How Green Was My Valley

Huw grows more accustomed to his new school. He finds a place where he can fight the boys who broke his pencil box. He fights Mervyn Phillips on the playground, and, just as he knocks the other boy to the ground, Mr. Jonas arrives. Huw goes into the classroom with his friend Mat Powell and waits for the teacher. In front of the other students, Mr. Jonas beats Huw and Mervyn with a cane. Huw sits through a geography lesson and then struggles to move. Shani Hughes, a girl in Huw’s class, offers to bring him a glass of water. They talk about their collections of bird eggs and agree to meet after school. Later, Mervyn Phillips makes amends with Huw. He introduces Huw to his sister, Ceinwen. Mervyn and Huw shake hands then Ceinwen offers to kiss Huw. Then, he meets Shani and agrees to bring her a nightingale egg the following day. He returns home and inspects his wounds. Ianto is shocked by the severity of Huw’s wounds. Huw runs out the house before anyone else can see. He falls asleep on the side of the mountain and dreams about the events of the day. He wakes up in the night and wants to talk to Reverend Gruffydd, who is hosting a “big meeting” (215) for the people of the village. Huw listens to the priest deliver an impassioned sermon. Bronwen spots Huw, chiding him for being away. She takes him home and he falls asleep in his bed.

At his boxing lesson the next day, Dai spots the wounds on Huw’s back. He tells his teacher about Mr. Jonas. Dai and Cynfartha discuss whether they should perhaps meet Mr. Jonas. At home, Gwilym demands to see the wounds. Huw confesses to fighting in the playground. Gwilym is proud of his son and agrees to take Huw to watch Wales play Ireland in a rugby match. Huw goes to school with his nightingale egg for Shani. The other students act differently toward him. During a lesson, Mr. Jonas is summoned to Mr. Motshill’s office. While he is away, Ceinwen Phillips apologizes for her involvement in breaking Huw’s stationary. She gifts him an ivory ruler and asks for a nightingale’s egg in return. Huw agrees. Outside the classroom, people shout. Dai, Cynfartha, and a group of teachers chase Mr. Jonas into the classroom. Dai beats Mr. Jonas with a belt while Cynfartha holds back the other teachers. When they are finished, Dai and Cynfartha sling Mr. Jonas into the coal locker. Dai rolls a cigarette while Mr. Motshill threatens to call the police. Dai ignores the threat and agrees with Cynfartha to go for “a good pint” (222) in the local pub. When they are gone, Mr. Jonas is pulled out of the coal locker.

After school, Huw finds a group of men in the street. Ellis explains that they are on strike. Huw passes the time by carefully cleaning Owen’s engine. When Gwilym returns home, he is sad. Ianto returns shortly after, explaining that everyone is “in pain” (225). The men are on strike and have no idea when it will end, so the family must begin cutting costs. Over the coming months, the striking men meet every day. The working men want higher wages but the owners of the mine refuse their demands. Huw continues to attend school. Mr. Jonas says nothing about the incident with Dai. Huw notices his classmates such as Shani growing thin and pale. Huw offers to share his lunch with her. When he tells his mother what happened, the next day his lunch box is packed full of food to share with Shani. Eventually, however, she stops attending school as her family moves north to find work.

As more months pass, the lack of money shows around the village. The families with savings help to feed the families without. Reverend Gruffydd fetches food from the town and shares as much as he can, but even he grows thin. For fun, he organizes a choir to sing hymns. With the strike entering the fifth month, children begin to die of malnutrition. People scavenge what wood or coal they can to heat their homes in winter. One day, Gwilym receives a letter from the owners announcing that they have “promised a minimum wage” (229). The small concession is good news for the family. Gwilym attends a meeting with the owners. The strike ends and the people celebrate. Gwilym prays to God in thanks.

Huw walks through the snowy mountains to get to school. Mr. Motshill speaks to Huw about his schoolwork and Huw asks to be transferred out of Mr. Jonas’s class. In the classroom, Mr. Jonas demands to speak to Huw in private and drags him out of the room by his ear. The physicality infuriates Huw, and, in the hallway, he punches the teacher. The fight is interrupted by Mr. Motshill, who suspends Huw for the rest of the week. Huw walks home, worried about how he will explain himself to his mother. Instead, he goes to Reverend Gruffydd. He is shocked to find Angharad with the priest. She is declaring her love for him, but he is reluctant to give in to her, as such a relationship “still seems wrong” (237). Huw sneaks away and finds Bronwen instead. She tells him to confess what he has done to his mother. He is surprised by his mother’s lack of anger. Rather than punish him, she tells him to take a set of shelves to Reverend Gruffydd. Huw explains himself to the priest, who tells him to be ashamed to lose his “precious temper” (240) in such a way. Gwilym is less angry. He is invested in the possibility of Huw passing the scholarship exams for university. During his suspension, Huw performs chores around the house. Just as Reverend Gruffydd and Huw are about to start work on a set of furniture, the priest is called to attend to Mr. Evans, who has had an accident in the mine. Mr. Evans dies, and the village sings a hymn to pay their respects.

