The Nightingale: Chapter 12 Summary & Analysis

It is now November of 1940. The cold weather has officially arrived, and Vianne does everything she can to keep warm. As the weather gets worse and the war drags on, Vianne worries about what she is going to do. The money Antoine left her is running low and soon will be gone. One day, early in the morning, while Vianne knits a scarf for Sophie, Isabelle comes in from outdoors. Vianne asks Isabelle if she’s been meeting up with a boy, and Isabelle says no. Isabelle pretends that she is just coming in from feeding the chickens. Vianne doesn’t believe Isabelle, but there is nothing she can do.

Vianne gets up to look at the pantry. At this point, it is almost empty, but she makes do with what she has. When Vianne gives Sophie her breakfast, Sophie complains about how the Germans are using up all the food. Just as those words leave her mouth, Beck walks into the room. Not wanting to cause problems, Vianne chastises Sophie for speaking in such a way. However, Beck doesn’t seem to mind. He tells Sophie that the Germans take as much as they give, and then he hands her a chocolate bar. Sophie eats the chocolate, ravenously. After, Vianne tells Sophie that she should have saved some for later.

Vianne makes her way to school. Not long after the start of her lessons, some German soldiers appear and fire everyone on the list that Vianne made for Beck. This sudden change of events deeply disturbs Vianne, and she feels guilty for what she’s done. At midday, she cannot take it anymore and decides to walk into town to find Beck.

Beck’s office is elaborate. It is replete with Nazi imagery, and Vianne spots piles of food in one corner. When Vianne tells Beck what has happened and asks him to explain himself, Beck tells her he was only following orders. He promises that he did not know what the list was going to be used for. Before the conversation can go further, Beck asks Vianne to leave his office. He doesn’t think anything good can come from the two of them being seen together. Vianne does as he asks.

When Vianne leaves Beck’s office, she notices German soldiers looking at her. She doesn’t put too much thought into their glances; she assumes they think that she is romantically involved with Beck. However, Isabelle also spots her and demands to know what she was doing. Vianne tells Isabelle the truth about the list and what happened at the school. Isabelle is disgusted by her sister’s actions and tells her to stop doing favors for the Nazis. Vianne agrees and then sends Isabelle to go get Sarah and Sophie from school.

Next, Vianne heads to her local church to speak with Mother Superior Marie-Therese to seek advice. Vianne is honest with Mother Superior about what she’s done. She is worried that her actions are unforgivable because she has hurt many people, including her best friend, Rachel. Mother Superior calms Vianne’s nerves: she tells Vianne that the moral fault rests with the Germans and that they would have found the names one way or another. Vianne thinks that she should behave more like Isabelle, but Mother Superior disagrees. Mother Superior says that Isabelle has not yet been tested by the war, but she will be soon enough—just like everyone else.

After her talk at the church, Vianne heads to Rachel’s house. She knows she must tell her friend the truth, no matter how painful it is. When Vianne enters Rachel’s home, her friend is clearly already upset. Vianne sits her down and tells her the truth about the list and then apologizes. In doing so, she only gives the fact and does not make excuses for herself. After Vianne is finished, Rachel angrily leaves the room without saying anything. Vianne is left to sit at Rachel’s table and think about the consequences of her actions.

After some time, Rachel returns. Although she is still angry, she forgives Vianne and warns her to be more careful in the future. Rachel knows that the whole town is aware of her Judaism, so the information wouldn’t have been kept from the Nazis anyway. However, she advises Vianne to be careful around Beck; no matter how kind and handsome he is, he is not to be trusted.

Winter rages on and the weather is especially brutal. Still, no matter how cold it gets, Isabelle hands out pamphlets for the resistance. Unfortunately, the Nazis are aware of the pamphlets and have started looking for whoever is handing them out. In town, Isabelle sees posters with warning messages about aiding the resistance. Apparently, the Nazis will execute anyone who undermines the Nazi agenda.

While in town, Isabelle spots a bicycle sitting by itself. Although it is risky, Isabelle decides to steal the bike and ride it to Henri’s hideout. Henri tells her that he can paint the bike in exchange for a kiss. This reminds Isabelle of the pact she made with Gaëtan, back when life was less complicated. Isabelle agrees to Henri’s deal and gives him a kiss.