The Well of Loneliness

Sir Philip buys the first motor car any private citizen owns in his area, causing “much excitement.” Anna, however, is not impressed. The car is bulky, noisy, unreliable, and, in her opinion, unnecessary. Williams is offended by the car and its accompaniment, Burton, the young, leather-clad chauffer from London. Williams finds Burton unruly, and Burton finds Williams antiquated, and thus there is bickering between them. Sir Philip, however, is full of boyish pride and spends hours working on his newly acquired car. Stephen follows suit and learns to drive and work on the car as well. Williams takes all of this personally, not realizing they will continue to love horseback riding, too.

When she is not riding around with her father, Stephen is under the watchful and critical eye of her new schoolmaster, Miss Puddleton, sometimes referred to as Puddle. She feels restricted for the first time in her life, and she hates it. However, as strict as Puddle is, she is giving, a quality that leads Stephen to like her in spite of herself. Gradually their friendship “flourishe(s)” and Stephen begins to love to learn. Through Puddle’s encouragement, Stephen finds that she is a great writer and greatly enjoys writing. Puddle sees Stephen’s talent but is unsure what shape it will take. Stephen excels in her studies, eventually becoming quite conceited. Sir Philip sometimes mocks her, hoping to keep her humble. Sometimes Stephen brags to Raferty about her intellect, but the horse always feels Stephen is “missing the truth” (62). 

The neighbors have noticed that, at 17, the tall and boyish Stephen isn’t very attractive. Aware of this impression, Stephen and Anna often argue over fashion. Anna wants Stephen to dress with feminine flair, while Stephen does not wish to do so. Stephen studies herself in the mirror and decides it is her face that makes her masculine. Anna denies this vehemently, but her facial expression says otherwise. Stephen tries to turn to God but finds that her education has mostly erased her belief in him.

While many of Stephen’s peers are finding romance, Stephen is finding herself to be a “social disaster.” Anna forces her to parties, where Stephen makes a fool of herself. Puddle, seeing a huge discrepancy between Stephen the student and Stephen the partygoer, is frustrated that Stephen is letting herself be judged by “petty, half-educated yokels” (66). Stephen doesn’t see it this way, however, and grows ever more self-conscious, fully aware that, despite her best efforts, the other girls will never see her as an equal or a companion. Similarly, boys find her intelligence and fortitude annoying, if not downright antagonistic, preferring women who will “cling” to them.

In addition to local parties, Stephen is often invited to long dinners in “a hospitable county” (68). The dinners go horribly, as she is always paired with some young man who, despite trying to be polite, makes her feel “awkward” and “hostile” (68-69). She tries champagne on one occasion, but it gives her absurdly loud hiccups, not happiness. She finds herself clinging to her father, one of the only people she feels comfortable around. 

Sir Philip and Stephen begin to spend a lot of time in his study discussing books and Stephen’s aspirations to become a writer. These sessions hold no interest for Anna, who is uneducated, and she feels herself being further and further boxed out. She also is becoming less and less able to hide her “resentment” for Stephen, so much so that Sir Philip is starting to notice her cruelty. She prays to God and asks him “how to love my own child” (71).

Anna keeps waking up alone to find Sir Philip pacing in his study. She wonders why he is pacing but is too “fearful” to ask him. She then often visits a sleeping Stephen, looking in on her and trying to conjure up old memories that might make her more compassionate towards her daughter. She often goes in to kiss her but does so fast enough that Stephen can never kiss back.

Stephen realizes on an intuitive level that her parents are unhappy and that her father is quickly ageing. This unsettles her because her parents’ love for each other has always been her one source of stability. She wants to help preserve their love but knows that she cannot demand it. She reflects on what they might have been like before she was born, and before they knew each other. She admits to herself that her love for her father is greater than her love for her mother but knows she must love both to truly please her father.

Stephen notices that her father seems “young” and joyful whenever they are in the study discussing literature or out hunting together (77). However, outside of those activities he seems as though he is “bearing a burden” (77).

The Christmas when Stephen turns 18 is a traditional one—church followed by a big meal and presents. The only thing that stands out is the silence Stephen witnesses between her parents.

Stephen attends a Christmas dance at the Antrims’, despite her not wanting to attend and a judgmental Mrs. Antrim not wanting to invite her. At the dance, she meets Martin Hallam, a friend of Roger’s from British Columbia who happily sits out several dances with Stephen. They discuss his love of trees and Stephen’s love of riding, fencing, books, and Raftery. Before they go home, Anna invites him to come over another time, which fills Stephen with excitement.