Chapters 23 and 24 Summary and Analysis
Summary
Mrs. Penniman learns that she is not to be
included in the European trip. She is philosophic about it, although she admits
she would have loved to see the art and the ancient ruins of Rome. She tells
Catherine of her father’s real reason for the trip—taking Catherine away from
Morris Townsend so that she might forget him. Catherine declares that this is
of course not possible, so she contemplates telling her father so that he will
not pay for a trip whose purpose is to no avail. Mrs. Penniman, however,
suggests that she wait until afterward for the purpose of causing her father
the expense. This, to Mrs. Penniman, is just revenge.
Catherine writes to Morris, asking him to meet her one last time so that they can walk about the town. Morris asks her if she is looking forward to seeing all the sights in Europe, to which Catherine replies that she is not. Silently, Morris proclaims her a dull woman. When Catherine tells Morris that her father is hoping this trip will make her forget about Morris, the later suggests that perhaps it will. Morris is convinced that, whatever happens, at least Catherine will get to see Europe. Catherine feels guilty for deceiving her father in taking the trip, but Morris tells her to enjoy it and buy her wedding clothes in Paris; this would show Dr. Sloper that they are willing to wait, thus putting them on the moral high ground. Perhaps some moment might come along in which Catherine might cleverly convince her father to change his mind, inspired by the glorious and romantic sights around them. Catherine is a bit taken aback at being expected to be “clever.”
Catherine informs her father that she is ready to leave and she makes her good-byes to her aunt and to Morris, the latter promising to remain true. After Dr. Sloper and Catherine depart, Mrs. Penniman visits with her sister, Mrs. Almond. Mrs. Almond chides her for pushing Catherine into marriage with such a “deplorable” man. Mrs. Penniman thinks he will make a lovely husband. Mrs. Almond says she has no use for “lovely” husbands, only good ones. She warns her sister that once the two are married, Morris will hate Catherine for not having the money he had hoped for. He may even be cruel. She suggests that Mrs. Penniman talk to Morris’s sister.
During their tour of Europe, Dr. Sloper and Catherine do not talk about Morris. Their planned six-month tour is extended to an entire year. One day, six months into their trip, while climbing in the Alps, Dr. Sloper leaves Catherine for a bit as he climbs further up the mountain. At his return, he abruptly asks her if she has given up Morris. Catherine replies that she has not. Dr. Sloper becomes so quietly angry that Catherine begins to think that he brought her up to the mountains to kill her. When he mentions that she might be left to starve, she thinks that he intends to abandon her in the mountains, but he is talking about Morris’s leaving her to starve. The subject does not come up again until the night before their departure for home, when Dr. Sloper asks Catherine her plans. She says that she assumes she will be married soon after she arrives in New York. Dr. Sloper learns that Morris has been writing her twice a month. He extracts a promise from his daughter that she will inform him three days before she “abandons” him for Morris.
Analysis
In a sense, the climax of the story...
(This entire section contains 1105 words.)
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has occurred on the mountain summit in the Alps, when Dr. Sloper confronts Catherine and she fears for her life. It is seen that Dr. Sloper is perhaps really capable of the physical violence that has simmered beneath the surface. Prior to this, Catherine has admitted that she fears her father, but it is more on the level of fearing to disappoint him or being separated from his love and approval. It is on the mountaintop that she contemplates that he might actually kill her. She is puzzled and worried over his admission that he is not a “good man.” She is unsure what he means by this, but eventually it emerges as a possibility that he is admitting that he might do the unthinkable. The strength that she has previously seen in her father begins to devolve into simple violence. She had previously been severely hurt when he said that her discomfort at accepting his provision without submitting to his request was a sign of “bad taste.” He has called her sense of honor into question. This sense of honor is the very foundation on which she has based all her actions, both to her father and to Morris. To denigrate that has changed her opinion of her father, and she becomes closer to feeling righteous anger. She begins to feel less concerned over disappointing him, since his approval is not based on a fine sense of honor too. She begins to see it is merely a desire for control. His approval is no longer worth the price of her honor.
Morris Townsend is further revealed to be interested more in the lifestyle that Catherine can provide than in Catherine herself. He thinks her a dull woman, yet is willing to marry her. He thinks Mrs. Penniman is an idiot, but he is willing to tolerate her company in order to spend time in the Sloper home, enjoying its amenities. He does not need Catherine at this point in order to have all this. Therefore, he seems quite content that the six-month separation has been extended to twelve. Better to tolerate one fool than two, so long as he has his comfort and cigars.
It becomes clear that Catherine is trying to please two men, neither one worthy of her affection and devotion. Both manipulate her feelings for their own purposes; both give little thought to her future compared to their own current victory. Catherine seems destined for unhappiness and disappointment no matter which choice she makes. Just as Henry James uses the theme of the unfulfilled life in many of his works, so it is seen in Washington Square that Catherine’s life has been unfulfilled in growing up in her father’s home, will be unfulfilled as Morris’s wife, and will be unfulfilled should she reject Morris and remain in her father’s home. It is up to Catherine herself to find some means of redemption; she cannot depend on either of the men to do so for her.
