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Chapter 14
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in What Maisie Knew, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Innocence and Corruption
Money and Society
Hypocrisy
Perspective and Understanding
Summary
Analysis
Sir Claude takes Maisie out to the park. He apologizes for not visiting for a long time. As they stroll through the park, however, they are surprised to see a couple in the distance and recognize the woman as Ida. Sir Claude notes that Ida is in Brussels. Maisie suggests she returned early, but Sir Claude finds it more likely that she never left. Maisie asks who the other man is, but Sir Claude is unsure. He says the man may be the Count. Ida notices them, and a confrontation becomes unavoidable. As Sir Claude expects, Ida attacks him, demanding to know why he is with Maisie. Sir Claude stands his ground as Maisie’s guardian, but Maisie is convinced by her mother to leave them alone and go speak with her companion, the Captain—as she goes, however, she hears Sir Claude call Ida a “damned old brute.”
Sir Claude and Maisie continue to spend time together without Mrs. Beale, suggesting that their relationship is deeper and stronger than the alternative family Maisie has found with both stepparents. Spotting Ida in the park instantly reveals that she has lied to Sir Claude about her whereabouts, telling him she was traveling in order to spend time with other men. Ida’s infidelity is familiar enough that Sir Claude and Maisie can casually speculate about the identity of the man she is with. Ida hypocritically defends herself by going on the attack, focusing on Sir Claude being with Maisie rather than herself being with another man. Sir Claude’s outburst reveals just how angry he is, how frayed his marriage has become, as it leads him to break his usual composure.
Active
Themes
