The Luck of Barry Lyndon · Chapter
XI: In Which the Luck Goes Against Barry explained
Barry's prospects of marrying the Countess Ida seem promising due to his influence with the Princess Olivia, the Duke Victor, and Madame de Liliengarten.
What happens
Barry's prospects of marrying the Countess Ida seem promising due to his influence with the Princess Olivia, the Duke Victor, and Madame de Liliengarten. However, his plans unravel when Magny is arrested for the murder of a Jew in the Kaiserwald. Barry and his uncle are placed under house arrest for six weeks, and Barry realizes his 'great card' has been lost.
Themes in this chapter
Social Climbing and Ambition
Barry's calculated efforts to secure the hand of Countess Ida through royal patronage and bribery illustrate his relentless ambition.
Deception and Self-Delusion
Barry believes his schemes are foolproof, but the hidden affair between the Princess and Magny leads to his undoing.
Fate and Luck
Barry's fortunes shift dramatically due to events beyond his control, such as Magny's arrest and the murder of the Jew.
Characters to notice
- Barry Lyndon
Narrates his hopes for marrying Countess Ida and his subsequent downfall after Magny's arrest.
- Countess Ida
The heiress Barry pursues; she is indifferent to him due to her attachment to another.
- Princess Olivia
Supports Barry's suit but is dangerously attached to Magny.
- Madame de Liliengarten
The Duke's morganatic spouse and ally to the Princess; partners with Barry in faro.
- Prince Victor
The Duke; favors Barry after Barry cures his horse, but is blind to the Princess's infidelity.
- Chevalier de Magny
The Princess's lover; arrested after a Jew is murdered in the Kaiserwald.
- General de Magny
Writes a letter to Magny offering escape options; implies knowledge of Magny's guilt.
- Monsieur de Balibari
Barry's uncle; deals cards at the faro bank and is also placed under arrest.
Key passages
“My hopes of obtaining the hand of one of the richest heiresses in Germany were now, as far as all human probability went, and as far as my own merits and prudence could secure my fortune, pretty certain of completion.”
Barry believed his plan to marry the wealthy Countess Ida was nearly assured, given his own efforts and the support of powerful allies.
Barry's overconfidence sets the stage for his subsequent reversal of fortune.
“All I was required to prove was my nobility, and I got at Vienna such a pedigree as would satisfy the most greedy in that way.”
Barry obtained a forged or exaggerated family tree from Vienna to prove his noble lineage.
Highlights the theme of deception and the importance of pedigree in 18th-century society.
“One night we were keeping our table as usual at the Countess of Liliengarten’s, and Magny being in cash somehow, kept drawing out rouleau after rouleau, and playing with his common ill success.”
During a gambling session at Madame de Liliengarten's, Magny lost heavily despite having plenty of money.
Magny's gambling losses precede the revelation of his crime.
“A Jew has been murdered in the Kaiserwald. Magny was arrested when he went out of the room.”
News arrives that a Jew was killed in the Kaiserwald forest, and Magny is arrested as he leaves the room.
The murder triggers the collapse of Barry's plans.
“We were left in our quarters for six weeks, so closely watched that escape was impossible, had we desired it; but, as innocent men, we had nothing to fear.”
Barry and his uncle were confined to their quarters under guard for six weeks, but they did not attempt escape because they believed they were innocent.
Barry's confidence in his innocence proves naive as events unfold.
