# Gudrun in the Pompadour explained — Women in Love

> Chapter companion for Women in Love by D. H. Lawrence.

## What happens

Gudrun and Gerald stop in London before traveling to Innsbruck. They visit the Pompadour Café, where Gudrun is disgusted by the atmosphere. Halliday's group mocks Birkin and reads aloud a letter he wrote about corruption and destruction. Gudrun, enraged, takes the letter and leaves, with Gerald following. They depart London the next morning.

## Themes in this chapter

### Death, Destruction, and the Will to Power

Birkin's letter explicitly discusses the 'Flux of Corruption' and the desire for destruction, which is read aloud and mocked at the café.

### Art, Sensibility, and the Artist

Gudrun's artistic sensibility is offended by the café's 'petty vice and petty jealousy and petty art,' and she reacts passionately to the mockery of Birkin's ideas.

### Human Connection and Isolation

Gudrun feels isolated and disgusted by the café crowd, while Gerald remains detached and amused, highlighting their differing responses to social connection.

## Character check-ins

### Gudrun Brangwen

Visits the Pompadour Café with Gerald, loathes the atmosphere but feels compelled to return. Enraged by Halliday's group mocking Birkin, she steals Birkin's letter and leaves.

### Gerald Crich

Accompanies Gudrun to the Pompadour Café, watches the scene with satiric amusement, and follows her when she takes the letter.

### Pussum

Approaches Gerald at the café, asks about Birkin's marriage, and later participates in mocking Birkin's letter.

### Halliday

Reads aloud Birkin's letter about corruption and destruction, mocking its content with his group at the café.

### Rupert Birkin

His letter is read aloud and mocked by Halliday's group; he is discussed as having married Ursula.

### Maxim

Part of Halliday's group, comments on Birkin's letter and calls him a megalomaniac.

## Key lines

> She loathed its atmosphere of petty vice and petty jealousy and petty art. Yet she always called in again, when she was in town. It was as if she had to return to this small, slow, central whirlpool of disintegration and dissolution: just give it a look.

Gudrun hated the café's trivial immorality, envy, and art, but felt compelled to visit whenever in London, as if drawn to its slow, central vortex of decay.

_Highlights Gudrun's conflicted attraction to the café's destructive atmosphere._

> I could have killed them! Dogs! —they are dogs! Why is Rupert such a fool as to write such letters to them? Why does he give himself away to such canaille? It's a thing that cannot be borne.

Gudrun is furious at Halliday's group, calling them dogs, and questions why Birkin would expose himself to such low people.

_Shows Gudrun's passionate anger and her contempt for the café crowd._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/women_in_love_se/chapters/xxviii-gudrun-in-the-pompadour
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/women_in_love_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/women_in_love_se/chapters