The Professor’s House · Chapter
I explained
Professor St.
What happens
Professor St. Peter is alone in the dismantled house he has lived in since his marriage, reflecting on the inconveniences he endured and the memories of his past, particularly his childhood by Lake Michigan. He is reluctant to move, preferring to stay in his old study to finish his writing. His dressmaker, Augusta, arrives and they discuss the moving arrangements, with St. Peter confiding that he will continue to work in the old house while boarding at the new one.
Themes in this chapter
Memory and the Past
St. Peter's reflections on his childhood by Lake Michigan and his years in the house highlight the theme of memory and the past.
Loss of Self and Identity
The dismantling of the house and St. Peter's reluctance to move suggest a loss of his familiar self and identity.
Family and Marriage
The dynamics with his wife and daughters, and the mention of his marriage, touch on family and marriage themes.
Characters to notice
- Professor St. Peter
Alone in the dismantled house, reflecting on his past and reluctant to move.
- Augusta
The dressmaker who arrives to move her sewing forms, engaging in conversation with the Professor.
- Lillian St. Peter
Mentioned as the Professor's wife, whose small income he did not touch.
- Tom Outland
Referenced as the student in whom St. Peter measured desire and foretold achievement.
- Rosamond
One of the daughters, mentioned in relation to the dress forms and the house's shortcomings.
- Kathleen
Another daughter, noted for her watercolor studies of her father and her dissatisfaction with the house.
Key passages
“The moving was over and done. Professor St. Peter was alone in the dismantled house where he had lived ever since his marriage, where he had worked out his career and brought up his two daughters.”
The move was complete, and Professor St. Peter found himself alone in the now-empty house that had been his home since his wedding, where he had built his career and raised his daughters.
Sets the scene of the chapter, emphasizing the solitude and the end of an era.
“By eliminations and combinations so many and subtle that it now made his head ache to think of them, he had done full justice to his university lectures, and at the same time carried on an engrossing piece of creative work.”
Through countless intricate choices and compromises, he had managed to excel at his teaching while also pursuing his own creative writing.
Highlights St. Peter's dedication and the mental toll of his dual commitments.
“It was like an open door that nobody could shut. The land and all its dreariness could never close in on you. You had only to look at the lake, and you knew you would soon be free.”
The lake was a constant escape, a symbol of freedom that no one could take away, even when the land felt oppressive.
Illustrates the significance of the lake in St. Peter's childhood and its lasting impact.