Romola · Chapter
LVI: The Other Wife explained
Romola encounters Tessa's young son Lillo wandering alone in the streets and returns him home, where she finds Tessa with her children.
What happens
Romola encounters Tessa's young son Lillo wandering alone in the streets and returns him home, where she finds Tessa with her children. Through conversation, Romola learns that Tessa believes she was married to Tito by a 'holy father' at a fair, not in a church. This revelation suggests Tito's marriage to Romola may be invalid, offering Romola a potential escape from her oppressive bond. However, Romola's internal struggle intensifies as she grapples with the sacredness of her vows versus the possibility of rebellion. She resolves to confront Tito directly and request a separation, but when he arrives home, he seems to expect her agitation, implying he knows she has discovered his other family.
Themes in this chapter
Female Agency and Marriage
Romola's discovery of Tito's other wife forces her to confront the constraints of her marriage and consider rebellion as a sacred act, highlighting the limited agency of women within the institution.
Betrayal and Deception
Tito's secret marriage to Tessa is a profound betrayal of Romola, revealing the extent of his deception and the falsity of his character.
Duty vs. Personal Desire
Romola is torn between her sacred duty to her marriage vows and her personal desire for freedom from a degrading and impossible union, a conflict that mirrors Savonarola's own moral dilemmas.
Characters to notice
- Romola de' Bardi
Discovers Tito's other wife and children, leading to a crisis of conscience about her marriage. She resolves to confront Tito and request a separation.
- Tessa
Reveals the circumstances of her marriage to Tito, which was performed at a fair by a 'holy father' and not in a church, casting doubt on its validity.
- Tito Melema
His secret marriage to Tessa is revealed to Romola. He returns home expecting Romola's agitation, indicating he is aware of her discovery.
- Lillo
Tessa's young son, who Romola finds wandering the streets and returns to his mother.
- Monna Lisa
Present in Tessa's home, working in deaf unconsciousness as Romola arrives.
Key passages
“An agitated flush came over Romola's face in the first moment of certainty, but she had bent her cheek against Lillo's head. The feeling that leaped out in that flush was something like exultation at the thought that the wife's burden might be about to slip from her overladen shoulders; that this little ignorant creature might prove to be Tito's lawful wife.”
Romola felt a surge of relief at the possibility that Tessa, not she, was Tito's true wife, which would free her from her oppressive marriage.
Romola's initial reaction to learning about Tessa is not jealousy but a sense of potential liberation.
“It flashed upon her mind that the problem before her was essentially the same as that which had lain before Savonarola—the problem where the sacredness of obedience ended, and where the sacredness of rebellion began.”
Romola realized she faced the same moral dilemma as Savonarola: determining when it is right to obey and when it is right to rebel.
Romola connects her personal struggle to the larger religious and political conflicts of her time.
“She would tell him that if he ever felt a real need of her, she would come back to him. Was not that the utmost faithfulness to her bond that could be required of her?”
Romola planned to offer Tito a conditional separation, promising to return if he truly needed her, believing this was the most faithful she could be to her vows.
Romola's proposed solution shows her attempt to balance her duty with her need for autonomy.