The Blue Castle · Chapter
IX explained
Valancy attends Uncle Herbert and Aunt Alberta's silver wedding dinner, where her increasingly rebellious behavior—from refusing to wear her hair pompadour to openly waving at Roaring Abel—alarms her family.
What happens
Valancy attends Uncle Herbert and Aunt Alberta's silver wedding dinner, where her increasingly rebellious behavior—from refusing to wear her hair pompadour to openly waving at Roaring Abel—alarms her family. The chapter details the small acts of defiance leading up to the event, including sliding down the bannister and announcing she will switch churches, all of which mark her quiet declaration of independence.
Themes in this chapter
Self-Liberation and Rebellion
Valancy's small acts of defiance—changing her hairstyle, waving at Roaring Abel, refusing to attend the Anglican church—are part of her quiet rebellion against family expectations and social conformity.
Social Class and Family Dynamics
The Stirling family's concern with respectability and appearances is highlighted through their reactions to Valancy's behavior, as well as the contrast with Roaring Abel's unashamed reprobate lifestyle.
Characters to notice
- Valancy Stirling
Valancy continues her quiet rebellion, wearing her hair differently, waving at Roaring Abel, and making cryptic remarks that unsettle her mother and Cousin Stickles.
- Mrs. Stirling
Mrs. Frederick Stirling is increasingly distressed by Valancy's behavior, trying to maintain control before the silver wedding dinner but failing to understand her daughter's transformation.
- Cousin Stickles
Cousin Stickles observes Valancy's odd actions—sliding down the bannister, reading a book on Sunday—and keeps some of them secret from Mrs. Stirling, though she is deeply uneasy.
- Roaring Abel Gay
Roaring Abel drives past the Stirlings on his way to the wedding, drunk but polite; Valancy waves at him, a gesture of fellow feeling that astonishes him.
- Uncle Herbert
Uncle Herbert is the host of the silver wedding dinner; Valancy likes him and does not want to hurt his feelings by staying away.
- Aunt Alberta
Aunt Alberta is the co-host of the silver wedding; her house is described as pretentious and ugly.
Key passages
“She smiled gaily and waved her hand to Roaring Abel. Why not? She had always liked the old sinner. He was such a jolly, picturesque, unashamed reprobate and stood out against the drab respectability of Deerwood and its customs like a flame-red flag of revolt and protest.”
Valancy waves cheerfully at Roaring Abel, feeling a kinship with him as a symbol of rebellion against Deerwood's dull conformity.
This moment shows Valancy's identification with defiance and her rejection of the stifling respectability her family upholds.
“Won't you try to remember you're a lady? she pleaded. Oh, if there were only any hope of being able to forget it! said Valancy wearily.”
Mrs. Stirling begs Valancy to act like a lady, but Valancy replies that she wishes she could forget that expectation entirely.
Valancy's weary response underscores her desire to escape the restrictive role of a 'lady' imposed by her family and society.