Previous
Chapter 6
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
One day, Maisie comes home to find Mrs. Wix waiting for her. Maisie assumes that Mrs. Wix took advantage of the fact that Beale and Miss Overmore are away in Brighton, touring a school for Maisie. At that very moment, however, Miss Overmore returns early, explaining that Beale will be back the next day. Maisie asks if there is any news about the school, but Miss Overmore responds vaguely. Mrs. Wix explains that she has come to tell her that Ida is returning soon, and Miss Overmore angrily criticizes Ida’s lack of direct communication with her daughter. Mrs. Wix points out that Ida knows what happens to the letters that she sends Maisie, but Miss Overmore retorts that the contents of the letters are inappropriate for Maisie.
Maisie is still too young to comprehend the world beyond her own immediate perspective, which is why she assumes that Mrs. Wix knows Beale and Miss Overmore are traveling. Mrs. Wix appears as Ida’s messenger, since Ida’s letters are not reaching Maisie: Miss Overmore is intercepting them. Miss Overmore’s counterargument has some merit, as Ida’s letters contain more vitriol toward Beale than love for Maisie. But Mrs. Wix nevertheless believes that it is highly inappropriate for Miss Overmore, as Maisie’s governess and Beale’s lover, to prevent Maisie from communicating with Ida.
Active
Themes
Mrs. Wix explains the purpose of her visit: to tell Maisie that Ida is marrying her traveling companion, Sir Claude. Miss Overmore snidely suggests that Ida has been trying to dodge her parental responsibilities. Maisie is awed by their argument and sympathizes with each of them. Mrs. Wix then shows her a photograph of the handsome Sir Claude. Maisie asks to keep it, which flusters Mrs. Wix and angers Miss Overmore. Mrs. Wix then tells Maisie she will continue to be her governess in Ida’s custody, and that Ida’s marriage insures Maisie’s return to her. Miss Overmore then tells them that Ida’s marriage won’t change the custody arrangement, because Beale has also already been remarried—to her.
