The Nightingale: Chapter 9 Summary & Analysis

After her talk with Isabelle, Vianne sits alone in her bedroom and tries to calm her nerves. As she does so, she can hear Isabelle angrily pacing in the other room. Vianne wants to talk to Isabelle about the past and apologize for her behavior, but she worries that could only make matters worse. Even in normal times, that would be a difficult conversation to have, and these are far from normal times. Vianne thinks about the past and how difficult life was in the wake of her mother’s death. However, almost as soon as those thoughts come, Vianne pushes them away.

Vianne goes to the kitchen to make dinner and encounters Beck there. Beck tells Vianne about his family back home in Germany. His wife is pregnant, and he’s excited to get back to her once the war is over. This new information makes Vianne feel better about Beck’s presence. She realizes that the two of them are not that different; just like her, Beck wants the war to end as soon as possible so he can return to his family. Vianne asks Beck if he would like dinner and Beck politely accepts. He even brings a fancy bottle of wine to share with Vianne. 

Before dinner begins, Isabelle comes into the room and starts grilling Beck about the bombing she witnessed in Tours. She wants to know if Beck played any part in the event, and she is quite aggressive in trying to figure this out. When she gets the chance, Vianne pulls Isabelle aside and reminds her to think about the danger she could put them all in if she refuses to behave.

Isabelle acknowledges Vianne’s warning but does little to change her behavior. She does offer Beck a seat at the dinner table, but she is rude throughout the meal and leaves as soon as she can. When Isabelle leaves the table, Sophie excuses herself as well. This worries Vianne; she thinks Isabelle might instill behavior in Sophie that could get them all killed. She apologizes to Beck for Sophie and Isabelle’s actions. Beck accepts the apology by saying that he has a young daughter whose temperament is similar to Isabelle’s. This information once again helps put Vianne at ease. She feels more comfortable with Beck knowing that he has children and can understand Vianne’s situation.

Following dinner, Vianne goes outside to get some air. Surprisingly, she finds Beck there; he tells her that he likes to stand underneath the night sky and look at the stars. Vianne asks Beck about what will become of the French prisoners of war. Beck tells her that he does not know all of the details. He thinks that some French soldiers will be allowed to come home, but many will not. 

In the middle of Vianne and Beck’s conversation, Isabelle comes out and sees the two of them together. Isabelle makes a not-so-subtle comment about Vianne talking with the enemy, which makes Beck realize that he is not welcome. As such, he excuses himself and goes inside. Once Beck is gone, Isabelle informs Vianne that she is going to leave Carriveau and head to Paris. Isabelle hates living with Beck and thinks her presence will only cause problems. Ignoring the curfew, Isabelle heads to the train station. On her way, a German soldier spots her, chastises her for breaking the rules, and then orders her to return home. He also tells her that she needs a pass if she expects to be able to leave Carriveau.

Realizing that she will have to learn to live with Vianne, Sophie, and Beck, Isabelle does her best to do as her older sister says. Each day, Isabelle goes to town and stands in line for food. One day while in line, Isabelle spots a piece of chalk on the ground. She picks up the chalk, already knowing what she is going to do with it. Isabelle eventually makes it to the front of the food line where she receives a bad cut of ham. The Germans have kept all of the good meat for themselves, so the residents of Carriveau are only left with lower quality cuts.

Before heading home, Isabelle walks down an alley where she finds an anti-Semitic propaganda poster. Isabelle looks around her to make sure no one is watch and then draws a giant “V” (meaning “victory”) on the poster as an act of rebellion. As soon as she’s finished, a man grabs her and shoves her against the wall. Isabelle cannot see the man and cannot tell if he is a German. The man warns Isabelle that what she’s just done is punishable by death.