The two women, Kitty and Jenny patiently await the return of their soldier, Chris. However, these women’s hopefulness is shattered by the visit of Mrs. Grey whose lowly appearance makes them doubt the honesty of her announcement of Chris’ sudden illness. Kitty’s anticipated delight in Chris’ return is devastated by his amnesia, causing him to forget she is his wife and to remember his former love Margaret Allington. What makes Kitty’s situation worse is the fact that the destitute messenger, Mrs. Grey is revealed to be the beloved girl from Chris’ past. Instead of happiness, Kitty is met with misery when her husband comes home and treats her as if he has never met her.
I would like to discuss the settings in which the story takes place. The home at Baldry Court is beautifully kept by Kitty and Jenny, so that upon Chris’ return, he may find solace and relief from the pains of war. Jenny explains in the grandeur of her surroundings, “That day its beauty was an affront to me...” (5) because she and Kitty faced the harsh reality, like many women in England during the war, that their spouses, fathers, brothers, and cousins were abroad and confronting dangerous circumstances.
Similarly, the place described by Chris in his recollection of memories with Margaret is very dreamlike and beautiful while the reality is pessimistic and Margaret, the girl he once loved, is now the aptly named and lackluster Mrs. Grey.
1. How does the juxtaposition of the fantasy-like descriptions to the desolate and threatening conditions of war affect the overall understanding of the setting and time of this novel?
Kitty and Jenny are not convinced by Mrs. Grey’s news of Chris’ shell shock; much of their reason behind this is based on her poor appearance, making them believe she is simply a beggar looking for a handout. There is a clear divide between class in this scene. Yet, it is ironic that the woman who is degraded so much by Kitty is the same girl that Chris was one enamored by.
2. By comparing and contrasting Kitty and Margaret, what do you think the author strives to show us? Is the appearance a reality or is it just an illusion?
I find it interesting that Jenny is the narrator of this story rather than the usual, unnamed, omniscient narrator. She is a part of the story because Chris is her cousin and Kitty is her friend, so she must struggle through the pain of reacquainting Chris with his present state of life. Therefore, she is greatly entwined with Chris’ recovery, making our usually objective narrator a subjective character and a key aspect to the novel’s progression.
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