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Chapter 28
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
Maisie wakes up and realizes she has overslept. Mrs. Wix has been waiting for her and tells her Sir Claude has arrived and is waiting in the other room. Maisie is surprised to feel more apprehensive than excited. She notices how late it is and realizes that Mrs. Wix hasn’t had breakfast—her governess has been hiding in their room. Mrs. Wix says that Mrs. Beale is in the next room. Maisie wonders if Sir Claude has returned to make Mrs. Beale go, but Mrs. Wix declares that he is a “slave” to his passions and will not send her away. Maisie suggests that she and Mrs. Wix leave and wait for Sir Claude to join them once he tires of Mrs. Beale, but Mrs. Wix is convinced that Mrs. Beale will never let go of him.
Mrs. Wix’s unusual behavior and Maisie’s own apprehensive feelings suggest that Sir Claude’s arrival will provoke some kind of major change: things cannot stay the way they are for the four of them. Maisie realizes how afraid Mrs. Wix is of this moment when she notices that Mrs. Wix hasn’t left their room. Mrs. Wix has become convinced that her efforts to “save” Sir Claude are hopeless, and that Mrs. Beale has already triumphed over her.
Active
Themes
Maisie points out that Ida let Sir Claude go, but Mrs. Wix counters that Mrs. Beale is not as much of a fool as Ida. Mrs. Beale will cling to Sir Claude, Mrs. Wix says, and her hatred will be directed at Maisie and Mrs. Wix—Maisie, after all, brought Mrs. Beale and Sir Claude together. Maisie insists she must see Sir Claude, but Mrs. Wix refuses to go out into the salon, which she says belongs to Sir Claude and Mrs. Beale now. Maisie is undaunted and exits the room by herself. She finds the salon empty, but Sir Claude suddenly steps in from the balcony. Maisie notices something different about him, even as he tries to act normal. Sir Claude asks if Mrs. Wix is coming out, and Maisie says no. Maisie asks about Mrs. Beale, but Sir Claude says he has no idea where she is.
Mrs. Wix believes Mrs. Beale to be much savvier than Ida, whose inability to control her emotions has sabotaged multiple relationships with wealthy men—including Sir Claude. Mrs. Beale, on the other hand, married Beale to gain access to upper-class society, and by marrying Sir Claude she can ensure future wealth and security for herself. Maisie is useful for Mrs. Beale’s goals up to a point, but is also a threat as they compete for Sir Claude’s love. Mrs. Wix has already given up hope of stopping Mrs. Beale, but Maisie continues to believe in Sir Claude’s goodness. Still, she can tell that Sir Claude is disconcerted and is hiding something from her.
Active
Themes
Maisie asks if Mrs. Beale has left, but Sir Claude repeats that he doesn’t know, and adds that he doesn’t care—he returned to see Maisie. He asks Maisie what Mrs. Beale has told her and is unsurprised to hear that Mrs. Beale asserted her legal claim as stepmother. Maisie asks if he and Mrs. Beale have argued, to which Sir Claude replies that all they do is argue, before he changes the subject and asks Maisie if she has had breakfast. They decide to go out to a café—alone, arranging to have the hotel send food up for Mrs. Wix. The hotel waiter also asks in French about Mrs. Beale, to which Sir Claude replies “nothing again.”
