamentation is a natural and joyful part of life.
Love and Human Relationships
The affectionate dynamic between Dick and Clara, and their care for the Guest, highlights the centrality of loving bonds in this society.
Characters to notice
- Guest
Feeling like a being from another planet, troubled by visions of his past life and anxious about returning.
- Dick
Cheerful and practical, plans to take the Guest on a haymaking and harvest tour.
- Clara
Sensitive to the Guest's unease, defends the beauty of contemporary clothing, and insists on finding him proper garments.
- Old Hammond
Wise and slightly ominous, hints that the Guest may return to his own people with a message, and warns of a temporary happiness.
- Greylocks
The horse, patiently waiting and receiving affection from children before the drive.
Key passages
“I was not inclined for mere politeness to him after such very serious talk; but in fact I should liked to have gone on talking with the older man, who could understand something at least of my wonted ways of looking at life, whereas, with the younger people, in spite of all their kindness, I really was a being from another planet.”
The Guest felt that only Old Hammond could truly grasp his perspective, while the younger generation, though kind, seemed alien to him.
Highlights the Guest's sense of isolation and the generational gap in understanding.
“For perhaps our guest may some day go back to the people he has come from, and may take a message from us which may bear fruit for them, and consequently for us.”
Old Hammond suggests that the Guest might return to his own time and spread the ideals of this utopian society.
Foreshadows the Guest's possible return and the transformative potential of his experience.
“He could wear shabby clothes if he pleased—that is, if he didn't think he would hurt people's feelings by doing so.”
Clara explains that people choose fine clothing out of consideration for others, not out of necessity.
Illustrates the society's emphasis on communal well-being and aesthetic harmony.