The Whalebone Theatre

71 pages • 2 hours read

The Whalebone Theatre

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2022

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Part 1Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1: “Act One : 1919-1920”

Part 1, Chapter 1 Summary: “The Last Day of the Year”

Content Warning: Both the source material and this guide contain descriptions of genocide, violence, and anti-gay bias.

December 31, 1919

Three-year-old Cristabel waits for her father, Jasper Seagrave, to bring home his new wife, Rosalind. The Seagraves live on an estate named Chilcombe in Dorset, England. The manor house has seen better days. When Jasper arrives, he is annoyed that his daughter is dirty. Cristabel drops a handful of soil onto her new stepmother’s boots. Rosalind is 23 and is younger than Jasper. (She was once a London debutante, but she has married Jasper out of desperation because most eligible young men died in World War I.) Cristabel hears the servants speculate that Jasper will soon have a son. She decides that she would enjoy having a brother. Her room is in the attic, and the 14-year-old kitchen maid, Maudie Kitcat, sleeps in the next room. Maudie and Cristabel practice learning to read and write together. Whenever Cristabel cries at night, Maudie is the one who comforts her.

Part 1, Chapter 2 Summary: “The Morning After”

January 1, 1920

Rosalind lies in bed, horrified by the experience of losing her virginity. Her lady’s maid, Betty Bemrose, coaxes her to bathe and get dressed. Although Rosalind’s mother advised her to impose authority on the servants, she is now unsure of how to do this, so she tries to follow the advice set out in The Lady magazine. Jasper is often absent, and there is an air of awkwardness between them.

Part 1, Chapter 3 Summary: “Prodigal Brother”

Jasper’s younger brother, Willoughby, arrives in his car, causing a stir. Betty and Maudie are fascinated by Willoughby after reading the correspondence that he sent to his niece, Cristabel. His letters describe his dramatic adventures in Egypt, where he has served since World War I. Willoughby insists on taking the French governess for a ride with Cristabel.

Part 1, Chapter 4 Summary: “Circling and Re-circling”

March 1920

Willoughby gives Cristabel his old wooden sword and teaches her how to use it. Rosalind also finds the house more exciting with Willoughby in it. One day, over breakfast, Jasper criticizes his brother for his excessive lifestyle. When Willoughby asserts that the aristocracy is doomed, Jasper storms off. Rosalind is concerned by Willoughby’s assessment of Chilcombe’s future. However, Willoughby assures her that she will be fine as long as she produces “[a]n heir and a spare” (26).

One day, Willoughby sees Rosalind with a list of London shops that she wants to visit. He goes to London and sends her one of the store’s catalogs. From then on, Rosalind gives Willoughby a list whenever he leaves for London. Willoughby enjoys watching Rosalind unwrap these items and sometimes chooses gifts for her.

In a notable moment of household drama, Rosalind fires the French governess.

Part 1, Chapter 5 Summary: “Entreaties”

March 1920

In the seaside town of Weymouth, Jasper visits a psychic named Madame Camille. He reveals that he has remarried Rosalind out of “duty” and wants to explain this to his first wife, Annabel, who is now deceased. Madame Camille claims to contact Annabel’s spirit, but Jasper is angry when the psychic cannot offer definitive proof of Annabel’s presence. Jasper misses Annabel and hates Dorset. Due to financial worries, he has recently sold off some of the estate and some family portraits. He has also lost many staff members since the war. Rosalind and Willoughby’s excessive spending habits also add to his anxiety.

Part 1, Chapter 6 Summary: “So First, the Primroses”

April 1920

When Rosalind gains weight, Betty suggests that she is likely pregnant. Rosalind is horrified. The next day, there are primroses on her breakfast tray, and a doctor comes to examine her. During her pregnancy, she keeps to her room, avoiding her husband.

Part 1, Chapter 7 Summary: “Under Beds”

The chapter lists items that are stored under the beds at Chilcombe. Cristabel has a sword and pictures of soldiers. Maudie keeps Willoughby’s letters to Cristabel, a diary, a slate and chalk, a pocketknife, and a book on African wildlife. Under Rosalind’s bed are boxes of dance cards from her former life as a debutante. She also keeps magazine clippings of items that she wants. Amongst the clippings is an advertisement for a maternity corset.

