Pointed Roofs · Chapter
IV explained
Miriam attends a German church for the first time on her third Sunday in Germany, reflecting on her previous visits to the English church and her growing sense of alienation from the English congregation.
What happens
Miriam attends a German church for the first time on her third Sunday in Germany, reflecting on her previous visits to the English church and her growing sense of alienation from the English congregation. She grapples with her disdain for sermons and her conflicted feelings about using church as a refuge, ultimately finding solace in the German Lutheran service and the hymn 'Nun danket alle Gott.'
Themes in this chapter
Alienation and Belonging
Miriam feels alienated from the English congregation and decides she does not belong with them, choosing instead to align with the Germans.
Religion and Doubt
Miriam struggles with her disdain for sermons and her conflicted use of church as a refuge, questioning the sincerity of preachers and her own faith.
Inner vs. Outer World
Miriam's internal turmoil contrasts with her outward composure in church, as she pretends to conform while inwardly rebelling.
Characters to notice
- Miriam
Reflects on her alienation from the English church and her decision to align with the Germans; finds comfort in the German service despite her inner turmoil.
- Emma Bergmann
Sits beside Miriam in the German church, shaking with laughter during the hymn, which Miriam finds endearing.
- Fräulein Pfaff
Mentioned as having accompanied the group to the English church on a previous Sunday; not present at the German church.
- Harriett
Recalled in Miriam's memory for her habit of marking time to hymns with a twisted glove-finger.
- Eve
Mentioned in Miriam's memory of the hymn tune she and Eve had called 'hard and square.'
Key passages
“She decided she must be a Radical. Certainly she did not belong to these 'refined' English—women or men. She was quite sure of that, seeing them gathered together, English Church-people in this foreign town. But then Radicals were probably chapel? It would be best to stay with the Germans.”
Miriam concludes she is a Radical and does not fit in with the refined English churchgoers, but worries that Radicals might be chapel-goers, so she decides to stick with the Germans.
Miriam's political and social self-identification in contrast to the English congregation.
“It was wrong to use church like that. She was wrong—all wrong. It couldn't be helped. Who was there who could help her?”
Miriam feels guilty for using church as a refuge from pretense, but sees no one who could understand or help her.
Miriam's internal conflict about her motives for attending church.
“Listening to sermons was wrong… people ought to refuse to be preached at by these men. Trying to listen to them made her more furious than anything she could think of, more base in submitting…”
Miriam believes it is wrong to listen to sermons, as it makes her furious and feels like a base submission to insincere preachers.
Miriam's strong aversion to sermons and preachers.