News from Nowhere · Chapter
XXVIII: The Little River explained
The group continues their journey up the upper Thames.
What happens
The group continues their journey up the upper Thames. Ellen and the Guest share a boat, and she reveals her impending move to Cumberland, expressing a bittersweet farewell to the river. The Guest confesses his past life in the old world, and Ellen admits she has been drawn to him because he is not of their time. She hints at a future proposal.
Themes in this chapter
Nature and the Environment
Ellen and the Guest marvel at the small scale and beauty of the upper Thames, contrasting it with the careless past.
Love and Human Relationships
The growing intimacy between Ellen and the Guest, her confession about troubling men's hearts, and his renewed youthful hopes.
Characters to notice
- Guest
Feels young again and confesses his past to Ellen, revealing he is from the old world.
- Ellen
Claims the Guest as her companion, speaks of her impending move to Cumberland, and admits she has followed him to ask questions.
- Dick
Wants fairness in boat assignments but defers to Ellen's choice.
- Clara
Blushes at Ellen's remarks, seeming relieved and happy.
Key passages
“I had no idea of the charm of a very small river like this. The smallness of the scale of everything, the short reaches, and the speedy change of the banks, give one a feeling of going somewhere, of coming to something strange—a feeling of adventure which I have not felt in bigger waters.”
Ellen expresses her delight in the intimate, ever-changing landscape of the upper Thames, which feels more adventurous than larger rivers.
Highlights the theme of nature's intimate beauty and the sense of discovery.
“I must tell you, my friend, that when my father leaves the Thames this summer he will take me away to a place near the Roman wall in Cumberland; so that this voyage of mine is farewell to the south—of course with my goodwill in a way; and yet I am sorry for it.”
Ellen confides that she will soon move to Cumberland, making this trip a bittersweet goodbye to the Thames region.
Foreshadows Ellen's departure and deepens the emotional stakes of the journey.