Part 1, Chapter 8 Summary: “A Sleeping Woman”

August 1920

Rosalind is seven months pregnant and stays in bed. Jasper keeps away, drinking heavily. In the final weeks of the pregnancy, Willoughby often brings Rosalind gifts and sits with her. Willoughby is aware that Rosalind often pretends to sleep. One day, he touches her belly and moves his hand to explore other parts of her body, and Rosalind’s water breaks.

Part 1, Chapter 9 Summary: “Cristabel and the Stories”

Cristabel looks forward to having adventures with her brother and reading stories to him. She steals books from her father’s study, including The Iliad and some adventure stories by G. A. Henty. Maudie tells Cristabel that stories do not have to follow a chronological order. For example, she often goes back to read her old diary entries. A 1918 extract from Maudie’s diary describes kissing a boy named Clive.

Part 1, Chapter 10 Summary: “Waiting, Wanting”

August 25, 1890

The narrative shifts to a time frame that is 30 years earlier than the primary storyline and relates Jasper’s early history. Jasper was 16 when his brother Willoughby was born. Willoughby was viewed as “a miracle” because he was the first baby since Jasper to survive beyond a few days. His arrival transformed the household, but Jasper was neglected as a result. On one notable occasion, Jasper’s tutor instructed the boy to give his toy sword to Willoughby.

Jasper was brought up learning about his responsibilities as an heir. One night, he stole his father’s whiskey, went to the beach to swim, and broke his ankle. The accident left him with a permanent limp that made him self-conscious. Jasper could not dance at balls and felt that the estate workers secretly laughed at him. He sought consolation for this social awkwardness by indulging in food.

Part 1, Chapter 11 Summary: “The Boxing Day Hunt”

The narrative goes on to describe the years of Jasper and Willoughby’s adolescence and early adulthood. When their father, Robert Seagrave, died, Jasper inherited Chilcombe. However, he lacked his father’s air of authority and was frustrated when people did not treat him any differently upon his increase in social status.

Throughout 1914, Willoughby served in World War I but returned home for Christmas. During a fox hunt, Willoughby grew bored and invited everyone to return to the house for a drink. Jasper continued riding and was approached by a woman on horseback who introduced herself as Annabel Agnew and suggested that they visit a nearby inn together. Over several drinks, they discussed their mutual love of horses.

Jasper and Annabel returned to Chilcombe to find Willoughby surrounded by admiring and drunken guests. Jasper reacted with disapproval, but Annabel intervened, claiming that Jasper had arranged free drinks for Willoughby and his friends at the local pub. As Willoughby and the guests left, Annabel suggested that a servant be sent ahead to notify the pub. The couple then spent an enjoyable afternoon talking and eating cake.

Part 1, Chapter 12 Summary: “His”

February 1915

Jasper soon married Annabel and became happy for the first time in his life. His wife was capable and efficient, keeping meticulous household records. Consequently, Jasper felt that the servants viewed him with a new respect. Annabel believed that she could not have children due to a damaged pelvis from a riding accident. The couple was delighted when she became pregnant. Preparing for the child’s arrival, they rescued a stuffed baby elephant from the attic. Jasper read passages of his childhood copy of Homer’s The Iliad to the unborn child.

Part 1, Chapter 13 Summary: “They Won’t Let Him”

March 1916

Annabel died during childbirth. Jasper heard the cry of a baby girl who, he was told, looked like her mother.

Part 1, Chapter 14 Summary: “Afterwards”

April 1916

Jasper longed for Annabel in the days after her death. He returned the baby elephant to the attic.

