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Chapter 4
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’s first separation from Mrs. Wix is even more painful than the last one from Miss Overmore, although they both express their intense emotions silently. The latter, however, is waiting for her with Beale. Maisie asks if Beale liked Miss Overmore as much while she was gone, prompting an outburst of laughter from Beale. Miss Overmore, for her part, is embarrassed by the subject, explaining that a single woman can’t stay with a single man without a good reason. Maisie asks what a good reason would be, and while Beale jokes about a “tomboy” being the best reason possible, Miss Overmore quickly declares that she was staying with friends. Maisie understands that she is not being told the truth but also senses that the subject is embarrassing and she should stop asking questions.
Maisie’s emotional new bond with Mrs. Wix becomes clear in her absence. Maisie struggles to imagine a relationship between Beale and Miss Overmore that does not include her, as she is too young—and innocent—to understand that they might be romantically interested in each other. Miss Overmore’s delicate attempts to explain this dynamic suggest that she feels awkward or even embarrassed by her position as Beale’s lover, while Beale is characteristically blasé and unconcerned with what his daughter thinks. Once again, Maisie’s emotional intelligence exceeds her understanding of social norms, as she guesses that her questions make Miss Overmore is made uncomfortable despite not understanding why.
Active
Themes
In private, Maisie plays with her doll by keeping secrets of her own and angrily refusing to explain them to the doll.
Active
Themes