The funeral is well-attended. Angharad walks beside Iestyn Evans. After, Huw talks to Bronwen about Angharad having to choose between Iestyn and the 40-year-old Reverend Gruffydd. Huw is surprised by how little the priest earns. Now that Iestyn has inherited his father’s money, Bronwen believes he is the more intelligent choice for Angharad. When Huw returns to school, Ceinwen asks him to take her “to hear the nightingales one night” (244). Huw promises to do so. He is transferred from Mr. Jonas’s class to Mr. Tyser’s class. He is so pleased that he resolves to work hard to thank Mr. Motshill.

Huw thinks about how his “poor little house” (246) will eventually fall apart and be buried under the slag heap that builds up beside the village. Returning to his childhood, he writes about the day he first went to the cloth mill with his father. He is measured for his first proper suit in time for the weddings, first that of Ceridwen and Blethyn, then of Angharad and Iestyn. Now that Iestyn has returned from London, Iestyn and Angharad seem set to marry. While Ceridwen and Blethyn seem to Huw to be very much in love, he senses something different about Angharad’s disposition toward the wealthy Iestyn. An announcement in the newspaper (sent from London by Owen) proclaims the marriage between Iestyn and Angharad, though nothing has been officially arranged. Gwilym is angry because such an announcement should “be read in Chapel properly” (251) before any newspaper is involved. Angharad is equally annoyed that Iestyn has announced their engagement without consulting her. She demands two days to think, which infuriates Iestyn. Huw tells him to keep the incident quiet. The next day, Huw is working with Reverend Gruffydd on the furniture when Angharad comes to speak to the priest. Huw sees Angharad run away from the house. When Reverend Gruffydd returns to their work, Huw says nothing.

The following Sunday, Reverend Gruffydd reads out the announcement engagement for Angharad and Iestyn in the chapel. As the couple makes arrangements for the marriage, however, they soon disagree. When Iestyn announces a plan to marry suddenly in London, Angharad cries to her mother. Huw is sent away, so he speaks to Bronwen. As they eat, Huw asks Bronwen a question about Nan Mardy. He is frustrated that he does not understand people’s jokes about Nan Mardy needing to “see a shirt tail” (257). Bronwen laughs, which infuriates Huw. He feels as though he is being treated like a child. Bronwen agrees to think about telling him the meaning of the joke. Thankful, Huw kisses her “quietly upon the mouth” (258) and runs away. The next day, Reverend Gruffydd comes to Huw and speaks obliquely about the way that babies are made. Gradually, the priest attempts to explain the physical mechanics of sex and “the business of birth” (264). When Huw invites the priest to dine with the family that night, Reverend Gruffydd declines. Sometime later, Iestyn takes Angharad to London to be married. Gwilym and Beth stay in the village, hurt that the wedding did not take place in the chapel. Angharad sends postcards from her honeymoon in Europe.

Huw will attend the wedding of Ceridwen and Blethyn in his new suit. Davy will marry Wyn on the same day. Huw describes the fitting of the suit with the argumentative tailors. As the family prepares for the weddings, Owen and Gwilym Jr. return. The family celebrates and Bronwen and Huw are left behind to finish the preparations in the chapel. They tell the good news to Reverend Gruffydd, who seems dejected. After he leaves, Bronwen describes her sympathy for the priest who seems “empty” (271) after turning down Angharad’s advances. As they talk, Bronwen and Huw both begin to blush. Huw is puzzled by their interaction but decides that he has now become “a Man” (272). His thoughts are interrupted when Ianto presses him into service cleaning in the kitchen. Later, the family sits down to dinner. Owen announces his plan to return home to work. He and Gwilym Jr. have been sacked for trying to start a union for the men building the subway system in London. Conversation shifts to the local choir and the chapel. Since their father Gwilym does not want to talk about the mine or the union, the family begins to sing. Soon, the rest of the street has joined them. During the festivities, Huw can feel Bronwen looking at him. He asks her about the strangeness between them recently and she agrees to reveal everything the next day.

The next morning, the preparations for the wedding begin. Huw dresses in his new suit for the first time. He feels “elegant” (281). His parents are equally impressed. Huw watches a rugby game between the local team and a team from another valley. Davy is a star player for the Morgans’ local side. As his side takes the lead, Ceinwen Philips spots him. Huw worries that his brothers will see him talk to a girl. When he is reluctant to fetch her a glass of water, she cries. People around take notice, including Huw’s father. He criticizes his son for being so impolite. Huw furiously leads Ceinwen away to get a drink. She delights in making him so angry. Huw takes her back to the family house, where he is shocked by how much Ceinwen eats when his mother offers her food. To Huw’s annoyance, his mother invites her to the weddings. By the time they return to the match, the game is over. The wedding ceremonies take place. When the couples step out of the chapel, the crowds throw flowers at them. As the celebrations continue, Huw tries to avoid Ceinwen. When she kisses him, she asks whether they will be “sweethearts” (293). Huw is reluctant to answer. She assures him that she will not stop pursuing him. At the end of the night, the guests begin to leave. Ceinwen comes to Huw again and Huw wants to kiss her, but he rudely rejects her. She kisses him forcefully then marches away into the night. Huw finishes the chapter by describing his dislike of “gossips” (295).