The Sword of Damocles · Chapter
XVIII: In the Night Watches explained
Paula waits anxiously for Mr.
What happens
Paula waits anxiously for Mr. Sylvester's return, observing his mysterious behavior as he leaves and re-enters the house. Meanwhile, Mrs. Sylvester (Ona) revels in her social success, unaware of her husband's troubles.
Themes in this chapter
Appearance vs. Reality
Ona's outward satisfaction contrasts with the underlying tension and Mr. Sylvester's secretive behavior.
Secrets and Past Sins
Mr. Sylvester's mysterious nighttime activities hint at hidden troubles and secrets.
Characters to notice
- Paula
Stays awake in the moonlight, anxious about Mr. Sylvester's absence and his strange movements.
- Mr. Sylvester
Returns home late, passes Ona's room, goes out again, and returns at six o'clock, stopping at Ona's room.
- Ona Delafield
Expresses satisfaction with her social position and is oblivious to her husband's distress.
Key passages
“If he goes to Ona's room it is all right; but if he keeps on upstairs, I shall know that something is wrong and that he needs a comforter.”
Paula thinks that if Mr. Sylvester goes to Ona's room, everything is fine, but if he goes upstairs, she will know he is troubled and needs comfort.
Paula's internal reasoning reveals her concern and her role as a potential comforter.
“I feel at last as if we had reached the pinnacle of my ambition and had seen the ladder by which we mounted thrown down behind us.”
Ona feels they have achieved the highest point of her social ambitions and that the means by which they climbed are no longer relevant.
Ona's statement underscores her satisfaction with their social status and her disregard for the past.