Part 1, Chapter 15 Summary: “The Vegetable”

September 1920

The novel returns to the narrative present, at the moment when Rosalind goes into labor. When Rosalind’s water breaks, Betty explains to her mistress that the baby is on its way. Jasper’s whereabouts are unknown. On the way to the hospital, the family doctor delivers Rosalind’s baby on the back seat of Willoughby’s car. Willoughby holds Rosalind’s hand during the delivery and exclaims that the baby girl looks just like Jasper. The doctor reassures Rosalind that the next baby will be a boy.

Part 1, Chapter 16 Summary: “All Off”

Rosalind declares that her baby “looks like a vegetable” (79). She retreats to her bedroom, and a nanny is hired. Feeling angry at Jasper, she dismisses his awkward attempts at affection. Rosalind names the baby Florence after a glamorous actress named Florence La Badie. Cristabel is disappointed that the new baby is a girl. However, she resolves to make the best of it.

Part 1, Chapter 17 Summary: “Things”

October 1920

At the beach, Cristabel notices that a naked little boy has an anatomical feature between his legs that she does not possess. Cristabel surmises that “the thing” differentiates boys from girls and is the reason why boys are treated advantageously. After the baby’s arrival, adults have told Cristabel to be more ladylike. For Florence’s christening, she was forced to wear an uncomfortable frilly dress. Now, during Maudie’s readings from The Iliad, Cristabel realizes that all the heroic characters are male. Maudie assures her that they “haven’t read all the books yet” (85).

Part 1, Chapter 18 Summary: “A Hunter’s Moon”

November 1920

After drinking two bottles of wine, Jasper goes for a moonlit ride to the beach. On the way, he recalls reading The Iliad as a boy and being inspired by brave warriors such as Hector and Achilles. He also remembers his shame when his limp and his age prevented him from serving in World War I. Suddenly, the horse trips, and Jasper falls, suffering a fatal blow to the head.

Part 1, Chapter 19 Summary: “Maudie Kitcat’s Diary”

A passage from Maudie’s diary states that she will be 15 on the following day. She resolves to kiss someone.

Part 1 Analysis

With the stylistic choice to relate the sweeping history of the Seagrave family as if her novel were a play in five acts, Quinn emphasizes the theme of Playacting as a Societal Microcosm. Historically, the five-act play was exemplified and popularized by Shakespeare’s extensive body of works, and this literary connection will be highlighted when the Seagraves choose to perform many plays that were authored by “the Bard” himself. According to the German literary critic, Guystav Freytach, the plot of a five-act play consists of five discrete sections that are dedicated to unveiling the exposition, the rising action, the climax, the falling action, and the resolution of the story. Thus, because each “act” of Quinn’s novel focuses upon the Seagrave family’s lifelong development, the novel’s very structure echoes Shakespeare’s famous sentiment as expressed in his play As You Like It: “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” From the very beginning, Act 1 of The Whalebone Theatre conforms to this pattern by introducing the characters and setting and sowing the seeds of the novel’s later conflict. Likewise, Jasper’s death at the end of the first act disrupts the status quo and paves the way for the more tumultuous events that dominate Act 2.

In keeping with the novel’s larger function as a work of historical fiction, each act covers a discrete period of early 20th-century history and uses the characters to represent the common experiences of certain segments of society during those specific time frames. Because Act 1 is set in the years following World War I, the author presents an England that is still in recovery from the trauma and loss of what was then known as “The Great War.” Accordingly, the “shortage of suitable husbands” (8) that leads Rosalind to marry Jasper illustrates the devastating effects of the war upon the British population, for many young men were slaughtered in the conflict. The war’s impact is also depicted in the dwindling number of servants at Chilcombe. As Jasper reflects, “Barely a handful had returned from the war, and most had left something of themselves behind on the battlefield, if not a foot or an arm, then whatever it was that controlled their emotions” (34). Within the context of the widespread societal change that characterizes the years preceding and following World War I and II, the estate of Chilcombe becomes the “stage” upon which the characters must navigate their ever-shifting circumstances. Even in these earliest chapters, for example, Jasper’s admission to Rosalind that the country house is “not quite at its best” (4) hints at the steady decline of a formerly grand aristocratic estate. Significantly, Willoughby establishes himself as something of a rebel when he clarifies the link between Chilcombe’s condition and the erosion of England’s traditional class system and asserts the unwelcome opinion that the aristocracy is doomed.

