The Well of Loneliness · Chapter
IV explained
Stephen clings more closely to her father, Sir Philip, as they walk the hillsides together.
What happens
Stephen clings more closely to her father, Sir Philip, as they walk the hillsides together. He teaches her about nature and gently teases her when she expresses a desire to be a man. Sir Philip secretly reads works by Karl Heinrich Ulrichs, studying Stephen with concern and growing increasingly tender toward both his wife and daughter.
Themes in this chapter
Inversion and Identity
Stephen's wish to be a man and Sir Philip's secret study of Ulrichs highlight the theme of inversion and the struggle with identity.
Nature vs. Society
Sir Philip teaches Stephen the laws of nature, contrasting with the societal expectations that make Stephen feel 'wrong' in her clothes.
Characters to notice
- Stephen Gordon
Clings to her father, walks with him, and confides her longing to be a man.
- Sir Philip Gordon
Teaches Stephen about nature, studies her with concern, and secretly reads Ulrichs at night.
- Lady Anna Gordon
Mentioned in the portrait with Stephen; Sir Philip is tender to her and fears her questions.
Key passages
“She would say: 'Do you think that I could be a man, supposing I thought very hard—or prayed, Father?'”
Stephen asks her father if intense thought or prayer could transform her into a man.
Reveals Stephen's early gender dysphoria and her hope for change.
“The author was a German, Karl Heinrich Ulrichs, and reading, Sir Philip’s eyes would grow puzzled; then groping for a pencil he would make little notes all along the immaculate margins.”
Sir Philip reads and annotates a book by the German writer Karl Heinrich Ulrichs, showing his deep engagement with ideas about same-sex attraction.
Indicates Sir Philip's secret research into inversion, connecting to Stephen's identity.