The Getting of Wisdom · Chapter
XXIV explained
Laura returns home for the holidays burdened by her secret failure and the fear of disappointing her mother, who has sacrificed much for her education.
What happens
Laura returns home for the holidays burdened by her secret failure and the fear of disappointing her mother, who has sacrificed much for her education. She becomes irritable and quarrels with Pin, and feels increasingly isolated. Back at school, without Evelyn, she throws herself into her studies but finds solace in a renewed religious fervor, praying fervently for success in her examinations.
Themes in this chapter
Education and the Nature of Wisdom
Laura's fear of failing examinations and her mother's view of education as a tangible investment highlight the pressures and superficial measures of academic success.
Family and Maternal Expectations
Mother's financial sacrifices and disappointment in Laura's behavior underscore the tension between maternal expectations and Laura's internal struggles.
Truth, Lies, and Self-Deception
Laura hides her academic failure and her mother's work from others, leading to feelings of guilt and isolation.
Characters to notice
- Laura Rambotham
Struggles with guilt over her secret failure, becomes irritable and isolated, then turns to intense religious devotion.
- Pin
Bears the brunt of Laura's acrimony; they quarrel and fight frequently.
- Mother
Unaware of Laura's troubles, she scolds Laura for her behavior and laments the cost of her education.
- Evelyn Souttar
Absent from school; Laura deeply misses her and writes long letters to her.
- Sarah
Intervenes when Laura and Pin fight, threatening to fetch their mother.
Key passages
“Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich stärker.”
What does not kill me makes me stronger.
Nietzsche's aphorism sets the tone for Laura's resilience amid her trials.
“She held her peace, and throughout the holidays hugged her disgraceful secret to her, untold.”
She remained silent and kept her shameful secret to herself during the entire holiday.
Laura's concealment of her failure deepens her internal burden.
“The knowledge weighed the more heavily on her own mind.”
The secret knowledge pressed even more heavily on her conscience.
The weight of her secret grows as she hides it from her family.
“She saw chiefly rocks ahead.”
She foresaw mostly obstacles and difficulties in her future.
Laura's anxiety about the future is palpable.
“Mother was one of those people who laid tremendous weight on prizes and examinations, as offering a tangible proof that your time had not been wasted or misspent.”
Mother valued prizes and exams as concrete evidence that one's efforts were worthwhile.
Mother's pragmatic view of education adds pressure on Laura.
“The money which, by hook and by crook, had been scraped together and hoarded up for Laura’s education was now coming to an end.”
The money that had been gathered with difficulty for Laura's schooling was nearly exhausted.
Financial strain intensifies the stakes of Laura's academic success.
