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Chapter 13
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Daniel Deronda, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Identity and Self-Discovery
Judaism and Zionism
Marriage, Gender, and Control
Familial Duty
Wealth and Social Class
Summary
Analysis
The next morning, Gwendolen wakes in high spirits, feeling confident and eager for the archery match at Cardell Chase. She looks forward to the event, expecting Grandcourt to continue his advances and anticipating her own response. At breakfast, Mrs. Davilow tries to talk about marriage, but Gwendolen avoids engaging with the topic seriously. However, internally, Gwendolen has decided she wants to marry Grandcourt. She feels happy about her decision and the disappointment is that Mr. Gascoigne will not be able to attend the match. Without his presence, the sense of certainty about her decision feels less firm. As the time for departure nears, she reminds herself that marriage will provide her with more freedom, despite the finality of the choice.
Gwendolen wakes with a sense of confidence, believing she has made her choice. Her decision to marry Grandcourt is not based on love or even admiration, but on the belief that marriage will expand her freedom rather than restrict it. She reassures herself that this is the right course, yet the absence of Mr. Gascoigne—a figure of authority and validation—makes her feel less certain. Her reliance on external approval suggests that, despite her self-assured nature, she is still shaped by the expectations of others. The idea of finality lingers, but she pushes it aside, focusing on the power she believes marriage will afford her.
Themes
At the event, the guests gather in a wooded area where servants prepare a picnic. The archers begin their game, moving through the forest, and though Gwendolen carries herself gracefully, she does not perform well. Grandcourt stays close to her, his manner unchanged, though others believe an engagement is imminent. She assumes the same, though she remains distracted. As they return to the picnic area, Grandcourt subtly presses the matter by commenting on the time lost since their first meeting. Gwendolen playfully responds, but he continues, hinting that he’s impatient and would like some certainty.
The archery event, with its carefully orchestrated elegance, mirrors Gwendolen’s social world—structured, performative, and full of unspoken expectations. Her poor performance does not shake her outward composure, but her distraction suggests that the weight of her decision is already settling in. Grandcourt’s presence remains steady, yet his hints about lost time suggest that he is growing impatient.
Themes
When Gwendolen teasingly suggests she enjoys uncertainty, Grandcourt looks at her intently and asks if she means to torment him. For the first time, she feels unsteady and turns away, saying she would not want that. Just then, they descend a steep slope, and he offers his hand to steady her. Their interaction is noticed by others, including Mrs. Arrowpoint and Mrs. Davilow, who discuss Grandcourt’s suitability. Mrs. Arrowpoint remains unimpressed, while Mrs. Davilow is pleased.
Grandcourt’s question—whether Gwendolen means to torment him—marks a shift. Until now, Gwendolen has controlled the pace of their interactions, keeping him engaged without committing. For the first time, she falters, sensing that she has underestimated his patience. His extended hand as they descend the slope is an act of control disguised as assistance, a moment where he reasserts himself. The physical gesture, subtle but significant, reinforces his expectation that she will accept him.
Themes
The picnic continues with lively conversation and food, though Gwendolen remains preoccupied. Mr. Lush, keeping his distance, busies himself assisting guests. When it is time to resume the archery, Gwendolen hurries to retrieve her bow, avoiding any chance of encountering Mr. Lush. A servant hands it to her along with a letter. Stepping aside, she reads it privately. The message warns her that if she is uncertain about accepting Grandcourt, she should return alone to the Whispering Stones, where she will hear something that will make her decision clear. She is instructed to keep the letter secret.
Gwendolen’s distraction at the picnic signals her shifting state of mind. She is losing interest in the game she has been playing, no longer entertained by the careful balancing act between certainty and delay. Her eagerness to avoid Mr. Lush suggests an instinctive distrust, as if she senses that he represents something she does not yet understand. The arrival of the letter disrupts the careful choreography of the day, forcing her to break away from the scripted courtship and confront something unexpected.
Themes
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Gwendolen immediately resolves to follow the instructions and manages to slip away unnoticed. Reaching the stones, she finds a woman waiting with two young children. The woman introduces herself as Lydia Glasher and tells Gwendolen that Grandcourt had promised to marry her. She reveals that the children are his and insists that he should be marrying her instead. Gwendolen, shaken by the revelation, coldly assures her she will not interfere and quickly leaves.
Lydia Glasher’s revelation shatters Gwendolen’s illusions about what marriage to Grandcourt would mean. Until now, she has seen him as a source of power and privilege, but the existence of his children and his broken promises force her to acknowledge his character in a way she has avoided. Lydia does not plead or beg; she asserts her own claim, making it clear that Grandcourt is not simply an eligible bachelor but a man who has already made commitments and discarded them.
Themes
On her way back, Gwendolen finds that her party has not yet noticed her absence. When Mrs. Davilow asks her what happened, Gwendolen makes up an excuse, hiding the truth from her mother. Though Mrs. Davilow is relieved, she senses something is wrong. When Grandcourt finally appears, Lord Brackenshaw jokingly remarks that he may have been too distracted to keep track of time. Grandcourt approaches Gwendolen and asks if he may visit Offendene the next day. She responds curtly, avoiding his touch as she gets into the carriage.
Returning to the picnic, Gwendolen hides her reaction, proving how quickly she has learned to suppress her emotions when necessary. She offers her mother an excuse, unwilling to share what she has learned, not out of deception but because she needs time to process it herself. The moment with Grandcourt, where she avoids his touch and responds curtly, signals that something has shifted in their relationship.
Themes
On the ride home, Gwendolen suddenly announces to Mrs. Davilow that she plans to leave for Dover the next morning to join friends. Mrs. Davilow is stunned and questions her, but Gwendolen refuses to explain, only insisting that she will not marry Grandcourt. Her mother, seeing her daughter’s determination, does not argue further. Early the next morning, they go to the station together, and Mrs. Davilow watches her daughter depart. Later that day, Grandcourt arrives at Offendene, only to find the house empty.
Gwendolen’s sudden decision to leave for Dover is her first true act of defiance. For the first time, Mrs. Davilow does not argue, recognizing that her daughter is not uncertain but resolute. Meanwhile, Grandcourt has assumed all along that Gwendolen would bend to his will, that her hesitations were part of a game she would inevitably lose. Instead, she has removed herself from his reach entirely. His reaction is left unexamined, but the image of him arriving to find nothing awaiting him is a rare moment where he is caught off guard.
Themes
