The Forsyte Saga · Chapter
XIV: Soames Discovers What He Wants explained
Soames, after a tense encounter with his cousin Jolyon, dines at the Lamottes' restaurant and observes Annette, but finds himself torn between his desire for her and his lingering obsession with Irene.
What happens
Soames, after a tense encounter with his cousin Jolyon, dines at the Lamottes' restaurant and observes Annette, but finds himself torn between his desire for her and his lingering obsession with Irene. He ultimately concludes that he most wants Irene to return to him as his lawful wife, avoiding scandal and divorce.
Themes in this chapter
Possessiveness and the Sense of Property
Soames views Irene as an 'empty house' waiting to be retaken into use and possession, and reflects on his legal ownership of her.
Love vs. Marriage as a Contract
Soames considers his legal marriage to Irene and the possibility of reentry into quiet possession without scandal, contrasting with his desire for Annette.
Aging and Mortality
Soames yearns for a son as a perpetuity of self, something to make the rest of life worthwhile and to leave himself to.
Characters to notice
- Soames Forsyte
Soames is in a state of wary anger and indecision, torn between his attraction to Annette and his unresolved passion for Irene. He ultimately decides he wants Irene back as his lawful wife.
- Young Jolyon Forsyte
Soames distrusts Jolyon for having seen Irene, reflecting on his cousin's outcast past and perceived sympathy with laxity.
- Irene Forsyte
Irene is the object of Soames's lingering obsession; he recalls her image and desires her return as his legal wife.
- Annette Forsyte
Annette is the young woman Soames dines near; he finds her pretty and fresh but ultimately decides she lacks the lure of his old passion for Irene.
- Madame Lamotte
Madame Lamotte hosts Soames at the restaurant, offering special coffee and liqueur, and is described as a wonder who never lets failure lodge in her house.
Key passages
“It is so much easier to say, 'Then we know where we are,' than to mean anything particular by the words.”
People often speak as if they have clarity, but their words may lack real meaning.
This opening line reflects Soames's own confusion and the hollow nature of his assertions.
“If only Irene had given him a son, he wouldn't now be squirming after women!”
Soames believes that if Irene had borne him a son, he would not be so desperate for other women.
This thought reveals Soames's desire for a male heir as a source of meaning and stability.
“Why should he be put to the shifts and the sordid disgraces and the lurking defeats of the Divorce Court, when there she was like an empty house only waiting to be retaken into use and possession by him who legally owned her?”
Soames questions why he should endure the shame of divorce when Irene, his legal property, is still available for him to reclaim.
This passage encapsulates Soames's view of marriage as ownership and his aversion to public scandal.