Some Do Not … · Chapter
I explained
Sylvia reflects on her husband Christopher Tietjens' character and their marriage, recalling an incident with Sir John and a move to an Inn of Court.
What happens
Sylvia reflects on her husband Christopher Tietjens' character and their marriage, recalling an incident with Sir John and a move to an Inn of Court. The chapter explores Tietjens' consistency and unusual knowledge of life, his predictions about their social situation, and the impact of the war on their relationship. Sylvia reveals she wrote to Lord Port Scatho about Valentine Wannop, and Tietjens discusses his memory loss from a shell explosion in France.
Themes in this chapter
War and Its Disruption
The war is blamed for turning gentlemen like Brownie into 'beastly squits' and causes Tietjens' memory loss and brain damage.
Marriage and Adultery
Sylvia's infidelity and her relationship with Tietjens are central, including her writing to Lord Port Scatho about Valentine Wannop.
Honor and Reputation
Tietjens' honor and consistency are contrasted with the degeneration of others, and Sylvia's actions threaten his reputation.
Self-Deception and Perception
Sylvia struggles to understand Tietjens' character, seeing him as unaccountable yet consistent, and questions his memory loss.
Characters to notice
- Sylvia Tietjens
Reflects on her husband's character, recalls Sir John's proposal, and reveals she wrote to Lord Port Scatho about Valentine Wannop.
- Christopher Tietjens
Discusses his memory loss from a shell explosion in France, his consistency of character, and his predictions about their social move.
- Valentine Wannop
Referenced as the woman Sylvia wrote about to Lord Port Scatho, and as someone Tietjens helps with newspaper articles.
- Vincent Macmaster
Mentioned in Tietjens' speech about patronage and Mrs. Duchemin's influence.
- Edith Ethel Duchemin
Referenced as backing Macmaster and representing higher morality for nice Scots.
- Lord Port Scatho
Sylvia wrote to him about Valentine Wannop; he is chairman of the Inn Billeting Committees.
- Brownie
Sylvia's friend who offered to shut down Tietjens' overdraft; he dislikes Tietjens and wants Sylvia to divorce him.
- Mrs. Wannop
Tietjens helps her with newspaper articles during his time in a tin hut.
Key passages
“it was said, in an enormous house at Brighton or somewhere. But it was another sort of love he bestowed on Tietjens: the rather pathetic love that the aged bestow on their possible successors in office.”
Sir John's affection for Tietjens was like an old man's fondness for a potential heir to his business.
Describes Sir John's proposal to Tietjens.
“He had told her, at Lobscheid, that he had no intention of interfering with her social level, and she was convinced that he was not going to.”
Tietjens assured Sylvia he wouldn't lower her social standing, and she believed him.
Reflects Tietjens' prediction about their move.
“I wrote to him and said that as a resident of the Inn I objected to your mistress—he knows the relationship, of course!—creeping in every Friday under a heavy veil and creeping out every Saturday at four in the morning.”
Sylvia told Lord Port Scatho she opposed Valentine Wannop's visits to Tietjens.
Sylvia reveals her letter to Port Scatho.
“Something burst—or 'exploded' is probably the right word—near me, in the dark. I expect you'd rather not hear about it?”
Tietjens describes a shell explosion near him that caused his memory loss.
Tietjens explains his injury to Sylvia.
