Summary
Will Ladislaw charms his way through dinner with the Casaubons, carefully managing his persona to avoid Casaubon's disapproval while drawing closer to Dorothea. When he arranges a visit to his friend Naumann's art studio, the painter immediately sees what Will cannot admit—he's infatuated with Dorothea. Naumann asks to sketch both Casaubon and Dorothea, positioning Casaubon as Saint Thomas Aquinas and Dorothea as Saint Clara. The sessions reveal everyone's true nature: Casaubon preens at being seen as a great scholar, Dorothea glows with happiness at her husband's recognition, and Will burns with jealousy watching another man direct Dorothea's poses. Later, Will visits Dorothea alone and they have an intense conversation about art, life's purpose, and Casaubon's scholarly work. Dorothea reveals her conflicted feelings about art—she wants to make everyone's life beautiful but struggles with how much beauty exists only for the privileged few. When Will criticizes her husband's outdated research methods, Dorothea defends Casaubon but is clearly shaken by Will's words. The chapter ends with Will promising to stop accepting Casaubon's financial support and return to England, while Dorothea extracts a promise that he'll never again speak critically of her husband's work. Their goodbye is charged with unspoken emotion, and Casaubon's cold response to news of Will's decision suggests he suspects more than he's letting on.
Coming Up in Chapter 23
As the Casaubons prepare to leave Rome, the tensions and revelations of their time abroad will follow them back to England, where the quiet life at Lowick may no longer provide the refuge Dorothea once imagined.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
N“ous câusames longtemps; elle était simple et bonne. Ne sachant pas le mal, elle faisait le bien; Des richesses du coeur elle me fit l’aumône, Et tout en écoutant comme le coeur se donne, Sans oser y penser je lui donnai le mien; Elle emporta ma vie, et n’en sut jamais rien.” —ALFRED DE MUSSET. Will Ladislaw was delightfully agreeable at dinner the next day, and gave no opportunity for Mr. Casaubon to show disapprobation. On the contrary it seemed to Dorothea that Will had a happier way of drawing her husband into conversation and of deferentially listening to him than she had ever observed in any one before. To be sure, the listeners about Tipton were not highly gifted! Will talked a good deal himself, but what he said was thrown in with such rapidity, and with such an unimportant air of saying something by the way, that it seemed a gay little chime after the great bell. If Will was not always perfect, this was certainly one of his good days. He described touches of incident among the poor people in Rome, only to be seen by one who could move about freely; he found himself in agreement with Mr. Casaubon as to the unsound opinions of Middleton concerning the relations of Judaism and Catholicism; and passed easily to a half-enthusiastic half-playful picture of the enjoyment he got out of the very miscellaneousness of Rome, which made the mind flexible with constant comparison, and saved you from seeing the world’s ages as a set of box-like partitions without vital connection. Mr. Casaubon’s studies, Will observed, had always been of too broad a kind for that, and he had perhaps never felt any such sudden effect, but for himself he confessed that Rome had given him quite a new sense of history as a whole: the fragments stimulated his imagination and made him constructive. Then occasionally, but not too often, he appealed to Dorothea, and discussed what she said, as if her sentiment were an item to be considered in the final judgment even of the Madonna di Foligno or the Laocoon. A sense of contributing to form the world’s opinion makes conversation particularly cheerful; and Mr. Casaubon too was not without his pride in his young wife, who spoke better than most women, as indeed he had perceived in choosing her. Since things were going on so pleasantly, Mr. Casaubon’s statement that his labors in the Library would be suspended for a couple of days, and that after a brief renewal he should have no further reason for staying in Rome, encouraged Will to urge that Mrs. Casaubon should not go away without seeing a studio or two. Would not Mr. Casaubon take her? That sort of thing ought not to be missed: it was quite special: it was a form of life that grew like a small fresh vegetation with its population of insects on huge fossils. Will would be happy to conduct them—not to anything wearisome,...
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Triangulated Desire
When three people occupy emotional space, desire becomes competitive rather than authentic, with each person's actions pushing others deeper into defensive positions.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to recognize when three-person dynamics stop being about the stated issue and become about hidden competition for attention, loyalty, or control.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when someone criticizes your boss, partner, or friend while positioning themselves as the better alternative—ask yourself what they're really competing for.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Saint Thomas Aquinas
A medieval Catholic philosopher and theologian known for his scholarly works attempting to reconcile faith and reason. Naumann positions Casaubon as this figure in his painting, suggesting Casaubon sees himself as a great religious scholar.
Modern Usage:
When someone takes themselves way too seriously as an intellectual authority, especially in academic or religious contexts.
Saint Clara
A medieval saint known for her purity, devotion, and founding of an order of nuns. Naumann wants to paint Dorothea in this role, seeing her spiritual nature and dedication to doing good.
Modern Usage:
The person everyone sees as naturally good and pure-hearted, often put on a pedestal by others.
Patron-client relationship
A system where wealthy people financially support artists, writers, or scholars in exchange for loyalty and sometimes specific work. Casaubon has been supporting Will financially, creating an uncomfortable power dynamic.
Modern Usage:
Any relationship where financial support creates obligation and potential resentment, like family members helping with bills or bosses doing personal favors.
Chaperone culture
Victorian social rules requiring unmarried men and women to have supervision during interactions to prevent impropriety. Will and Dorothea's private conversations push these boundaries.
Modern Usage:
Workplace policies about not being alone with certain people, or family rules about dating and supervision.
Scholarly obsolescence
When academic research becomes outdated because new discoveries or methods make the old work irrelevant. Will suggests Casaubon's life work on mythology is already behind the times.
