# XXI explained — The Woodlanders

> Chapter companion for The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy.

## What happens

Giles Winterborne encounters a mysterious stranger in the woods near Hintock late at night. The stranger, who has lost his way and is seeking Hintock House, reveals himself to be an Italianized American and a former South Carolinian who left after the failure of the Southern cause. Giles guides him to the edge of the wood, but the stranger declines to accept payment and asks Giles to keep their meeting secret. Later, a report circulates that a gentleman had called at Hintock House after midnight, only to find Mrs. Charmond still in London.

## Themes in this chapter

### Isolation and Community

The stranger's loneliness and lack of a home contrast with Giles's rootedness in Hintock, highlighting themes of belonging and alienation.

### Fate and Irony

The stranger's mistaken belief that Mrs. Charmond is at home, and his nocturnal wandering, underscore the ironic misalignments of desire and reality.

## Character check-ins

### Giles Winterborne

Guides the mysterious stranger through the woods to Hintock House and declines payment for his assistance.

### Felice Charmond

Mentioned as the object of the stranger's pursuit; she is reportedly still in London, not at Hintock House.

## Key lines

> I am an Italianized American, a South Carolinian by birth. I left my native country on the failure of the Southern cause, and have never returned to it since.

The stranger explains that he is originally from South Carolina but has become culturally Italian, having emigrated after the Confederacy's defeat in the Civil War.

_Reveals the stranger's background and the historical context of his displacement._

> He now begged Giles to return, and offered him a gold coin, which looked like a sovereign, for the assistance rendered. Giles declined to accept anything.

The stranger offers Giles a gold coin as thanks, but Giles refuses payment.

_Demonstrates Giles's integrity and the stranger's attempt to ensure secrecy._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_woodlanders_se/chapters/xxi
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_woodlanders_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_woodlanders_se/chapters