Voyage in the Dark: Part Three: Chapter 1 Summary & Analysis

Anna’s first weeks working for Ethel are mostly characterized by Ethel’s frequent tirades about how “respectable” her business is—especially compared to some other people she knows in the massage business. Within days of putting her advertisements in the paper, several detectives come to investigate the operation. When Ethel teaches Anna to give men manicures, she tells her to be especially nice to them. If she does everything correctly, there’s no reason she can’t ask for a shilling or even more for her work. It’s not Anna’s fault, Ethel adds, if the men think they’re going to get something more than a straightforward manicure. And if a man gets angry that Anna hasn’t done enough, he surely won’t make a fuss, since he’ll want to keep his original intentions quiet and discrete.

After three weeks at Ethel’s, Anna stops going out, preferring instead to sleep and think about Walter. Her mopey attitude displeases Ethel, who’s very happy when Laurie comes to visit Anna. Ethel is impressed by Laurie’s good looks, remarking that she must be the kind of woman men want. Once in private, Laurie asks Anna what it’s like to work as a manicurist, and Anna tells her that only one man has asked her to go to bed with him. When she refused, he left immediately. Laurie laughs, saying that Ethel must have been upset; she thinks Ethel probably wants Anna to have sex with the customers, despite what she has said. 

Anna goes out with Laurie and two men. She doesn’t return until very late that night, which makes Ethel angry. The next day, Ethel confronts her and says it was very inconsiderate of her to not say she’d be back so late, since Ethel waited up so long for her. She also complains about the business. Nobody ever comes for a manicure until five in the evening. She’s so angry that she pours herself multiple drinks and then goes to sit alone and mutter to herself about how bad business is. That evening, a man comes at five.

Suddenly, Anna hears a huge commotion and runs into the massage room, where she learns that the massage couch broke and the client’s foot landed in a bowl of hot water. Ethel blames Anna for making the water in the bowl too hot. The man, for his part, is very upset and in visible pain. After he leaves, Anna starts laughing. Ethel is enraged. She says that Anna is always so glum and depressing to have around; now that something serious has happened, though, she’s laughing. Ethel tells her to find another job and another place to live. She thought Anna would be nice to the clients and useful to have around, but she was wrong.

Anna accepts the idea of leaving and is, for all intents and purposes, unfazed by what Ethel has said. Just as she’s about to go, though, Ethel bursts into tears. She mentions that Anna didn’t even invite her to go out with Laurie and the others, which made her feel like she wasn’t good enough for them. She also says she desperately needs to make some real money. She’s always alone, too, and her life is wretched. She takes back everything she said earlier—she doesn’t want Anna to leave. In fact, if Anna leaves and doesn’t come back soon, Ethel vows to kill herself. Anna assures her she’s just going for a walk, and Ethel reiterates that she’ll kill herself if Anna isn’t back in an hour.

On the street, Anna imagines going to Walter’s house. As she thinks about him, she slips a bracelet he gave her over her knuckles. When a man passes and mutters something inappropriate, she follows him and imagines punching him with the bracelet around her fist. But then she sees a police officer eyeing her, so she turns around. Feeling that she’s about to cry, she gets on a bus and returns to Ethel’s flat, where Ethel has undergone a total transformation. She warmly welcomes Anna back and apologizes for her behavior, but Anna doesn’t care—all she wants to do is go to sleep.