The Railway Children · Chapter
The Hound's Grandfather explained
The injured young man, Jim, is cared for by Mother with the Doctor's help.
What happens
The injured young man, Jim, is cared for by Mother with the Doctor's help. The children play a rough game of bone-setting, which ends with Bobbie and Phyllis tying Peter up to teach him a lesson. The Old Gentleman reveals that Mother will become matron of a small hospital at Three Chimneys to nurse Jim. He privately tells Bobbie he has hopes of proving Father's innocence. Peter expresses his longing for male companionship and discusses with Mother the idea of being in a book written by God.
Themes in this chapter
Family and Maternal Sacrifice
Mother gives up her writing to nurse Jim, demonstrating maternal sacrifice and care extending beyond her own children.
Resilience in Adversity
The family adapts to caring for an injured stranger, and Bobbie holds onto hope for her father's exoneration despite uncertainty.
Childhood Innocence and Adventure
The children's bone-setting game, though macabre, reflects their imaginative play and the innocence of trying to cope with serious events.
Characters to notice
- Roberta (Bobbie)
Leads the tying-up of Peter to stop his gruesome talk; receives private hope from the Old Gentleman about Father's innocence.
- Peter
Teases his sisters with graphic descriptions of bone-setting, gets tied up, later discusses missing Father and wanting Jim to stay.
- Mother
Nurses Jim, agrees to become matron of Three Chimneys Hospital, comforts Peter with a metaphor about God writing their story.
- Phyllis
Participates in tying Peter, breaks a cup while washing up, overhears Jim calling for his mother in the night.
- The Old Gentleman
Arranges for Mother to nurse Jim, privately tells Bobbie he has hopes of clearing Father's name.
- The Doctor
Sets Jim's leg, praises Mother's trust in her children, calls the children 'female beasts' in jest.
Key passages
“It's not only him being Father, but now he's away there's no other man in the house but me—that's why I want Jim to stay so frightfully much.”
Peter explains that besides missing his father, he craves male companionship because he is the only man in the household.
Highlights Peter's loneliness and desire for a male role model or friend.
“Don't you think it's rather nice to think that we're in a book that God's writing? If I were writing the book, I might make mistakes. But God knows how to make the story end just right—in the way that's best for us.”
Mother comforts Peter by suggesting that their lives are part of a divine plan, and that God will ensure a good outcome.
Reflects Mother's faith and her attempt to provide hope and perspective to her son.