Parnassus on Wheels · Chapter
II explained
Helen McGill encounters Roger Mifflin and his traveling book wagon, Parnassus, at her farm.
What happens
Helen McGill encounters Roger Mifflin and his traveling book wagon, Parnassus, at her farm. Despite her initial resistance, she is drawn to the van and impulsively agrees to buy it for $400, deciding to embark on her own adventure.
Themes in this chapter
The Transformative Power of Books
Mifflin's Parnassus represents the power of books to inspire and transform lives, as seen in Helen's eventual embrace of the wagon despite her practicality.
Gender Roles and Female Independence
Helen's impulsive decision to buy the wagon and go on a lark challenges traditional gender roles, asserting her own agency in her late thirties.
Adventure and Self-Discovery
Helen's choice to buy Parnassus marks the beginning of her personal adventure, stepping away from her domestic routine.
Characters to notice
- Helen McGill
Narrator and protagonist; she is practical but impulsively buys Parnassus to prevent her brother Andrew from being distracted by books.
- Roger Mifflin
The eccentric book peddler who arrives at the farm with his traveling library; he persuades Helen to buy his wagon.
- Andrew McGill
Helen's brother, who is away at town; his love of books is a concern for Helen, who intercepts his mail to keep him focused on farming.
- Peg
The white horse that pulls Parnassus; described as stout and capable of managing the heavy load.
- Bock
The sandy Irish terrier found curled up in the bunk inside the van.
- Mrs. McNally
The washerwoman who comes to the farm on Mondays to do the washing.
Key passages
“I’m not literary, as I said before, but I’m human enough to like a good book, and my eye was running along those shelves of his as I spoke.”
Helen admits she is not a literary person but still appreciates a good book, and she finds herself scanning Mifflin's shelves with interest.
Highlights Helen's practical nature yet her underlying curiosity about books.
“Rather than have Andrew buy your old parcheesi, I said, I’ll buy it myself. I’ll give you $300 for it.”
Helen offers to buy the book wagon herself for $300 to prevent her brother from being tempted by it.
Shows Helen's protective instinct toward Andrew and her impulsive decision-making.
“I don’t know whether it was the neatness of his absurd little van, or the madness of the whole proposition, or just the desire to have an adventure of my own and play a trick on Andrew, but anyway, some extraordinary impulse seized me and I roared with laughter. “Right!” I said. “I’ll do it.” I, Helen McGill, in the thirty-ninth year of my age!”
Helen is overcome by a sudden impulse to buy the van, driven by a mix of admiration for its design, the absurdity of the idea, and a desire for adventure, and she agrees to the purchase.
Captures the pivotal moment of Helen's transformation and her embrace of spontaneity.