With Quinn’s decision to employ a distinctive third-person narrative style that encompasses multiple perspectives, she gives readers a unique variety of insights into the thoughts and beliefs of the household’s disparate characters. And while the overall theme and tone of the novel contains a certain gravity, the author does make it a point to introduce certain playful elements, such as the list of items hidden under the beds of various characters in Chapter 7. This approach reflects an effective use of the “show, don’t tell” technique, for rather than explaining the significance of each item, she allows room for her readers to draw their own conclusions about each character’s flaws, fears, and desires. The efficacy of the third-person narrative is further emphasized in Chapter 10, for it allows the author to take a very flexible approach to the overall timeline. By cutting the narrative short at the dramatic moment of Rosalind’s labor and relating the key points of the previous 30 years, Quinn adroitly inserts much-needed exposition in such a way that the temporary cliffhanger adds suspense to the primary storyline. Appropriately, Quinn explicitly foreshadows this narrative disruption in Chapter 9 when Maudie tells Cristabel that stories do not have to go “from beginning to end” (50).

Even in Cristabel’s earliest moments, her strong character traits are easily apparent, for when she holds a “stick like a sword” (4) as a very young girl, this display of assertiveness portrays her as an adventurous child who has no interest in conforming to the feminine ideals of the time. Her enthusiasm for the idea of a baby brother also serves to emphasize her attraction to traditionally masculine activities. However, although Cristabel is oblivious to her gender and its implications in these early chapters, later events in the novel will trace her growing comprehension that she is a girl who must work hard to navigate the arbitrary limitations of a patriarchal society. Significantly, Cristabel comes to associate her gender with the parental rejection she feels when she realizes that both she and her sister are “not what was wanted” (83). At the same time, her inherent fondness for logical thought means she cannot understand why possessing certain anatomical attributes should give males so many advantages.

Cristabel’s unwillingness to conform to stereotypically gendered roles is represented through key symbols. For example, the wooden sword that Willoughby passes down to her symbolizes her desire for adventure, foreshadowing her later role as a covert operative during World War II. Similarly, Cristabel’s passion for The Iliad illustrates how profoundly her outlook is shaped by adventure stories even as she is forced to recognize the inherent gender biases of her favorite classics. Her realization that “all the best characters [are] men” (85) marks the beginning of her lifelong battle to create a new narrative in which she can play the part of the hero.

While Cristabel’s character represents a direct challenge to traditional gender roles, Quinn’s portrayal of Rosalind underlines the ongoing theme of Playacting as a Societal Microcosm, for Jasper’s second wife is shown to be a shallow yet naïve character who is so enamored by the prospect of embodying the role of “the lady of the house” (22) that she puts on affectations and artificial desires as though she is donning a costume in preparation for playing a specific part. However, she struggles to conform to her limited role, using little more than magazine advertisements to guide her in doing “what is expected of her” (11). Her fixation with purchasing new items therefore resembles the process of acquiring the appropriate costumes and props to support her chosen role. This superficial focus on appearances over substance foreshadows her inability to engage with her newborn child authentically, as does her willful withdrawal from her husband and the entire household.

In addition to these brewing marital issues, the complex and often fraught relationship between Jasper and Willoughby introduces The Complexities of Familial Bonds. As the chapters detailing the adolescence of the boys reveals, their respective roles as the “heir” and the “spare” create a constant tension between the two characters, and as a result, even their adult interactions feature a great deal of conflict and resentment, especially on Jasper’s part. As the novel progresses, the old-fashioned concept of inheritance will become a crucial factor in the long-term survival of the family’s estate, for rather than being a privilege, ownership of Chilcombe is presented as a familial burden that Willoughby, as the younger brother, is lucky to escape. Jasper’s attitude contrasts sharply with his brother’s social freedom and reveals that he feels imprisoned by his inherited duties. For this reason, the pressure to produce an heir of his own prompts him to marry a second wife whom he does not love.