Those Barren Leaves · Chapter
VIII explained
Irene brushes Mrs.
What happens
Irene brushes Mrs. Aldwinkle's hair during their midnight ritual, where Mrs. Aldwinkle laments aging and the faithlessness of friends. She teases Irene about a supposed romantic interest in Lord Hovenden, pressing her to admit her feelings. Irene, embarrassed and defensive, denies any special attachment, but Mrs. Aldwinkle persists, enjoying the drama of love and passion. The chapter explores Mrs. Aldwinkle's manipulative yet affectionate control over Irene, and Irene's conflicted desire to prove her emotional maturity.
Themes in this chapter
Desire and Self-Deception
Mrs. Aldwinkle projects romantic desires onto Irene, insisting she is in love with Hovenden despite Irene's denials. Irene, in turn, feels compelled to assert her capacity for passion, blurring the line between genuine feeling and performance.
Emotional Snobbery
Mrs. Aldwinkle treats love as the highest pursuit, dismissing mere affection as blasphemy against Eros. She looks down on Irene's supposed coldness, elevating passionate drama over quiet emotion.
Power and Exploitation
Mrs. Aldwinkle uses her intimate midnight conversations to bind Irene to her, making the girl her 'slave' through confidences and emotional manipulation. She controls Irene's self-image and social narrative.
Characters to notice
- Irene
Irene dutifully brushes her aunt's hair, struggling to stay awake and suppress yawns. She is embarrassed by Mrs. Aldwinkle's teasing about Lord Hovenden and feels pressured to prove her capacity for passion.
- Mrs. Aldwinkle
Mrs. Aldwinkle is in a gloomy mood, lamenting aging and the loss of friends. She takes pleasure in the hair-brushing ritual and in orchestrating romantic intrigue, teasing Irene about Hovenden and reveling in the drama of love.
- Lord Hovenden
Mentioned by Mrs. Aldwinkle as the object of Irene's supposed affection; she claims he follows Irene 'like a dog.' Irene expresses genuine surprise at the suggestion.
- Aunt Lilian
Referred to as 'Aunt Lilian' by Irene; Mrs. Aldwinkle is Irene's aunt, and Irene sometimes feels she could hate her for her relentless teasing.
Key passages
“To Irene fell the privilege every evening of brushing her aunt's hair. For her these midnight moments were the most precious in the day.”
Irene had the honor of brushing her aunt's hair each night, and she treasured these late-night talks above all else.
Establishes the intimate ritual and Irene's emotional investment in these conversations.
“Mrs. Aldwinkle was almost as much interested in other people's love as in her own. She wanted everyone to love, constantly and complicatedly.”
Mrs. Aldwinkle was nearly as fascinated by the romantic lives of others as by her own, desiring that everyone be perpetually and intricately in love.
Highlights Mrs. Aldwinkle's voyeuristic and manipulative interest in romance.
“Your true lover, thought Mrs. Aldwinkle, leaves the old, paralytic love and turns wholeheartedly to the young passion.”
In Mrs. Aldwinkle's view, a genuine lover abandons a stagnant relationship and embraces a new, fervent passion without hesitation.
Reveals her philosophy of love as restless and ever-renewing, dismissing lasting affection.