The Good Soldier · Chapter
IV explained
Nancy Rufford, in a blissful dream of Edward's love, rejects Leonora's desperate pleas to stay and save Edward by becoming his mistress.
What happens
Nancy Rufford, in a blissful dream of Edward's love, rejects Leonora's desperate pleas to stay and save Edward by becoming his mistress. Edward, drunk, telephones Nancy's mother to arrange her departure. After a night of weeping and reconciliation, Edward cables John Dowell to come over, and Nancy receives a telegram from Mr. White agreeing to take Mrs. Rufford to Italy.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Marriage
Nancy's idealized, spiritual love for Edward contrasts with Leonora's insistence on marital duty and the necessity of adultery to save Edward.
Deception and Betrayal
Leonora's command that Nancy must become an adulteress to save Edward highlights the betrayal of marital vows and self-deception.
Gender Roles and Power
Edward asserts his authority as 'master of this house,' while Leonora and Nancy struggle over control of his fate; Nancy feels her spirit bow before his male voice.
Characters to notice
- Nancy Rufford
Sits in a blissful dream, feeling she possesses Edward's soul; rejects Leonora's commands; plans to go to Glasgow to rescue her mother; later weeps with Leonora and agrees to go to India.
- Leonora Ashburnham
Desperately commands Nancy to stay and belong to Edward, offering divorce; appears to Nancy as a cruel, predatory beast; later weeps with Nancy and spends the night talking.
- Edward Ashburnham
Appears drunk with a whisky decanter and candlestick, forbids Nancy to discuss the matter, telephones Mrs. Rufford, and later cables Dowell to come over.
- John Dowell
Mentioned as being cabled by Edward to come over and make things easier until Nancy leaves.
- Mrs. Rufford
Nancy's mother in Glasgow; Edward telephones her and arranges for Mr. White to take her to Italy.
Key passages
“And it seemed to her to be in tune with the mood, with the hour, and with the woman in front of her to say that she knew Edward was dying of love for her and that she was dying of love for Edward.”
Nancy felt it was appropriate to the moment to declare that she and Edward were both dying of love for each other.
Nancy's realization of mutual love crystallizes in this moment.
“It appeared to her that it was Leonora’s business to save her husband’s body; she, Nancy, possessed his soul—a precious thing that she would shield and bear away up in her arms—as if Leonora were a hungry dog, trying to spring up at a lamb that she was carrying.”
Nancy believed Leonora could only care for Edward's physical needs, while she alone held his soul, which she would protect from Leonora like a lamb from a predatory dog.
Nancy's romantic self-justification casts Leonora as a threat.
“The girl must become an adulteress; she had wronged Edward by being so beautiful, so gracious, so good. It was sinful to be so good. She must pay the price so as to save the man she had wronged.”
Leonora argued that Nancy's very virtues had wronged Edward, so she must commit adultery to atone and save him.
Leonora's twisted logic blames Nancy for Edward's love.