Some Do Not … · Chapter
V explained
Valentine Wannop grapples with the aftermath of a disturbing phone call from Sylvia Tietjens, who accuses her of being Christopher Tietjens' mistress and warns her to 'keep off the grass.' Meanwhile, Valentine's mother, Mrs.
What happens
Valentine Wannop grapples with the aftermath of a disturbing phone call from Sylvia Tietjens, who accuses her of being Christopher Tietjens' mistress and warns her to 'keep off the grass.' Meanwhile, Valentine's mother, Mrs. Wannop, receives a lucrative commission to write sensational war articles, but Tietjens' recalcitrance threatens the deal. Valentine reflects on her feelings for Tietjens, the revelations about his marriage, and her own evolving views on sexuality and chastity, shaped by her past and the coarse realities of war. The chapter ends with Valentine's brother Edward arriving on leave, adding to her emotional turmoil.
Themes in this chapter
Gender Roles and Sexuality
Valentine's internal conflict about chastity, promiscuity, and her reaction to Sylvia's accusations highlight the era's double standards and the tension between public advocacy and private morality.
Self-Deception and Perception
Valentine's shifting views on Tietjens' fidelity and her own feelings reveal the struggle between what she knows and what she wants to believe.
War and Its Disruption
The war intrudes on personal lives through Edward's coarsened demeanor, the pressure to write propaganda, and the looming separation from Tietjens.
Characters to notice
- Valentine Wannop
Struggles with the phone call from Sylvia Tietjens, reflects on her love for Christopher Tietjens, and contemplates her moral stance on sexuality and war journalism.
- Sylvia Tietjens
Makes a threatening phone call to Valentine, accusing her of being Christopher's mistress and warning her to stay away.
- Christopher Tietjens
Absent from the scene but central to Valentine's thoughts; his wife's accusations and his refusal to support Mrs. Wannop's sensational articles weigh on Valentine.
- Mrs. Wannop
Receives a commission for war articles but faces Tietjens' opposition; relies on Valentine to persuade him.
- Edward Wannop
Valentine's brother, arrives on leave, coarsened by war, and plans to attend a ragtime party with Valentine.
- Edith Ethel Duchemin
Referenced in Valentine's reflections as the source of earlier revelations about sexuality and as a possible rival for Tietjens' affections.
Key passages
“Young woman! You'd better keep off the grass. Mrs. Duchemin is already my husband's mistress. You keep off.”
Sylvia Tietjens warns Valentine to stay away from her husband, claiming that Edith Ethel Duchemin is already his mistress.
This phone call from Sylvia shocks Valentine and reveals the hostility and jealousy in the Tietjens marriage.
“She was aware that this was immoral, and her mother needed the money desperately and her mother came first.”
Valentine acknowledges that writing about war babies might be wrong, but her mother's financial need takes priority.
Valentine's moral compromise reflects the economic pressures faced by women during the war.
“It was as if a novel had been snatched out of her hand so that she would never know the end.”
Valentine feels that her relationship with Tietjens has been abruptly cut off, leaving her without closure.
This metaphor captures Valentine's sense of loss and uncertainty about her future with Tietjens.