The Wings of the Dove · Chapter
Book II explained
Milly Theale and Susan Stringham arrive in Europe and settle in London.
What happens
Milly Theale and Susan Stringham arrive in Europe and settle in London. Milly meets Kate Croy at Lancaster Gate, and the two young women form a bond. Meanwhile, Merton Densher meets Kate secretly in Kensington Gardens, where they discuss their relationship and the obstacles posed by Aunt Maud.
Themes in this chapter
Social Class and Ambition
Kate's relationship with Densher is complicated by her aunt's ambitions for her to marry into wealth, and Milly's arrival introduces a new dynamic of social climbing.
Deception and Manipulation
Kate and Densher's secret meeting in Kensington Gardens underscores the need for deception in navigating societal expectations.
Characters to notice
- Milly Theale
Arrives in Europe with Susan Stringham and is introduced to London society.
- Susan Stringham
Accompanies Milly to Europe and facilitates her introduction to Mrs. Lowder.
- Kate Croy
Meets Milly at Lancaster Gate and begins a friendship with her.
- Merton Densher
Meets Kate secretly in Kensington Gardens to discuss their relationship.
- Maud Lowder
Hosts Milly at Lancaster Gate and exerts influence over Kate's social life.
Key passages
“She had been able to marry, to have children, to live, but she had not been able to, as she said, to 'keep' them.”
Susan Stringham reflects on her own life, acknowledging that while she married and had children, she could not maintain their financial stability.
Highlights the theme of social class and the pressures of maintaining status.
“It was the first time she had seen the person who was to be, as it were, the subject of her experiment.”
Susan Stringham views Milly as a project or experiment, someone she can shape and influence.
Foreshadows the manipulative dynamics that will develop around Milly.