Zuleika Dobson · Chapter
I explained
Zuleika Dobson arrives at Oxford station and is greeted by her grandfather, the Warden of Judas College.
What happens
Zuleika Dobson arrives at Oxford station and is greeted by her grandfather, the Warden of Judas College. Her beauty captivates the undergraduates, causing them to neglect their own relatives. As she rides through Oxford, she encounters the Duke of Dorset and the homely Noaks, both members of Judas. The chapter foreshadows the peril Zuleika represents, with the Roman Emperor busts sweating in premonition.
Themes in this chapter
Vanity and Self-Absorption
Zuleika's beauty and self-regard cause a stir, while the undergraduates' instant infatuation shows their own vanity and neglect of family.
Fate and Irony
The sweating Roman Emperors foreshadow the doom Zuleika brings to Oxford, an ironic warning from stone figures.
Social Class and Privilege
Contrast between the aristocratic Duke of Dorset and the lowly Noaks highlights class divisions within the college.
Characters to notice
- Zuleika Dobson
Arrives at Oxford station in a white travelling dress and diamond toque, immediately captivating the undergraduates. She is the Warden's granddaughter.
- The Warden
The Warden of Judas College, an ebon pillar of tradition, greets Zuleika at the station and escorts her to college.
- Duke of Dorset
A splendid youth riding a polo-pony, he salutes the Warden but does not glance back at Zuleika, piquing her interest.
- Noaks
A short, squinting, poorly dressed undergraduate of Judas College who salutes the Warden and gazes after Zuleika's landau.
Key passages
“That old bell, presage of a train, had just sounded through Oxford station; and the undergraduates who were waiting there, gay figures in tweed or flannel, moved to the margin of the platform and gazed idly up the line.”
The station bell announced an incoming train, and the casually dressed undergraduates stepped to the platform edge to watch.
Sets the scene of arrival and the undergraduates' idle curiosity.
“A cynosure indeed! A hundred eyes were fixed on her, and half as many hearts lost to her.”
She was the center of attention; many men were instantly smitten.
Highlights Zuleika's immediate impact on the crowd.
“He alone was worthy of the background.”
Only the Warden matched the antique station's venerable atmosphere.
Emphasizes the Warden's traditional, almost timeless presence.