The Well of Loneliness · Chapter
VI explained
Anna returns home to find that Stephen has had a violent outburst, breaking a flowerpot and striking a footman.
What happens
Anna returns home to find that Stephen has had a violent outburst, breaking a flowerpot and striking a footman. Sir Philip dismisses Collins and the footman, and Anna attempts to comfort Stephen, but finds the child strangely composed and reassuring, refusing to discuss her attachment to Collins.
Themes in this chapter
Shame and Secrecy
Stephen's refusal to discuss her affection for Collins and her attempt to conceal her true feelings from her mother highlight the theme of secrecy and the shame surrounding her attachments.
Family and Rejection
The dismissal of Collins, a beloved servant, and Stephen's emotional isolation within the family underscore the theme of rejection and familial tension.
Characters to notice
- Lady Anna Gordon
Returns home after the incident, tries to comfort Stephen but feels awkward and nonplussed by her daughter's unusual composure.
- Stephen Gordon
Has had a fit of temper, throwing a flowerpot at a footman; she is now calm, smiling stiffly, and tries to reassure her mother while remaining silent about her feelings for Collins.
- Sir Philip Gordon
Intercepts Anna in the hall, downplays the incident, and announces that Collins and the footman must go.
- Collins
Dismissed by Sir Philip following Stephen's outburst.
Key passages
“Stephen’s been naughty, she’s up in the nursery; she’s had one of her fits of temper”
Sir Philip informs Anna that Stephen has misbehaved and is in the nursery after a tantrum.
Sir Philip downplays the severity of the incident to Anna.
“She’s trying to keep something back”
Anna senses that Stephen is hiding her true feelings.
Anna feels increasingly confused by Stephen's guarded behavior.