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Chapter 3
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Life Class, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
War
Art
Gender
Love and Relationships
Class
Summary
Analysis
The next day, Paul apologizes to Tonks and is surprised that the professor discourages him from leaving the Slade. Professor Tonks explains that Paul is improving technically as an artist, but his work is lackluster because he has nothing to say. Tonks instructs Paul to consider whether he wants to paint, or whether he wants to be an artist. Paul is unsure what to do with this criticism. He wants desperately to be an artist as an escape from the brutal lifestyle of factory workers in his hometown, but art feels inaccessible to him. He decides to focus on Teresa instead of sorting out this question.
Paul continues to struggle with representing a distinct point of view in his art as Tonks emphasizes the importance of creating art with intention behind it. For Paul, though, the intention behind his art is simply to create, since creativity in itself is a novelty to him. He wants to be an artist to escape his hometown, not to communicate anything with his art. He uses his romantic relationship with Teresa as a distraction from both his art and his self-reflection.
Active
Themes
Paul goes to the women’s life class to look for Elinor. He admires her beauty, and he remembers that he almost fell in love with her on their first meeting. Paul talks to Elinor about Teresa, and Elinor is wary of Paul’s interest in her friend, since male artists often take advantage of models. Paul thinks of Neville, and they discuss Neville’s latest art exhibit. As Elinor leaves, Paul is proud of himself for maintaining a purely platonic relationship to Elinor, only to realize that he is still attracted to her.
Active
Themes
