There Is Confusion · Chapter
XXIII explained
Peter Bye, now engaged to Maggie Ellersley, finds their relationship growing stale and passionless, contrasting it unfavorably with his past love for Joanna.
What happens
Peter Bye, now engaged to Maggie Ellersley, finds their relationship growing stale and passionless, contrasting it unfavorably with his past love for Joanna. Maggie, aware that Peter still loves Joanna, accepts him for social advancement and security, but Peter's decision to return to his medical studies delays their marriage, causing tension.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Sacrifice
Peter's lack of love for Maggie contrasts with his lingering devotion to Joanna, while Maggie sacrifices genuine love for social advancement.
Class and Social Mobility
Maggie uses her engagement to Peter to gain entry into high society, facing both acceptance and snobbery from figures like Arabelle Morton and Mrs. Viny.
Gender and Women's Roles
Maggie's dependence on Peter for protection and her desire for a home reflect traditional female roles, while her capability in business shows a more independent side.
Characters to notice
- Peter Bye
Feeling trapped in his engagement to Maggie, he decides to return to his medical classes, causing a rift with Maggie who wants an immediate marriage.
- Maggie Ellersley
Accepts Peter knowing he loves Joanna, motivated by social climbing and fear of her ex-husband Henderson Neal; she is frustrated by Peter's decision to postpone marriage.
- Joanna Marshall
Referenced as the one woman Peter truly loves; her memory haunts Peter's relationship with Maggie.
- Henderson Neal
Maggie's ex-husband, whose threatening presence makes her feel unsafe and eager to marry Peter for protection.
- Alice Talbert
Disapproves of Peter's engagement to Maggie, considering it a ruinous match.
- Morton
Accepts Maggie into her social set, helping Maggie gain social standing despite some older women's snubs.
Key passages
“Joanna was the one woman in the world for him. Having loved Joanna once there was no possibility of his caring about anyone else.”
Peter's love for Joanna is irreplaceable, making it impossible for him to truly love anyone else.
Maggie's internal acknowledgment of Peter's enduring love for Joanna.
“She had recognized in Peter’s turning to her a manifestation of the state of mind which had led her at the time of her marriage to turn to Henderson Neal.”
Maggie sees Peter's approach as similar to her own earlier desperate choice to marry Henderson Neal.
Maggie's understanding of her own and Peter's motivations.
“I want to be safe like other women, with a home and protection? I met Henderson, Henderson Neal, uptown Saturday—I didn’t mean to tell you—but he glared at me. He made me shiver, I wished you were with me. I’m afraid of him, Peter, I’ll never be safe till we’re married.”
Maggie expresses her fear of Henderson Neal and her desire for the safety and protection that marriage to Peter would provide.
Maggie's plea for an immediate marriage due to fear of her ex-husband.