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Chapter 19
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
The Countess gave Maisie much more money than the cost of a cab, prompting a scandalized Mrs. Beale to insist that the remainder be sent back. Maisie is upset to feel scrutinized by Mrs. Beale, who herself returned home at three in the morning the previous night. Some days later, however, Maisie is surprised by the arrival of Sir Claude, who orders Susan Ash to pack Maisie’s things immediately—he is taking her to the Channel and, from there, to France. On the way to train station Maisie remembers for the first time in a long time Mrs. Wix, and she wonders if her old governess’s idea of running away with Maisie and Sir Claude has finally come true. Maisie struggles to puzzle Sir Claude’s contradictory roles in her life: he is her stepfather but also her stepmother’s lover.
The Countess’s wasteful gift of money scandalizes Mrs. Beale because it embarrasses her that her husband’s mistress is so much wealthier than she is and is able to spend that money on her stepdaughter. Mrs. Beale’s late nights out suggest that she too has stopped pretending that her marriage to Beale means anything anymore. Meanwhile, Sir Claude’s sudden decision to leave the city surprises Maisie, who hopes that he is following Mrs. Wix’s suggestion. Maisie struggles to understand Sir Claude because he himself is torn between being a father to Maisie and a lover to Mrs. Beale.
Active
Themes
Maisie realizes that Mrs. Wix’s influence on Sir Claude is stronger than she realized, and that he has complicated feelings about his relationship with Mrs. Beale. Mrs. Beale, for her part, is jealous of Mrs. Wix—and perhaps jealous of Maisie too. As Maisie considers all of these relationships at their hotel on the Channel, she is shocked to see none other than Ida. Sir Claude is equally surprised, not only by his wife’s appearance but by the quiet, polite way Ida asks to speak to Maisie. Ida explains she visited Mrs. Beale’s looking for Maisie. Mrs. Beale wasn’t home, but one of the maids told her about Maisie and Sir Claude’s departure. Sir Claude asks Ida what she has to say to Maisie, but Ida responds that isn’t his business and asks to be left alone to speak with her daughter.
While Sir Claude dismissed Mrs. Wix’s earlier objections to Mrs. Beale, he clearly did not reject them entirely. Despite his “immoral” behavior, he is concerned about being “good,” especially insofar as he wants to be a good stepfather to Maisie. Mrs. Beale perceives this internal conflict of Sir Claude’s and is made uneasy—and jealous—as a result. The appearance of Ida is wholly unexpected, and Sir Claude’s reaction suggests he has seen very little of his wife since their confrontation in the park.
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Themes
Ida explains that she intends to go abroad for her health soon, though she will return to London after her conversation with Maisie. Sir Claude pushes back on Ida’s request to be alone with Maisie and worries about what she will say, but when Maisie supports Ida’s insistence that she won’t hurt her daughter he begrudgingly agrees to leave them to talk privately. Maisie, recalling the Captain’s description of Ida, insists that Ida’s character is in fact good, prompting sarcasm from the departing Sir Claude and dramatic agreement from Ida.
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