Wives and Daughters Chapter 20 Summary & Analysis

Later in the week, Molly is surprised when Preston arrives at their house, ostensibly to see Clare. Cynthia is out shopping when Preston arrives. Preston again flirts with Molly in a way that she finds forward and unwelcome. When Preston asks about Cynthia, Clare doesn’t say that Cynthia has already arrived in Hollingford to live with them. Molly doesn’t know why Clare seems to be withholding the truth from Preston.

The novel again portrays Preston as menacing and threatening. Though Molly remains unaware of the specific reason why people seem to go out of their way to avoid Preston to get rid of Preston, she can still sense that something is off about him.

Active Themes

Cynthia then returns home. Molly tries to stop her from entering the room where Preston is, but she doesn’t reach Cynthia in time. Cynthia reacts coolly to Preston’s presence. Preston then begins talking about rumors about the Hamley family and Osborne’s fall from grace. He also says that he saw in the paper that Roger had been named “senior wrangler” (a prestigious academic honor) at Cambridge. Preston then speaks ill of the Hamley family. Cynthia sees tears in Molly’s eyes and speaks up in defense of the Hamleys. Preston then leaves.

Again, Molly has already become so aware that something is off about Preston that she tries to stop Cynthia from unintentionally seeing him. Cynthia’s decision to speak up in the Hamleys’ defense when she sees tears in Molly’s eyes reinforces the portrayal of Molly and Cynthia’s friendship as one that is based on genuine mutual care and consideration.

Active Themes

Later that week, Osborne visits the Gibson family. Molly has countless questions she wants to ask Osborne. But she realizes that Osborne’s attention gradually gravitates toward Cynthia. Before long, Osborne is addressing Cynthia at least as much as he addresses Molly, and his goodbye to Cynthia takes just as much time as his goodbye to Molly. After Osborne leaves, Clare remarks on how charming Osborne is and says that he and Cynthia would make a good couple. Cynthia and Clare then talk about Roger, and they both hint that Molly is romantically attracted to Roger. It takes Molly a second to understand what they’re intimating, but when she realizes, she blushes and tries to say that there’s nothing romantic happening between her and Roger.

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The fact that Osborne’s attention gravitates toward Cynthia, leaving Molly feeling like something of an afterthought, points to a possible source of tension in Molly and Cynthia’s developing friendship. Cynthia seems to naturally gravitate toward being the center of attention while Molly doesn’t attract as much attention—but that doesn’t mean Molly wants others to disregard her entirely. Molly blushing when Clare and Cynthia talk about her possibly being attracted to Roger reinforces the idea that Molly may have romantic feelings for Roger, even if she doesn’t express them.

Active Themes

Wives and Daughters: Chapter 20 Summary & Analysis