The Rainbow · Chapter
XIV: The Widening Circle explained
The Brangwen family prepares to leave Cossethay as Will Brangwen secures a new post as Art and Handwork Instructor for Nottingham County.
What happens
The Brangwen family prepares to leave Cossethay as Will Brangwen secures a new post as Art and Handwork Instructor for Nottingham County. Ursula feels liberated by the prospect of moving away from the constraints of her village, where she no longer fits in. She visits her friend Maggie Schofield at Belcote Hall and becomes fascinated by Maggie's brother Anthony, whose goat-like, magnetic presence both attracts and unsettles her. The chapter follows Ursula's emotional journey through the changing seasons, her conflicted feelings about Anthony, and the family's eventual move to a new redbrick house in Beldover, which disappoints Ursula's romantic expectations.
Themes in this chapter
Self-Discovery and Growth
Ursula's desire to break free from Cossethay and her exploration of new relationships and environments reflect her journey toward self-realization and independence.
Class and Social Mobility
Will Brangwen's new position elevates the family's social status, moving them from a rural cottage to a suburban villa, yet Ursula feels ambivalent about the 'good and substantial' bourgeois trappings.
Nature and the Land
Ursula finds deep emotional resonance in the natural world—snowdrops, pear blossoms, bluebells—using nature as a refuge and a mirror for her inner life.
Industrialization and Change
The move to Beldover places the family on the edge of a colliery district, symbolizing the encroachment of industrial modernity on rural life.
Characters to notice
- Ursula Brangwen
Ursula is excited about the family's move, feeling constrained by Cossethay and yearning for a larger, freer life. She experiences a complex attraction to Anthony Schofield and finds solace in nature.
- Will Brangwen
Will has secured a new position as Art and Handwork Instructor for the County of Nottingham, which elevates the family's social standing and prompts their move.
- Anna Brangwen
Anna is happy with the new house in Beldover, appreciating its spacious rooms and substantial furnishings.
- Maggie Schofield
Maggie is Ursula's friend from Belcote Hall. She becomes somewhat distant and reserved as Ursula grows closer to her brother Anthony.
- Anton Skrebensky
Not directly present in this chapter, but referenced indirectly through Ursula's memories of past attachments.
- Mr. Harby
Mentioned as a figure from Ursula's past, representing the oppressive school environment she wishes to escape.
Key passages
“change was coming; even if it did not come in this way it would come in another. The house was full of ferment. Ursula was wild with excitement. At last her father was going to be something, socially.”
Ursula feels that change is inevitable and is thrilled that her father's new job will give the family social standing.
Highlights Ursula's anticipation of social mobility and the family's transformation.
“She wanted to go away, to be free to stand straight up to her own height.”
Ursula longs to leave Cossethay so she can fully express her own identity without constraint.
Emphasizes Ursula's desire for self-actualization and escape from village limitations.
“She saw the tiny knob-end of the rhubarb thrusting upwards upon the thick red stem, thrusting itself like a knob of flame through the soft soil.”
Ursula observes the rhubarb pushing through the earth, a vivid image of growth and vitality.
Symbolizes new life and the natural forces that mirror Ursula's own burgeoning desires.
“Instead of having arrived at distinction they had come to new redbrick suburbia in a grimy, small town.”
Ursula is disappointed that the family's move results in a suburban house in an industrial town rather than the romantic setting she imagined.
Reflects Ursula's disillusionment with the reality of social mobility and modernity.
