Those Barren Leaves · Chapter
I explained
Miss Thriplow prepares to meet Mr.
What happens
Miss Thriplow prepares to meet Mr. Calamy, having formed a preconception of him as a fashionable, worldly Guardsman based on Mrs. Aldwinkle's exaggerated praise. She dresses in a dashing, high-society style to match this imagined persona. Upon meeting, however, she quickly realizes Calamy has rejected his former smart set and now values genuineness. Flustered, she surreptitiously removes her flashy rings and shifts her demeanor to appear earnest, obscure, and genuine, successfully aligning herself with his new values.
Themes in this chapter
Authenticity vs. Performance
Miss Thriplow performs a fashionable, worldly role for Calamy, then abruptly shifts to an earnest, 'genuine' persona when she realizes he values authenticity over social performance.
Class and Snobbery
Miss Thriplow's anxiety about her past as a governess and her desire to meet Calamy on equal 'Guardish' terms highlight class consciousness and social striving.
Desire and Self-Deception
Miss Thriplow deceives herself about Calamy's character based on Mrs. Aldwinkle's encomiums, and then deceives him by hiding her rings and adopting a contrived persona to win his approval.
Characters to notice
- Mary Thriplow
Anxiously prepares for Calamy's visit, adopting a fashionable disguise based on Mrs. Aldwinkle's descriptions, then quickly pivots to an earnest persona when she senses his disdain for worldliness.
- Mr. Calamy
Arrives as a handsome, confident young man who has rejected his former smart, worldly life and now values genuineness and obscurity.
- Mrs. Aldwinkle
Mentioned as having promoted Calamy to greatness and provided Miss Thriplow with a misleading, glamorous account of his character.
Key passages
“habit, when the admittedly Great were lacking, of promoting her common acquaintances to the rank of greatness.”
Mrs. Aldwinkle had a habit of exaggerating the importance of ordinary people when no truly great figures were available.
Establishes Mrs. Aldwinkle's tendency to inflate reputations, which misleads Miss Thriplow about Calamy.
“She wanted, since he was one of Nature's Guardsmen with a fortuitous weakness for artists, to present herself to him as one of Nature's Guardswomen with a talent for writing equally fortuitous and unessential.”
Miss Thriplow wanted to appear as a naturally fashionable and high-born woman who happened to write, rather than as a professional novelist.
Reveals Miss Thriplow's strategic self-presentation to match her imagined version of Calamy.
“Genuineness only thrives in the dark. Like celery.”
True authenticity can only flourish away from public attention, just as celery grows best when shielded from light.
Miss Thriplow uses this metaphor to align herself with Calamy's preference for obscurity and genuineness.