The Getting of Wisdom · Chapter
XVIII explained
Laura's elaborate lies about a romance with the curate Mr.
What happens
Laura's elaborate lies about a romance with the curate Mr. Shepherd are exposed, leading to her ostracization by her peers. She is humiliated, called a 'lying sneak,' and shunned by former friends like Maria, Kate Horner, and Tilly Macnamara. The chapter details her fall from grace, her desperate attempts to avoid exposure, and her isolation as she faces the consequences of her fabrications.
Themes in this chapter
Truth, Lies, and Self-Deception
Laura's elaborate lies about a romance with Mr. Shepherd are exposed, leading to her social ruin. The chapter explores the consequences of deception and the way lies can take on a life of their own, as Laura begins to believe her own fabrications.
Friendship and the Desire for Belonging
Laura's desperate need for admiration and belonging drives her to fabricate stories. Her fall from grace results in complete ostracization, highlighting the fragility of social bonds and the pain of rejection.
Female Adolescence and Sexuality
Laura's invented narrative of a 'frustrated attempt on her virtue' reflects her grappling with adolescent sexuality and the social pressures surrounding female purity, influenced by her reading of 'Pamela.'
Characters to notice
- Laura Rambotham
Laura is the central figure whose lies about a romance with Mr. Shepherd are exposed, leading to her social downfall and intense shame.
- Maria Morell
Maria is one of Laura's accusers, calling her a 'vile little liar' and a 'dirty little skunk,' and leading the condemnation.
- Tilly Macnamara
Tilly expresses bitter disdain for Laura, mocking her shyness and claiming she was a fool to believe Laura's stories.
- Kate Horner
Kate joins Maria in condemning Laura, suggesting she should be expelled and her bottom smacked.
- Chinky
Chinky attempts to comfort Laura but is rebuffed; she humbly withdraws after Laura's harsh response.
- Evelyn Souttar
Evelyn, a pretty girl with twinkling brown eyes, shows a rare moment of kindness, calling Laura 'Poor little Kiddy' before turning away.
Key passages
“You wretched little lying sneak!”
Laura is harshly accused by her peers after her lies are exposed.
This marks the moment of public condemnation following the revelation of her fabricated romance.
“I was a dashed fool ever to believe a word. I might have known her little game.”
Tilly expresses regret and anger at having trusted Laura's stories.
Tilly's bitterness underscores the betrayal felt by Laura's friends.
“What they could not forgive, or get over, was the extraordinary circumstantiality of the fictions which with she had gulled them”
The other girls were more shocked by the detailed nature of Laura's lies than by the lies themselves.
This explains why Laura's peers treated her as a criminal rather than forgiving a simple falsehood.
“I don't know . They just came.”
Laura admits she cannot explain why she told such elaborate lies.
This moment of self-reflection shows Laura's confusion about her own actions.
“Detection and exposure, she knew it now, were the most awful things the world held.”
Laura realizes that being found out and shamed is the worst possible fate.
This thought captures her terror as she anticipates the consequences of her lies.