Modern Usage:
When your job skills become outdated due to new technology, or when you realize you've been doing something the hard way for years.
Emotional triangulation
A psychological pattern where three people form a complex relationship dynamic, often with hidden tensions and competing loyalties. Will, Dorothea, and Casaubon form this triangle.
Modern Usage:
Workplace drama where three people can't seem to resolve their issues directly, or family situations with competing allegiances.
Characters in This Chapter
Will Ladislaw
Love interest
Carefully manages his behavior to charm Casaubon while getting closer to Dorothea. His jealousy becomes obvious when watching Naumann pose Dorothea, and he reveals his true feelings through criticism of Casaubon's work.
Modern Equivalent:
The charming friend who's obviously into someone's spouse but pretends it's just friendship
Dorothea Casaubon
Conflicted protagonist
Enjoys Will's attention while remaining loyal to her husband. She struggles with questions about art, beauty, and whether her husband's work matters, showing her growing doubts about her marriage.
Modern Equivalent:
The devoted wife starting to question everything about her life choices
Mr. Casaubon
Oblivious husband
Preens at being painted as a great scholar but remains cold and suspicious about Will's departure. His outdated research methods are exposed, revealing his intellectual insecurity.
Modern Equivalent:
The husband who thinks he's impressive but everyone else can see his flaws
Naumann
Perceptive outsider
The artist immediately recognizes Will's infatuation with Dorothea and orchestrates situations that reveal everyone's true feelings through his portrait sessions.
Modern Equivalent:
The friend who sees exactly what's going on and calls it out
Key Quotes & Analysis
"The mind flexible with constant comparison, and saved you from seeing the world's ages as a set of box-like partitions without vital connection."
Context: Will describes how experiencing Rome's diverse culture broadens perspective
Will advocates for openness to new experiences and ideas, contrasting with Casaubon's rigid, compartmentalized approach to knowledge. This reveals the fundamental difference in their worldviews.
In Today's Words:
Travel and new experiences keep you from getting stuck in narrow thinking.
"I should like to make life beautiful—I mean everybody's life."
Context: Dorothea explains her conflicted feelings about art and beauty
This reveals Dorothea's idealistic nature and her guilt about enjoying beauty while others suffer. It shows her desire to do good but her confusion about how to achieve it.
In Today's Words:
I want to help everyone have a better life, not just enjoy nice things myself.
"Promise me that you will not again, to any one or in any way, speak against my husband."
Context: Dorothea's final demand before Will leaves Rome
Despite being shaken by Will's criticism, Dorothea chooses loyalty to her marriage. This shows her moral strength but also her denial about her husband's limitations.
In Today's Words:
Don't you ever badmouth my husband again, no matter what you think.
Thematic Threads
Class
In This Chapter
Will's financial dependence on Casaubon creates shame that fuels his criticism of the older man's work
Development
Deepening - Will's class anxiety now drives romantic rivalry
In Your Life:
Notice how financial dependence can poison relationships, making you resent the very people helping you.
Identity
In This Chapter
Dorothea struggles between her desire for beauty and her guilt about privilege, unable to reconcile wanting art with knowing others lack basic needs
Development
Evolving - Her moral confusion now extends beyond marriage to fundamental questions about deserving happiness
In Your Life:
You might feel guilty for wanting nice things when others struggle, but self-denial doesn't actually help anyone.
Recognition
In This Chapter
Casaubon preens when the artist wants to paint him as a great scholar, revealing how desperately he needs external validation
Development
Deepening - His scholarly insecurity now affects how he responds to social situations
In Your Life:
Watch for people who light up at professional compliments—they're often the most insecure about their actual competence.
Loyalty
In This Chapter
Dorothea extracts promises from Will about not criticizing her husband, trying to control the triangle through verbal contracts
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
When you find yourself demanding loyalty promises, you're usually trying to control something that's already slipping away.
Deception
In This Chapter
All three characters lie to themselves about their motivations—Will about his criticism being helpful, Dorothea about defending truth, Casaubon about his suspicions
Development
Intensifying - Self-deception now serves to maintain impossible emotional positions
In Your Life:
The stories you tell yourself about why you're doing something are often the last place you'll find the real reason.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What does Will accomplish by arranging the art studio visit, and how does each person react differently to being painted?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Dorothea become upset when Will criticizes her husband's research, even though she seems to agree with some of his points?
analysis • medium - 3
Think about workplace dynamics or family situations—where have you seen someone criticize a person's choices not out of genuine concern, but to position themselves as the better option?
application • medium - 4
When someone you care about is in what you think is a bad relationship or situation, how do you offer support without pushing them to defend their choices more strongly?
application • deep - 5
What does this chapter reveal about how we use other people's validation to avoid examining our own uncomfortable truths?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map the Emotional Triangle
Draw three circles representing Will, Dorothea, and Casaubon. Between each pair, write what each person wants from the other and what they're actually getting. Then identify a similar triangle in your own life—workplace, family, or social circle—and map those dynamics the same way.
Consider:
- •Notice how each person's actions push the others deeper into their positions
- •Look for where competition replaces genuine care or concern
- •Identify who has the real power in each triangle and why
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you found yourself defending a choice or person mainly because someone else criticized them. What were you really protecting—the choice itself, or your right to make it?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 23: Fred's Dangerous Game of Borrowed Trust
What lies ahead teaches us easy optimism can lead to financial disaster and broken promises, and shows us borrowing from those who trust you most creates the heaviest moral debt. These patterns appear in literature and life alike.