VI: The Red Lights explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Appearance vs. Reality

  The chapter contrasts the outward appearance of Napier and Venice's happy marriage with the hidden reality of Napier's obsessive love for Iris. The narrator fears that Venice, if she saw Napier's true state, would recognize the difference between his easy smile and his 'damnable madness.'

• Shame and Redemption

  Iris is described as a 'helpless, hopeless, unhappy woman' and a 'poor shameless, shameful lady,' embodying the tension between societal shame and personal tragedy. Napier's guilt and desire to 'live clean' reflect his struggle for redemption.

• Purity and Corruption

  Venice is portrayed as 'incorruptible, golden Venice,' a symbol of purity and loyalty, while Iris is associated with scandal and tragedy. The narrator's loyalty to Venice underscores the theme of corruption threatening innocence.

Characters to notice

• Napier Harpenden

  Napier is distraught and guilt-ridden, having secretly corresponded with Iris and now desperate to see her in the nursing home. He is described as a 'love-lost man' with 'burning, broken eyes,' and the narrator fears his behavior will betray his true feelings to Venice.

• Iris March

  Iris is gravely ill in a Paris nursing home, having written to Napier four weeks earlier. She is pregnant with Napier's child, unknown to him, and is described as 'wrapped in tragedy and scandal.' The narrator reflects on her past relationships with Boy, Hector, and Napier.

• Venice Pollen

  Venice is Napier's wife, waiting outside in a taxi. The narrator is fiercely loyal to her, describing her as 'incorruptible, golden Venice.' The narrator fears that if Venice sees Napier in his current state, she will realize the difference between his love for her and his 'damnable madness' for Iris.

• Gerald March

  Gerald is mentioned in the context of his death, which occurred on the night Iris and Napier reunited. The narrator recalls that night and realizes Iris called him her 'destroyer' because he did not tell her about Gerald's arrest.

• Boy Fenwick

  Boy Fenwick's 'queer death' is recalled as having come between a young Napier and Iris, contributing to their long separation.

• Hector Storm

  Hector is mentioned as one of Iris's past lovers, alongside Boy and Napier. The narrator reflects on the destructive pattern of Iris's relationships.

Key passages

• “Venice was strong, strong as gold, in loyalty and love. Incorruptible, golden Venice! Salute to Venice! So, said the Prince of Darkness, she must be destroyed”

  Venice's loyalty and love are as strong and pure as gold, but fate (the Prince of Darkness) has decreed that she must be destroyed.

  This passage introduces the central conflict: the narrator's loyalty to Venice versus the destructive force of fate that brings Napier and Iris together.

• “Iris had lit a flame and was like to be burnt to death in the cold fires of that flame. Iris had lit a flame, and the flames that Iris lit seemed quenchable only by death.”

  Iris has started a destructive passion that will consume her, and only death can extinguish it.

  This metaphor emphasizes Iris's tragic role as both the instigator and victim of her own destructive relationships.

• “And then for the first time I remembered the cry of 'Iris!' in the night, and the two red rear-lights swerving into South Audley Street, and I understood how it was that Iris in her letter had called me her 'destroyer'”

  The narrator suddenly recalls the night Iris called out and her red taillights turned into South Audley Street, realizing that Iris blamed him for being her 'destroyer' because he didn't tell her about Gerald.

  This moment of realization connects the present crisis to the past event, revealing the narrator's guilt and the chain of events leading to Iris and Napier's reunion.