The Rainbow: Chapter 1: How Brangwen Married a Polish Lady Summary & Analysis

In the rolling meadows of Derbyshire lies Marsh Farm, home to the Brangwen family. For generations, the Brangwens have worked this land, their lives intertwined with the rhythms of the earth. From their fields, they can see the church tower of Ilkeston in the distance, standing tall against the sky. This sight, ever-present as they go about their work, reminds them of something beyond their immediate world. The Brangwen men are deeply connected to the land, working hard not out of necessity, but because it is in their nature to do so.

However, the Brangwen women are different. While the men are content to live within the confines of the farm, the women look beyond it, towards the village and the wider world. They are curious about the lives of those who move in other circles—people like the vicar, who knows languages they do not understand, and people whose attitudes toward the world are different from the men they know. The women sense that there is a life beyond the farm, which is painfully out of reach. This desire for something more stirs within them, making them restless.

In the year 1840, change comes to Marsh Farm. A canal is built across the Brangwens’ land, followed by a coal mine and a railway. The Brangwens, though disconcerted at first, gradually adapt. They become busier, supplying goods to the growing town, and wealthier, though they still retain their connection to the land. Despite the encroaching signs of civilization, Marsh Farm remains a world unto itself, standing just on the edge of the bustling valley beyond. The younger generation of Brangwens grows up in this changing world, each child carving out their own path. Tom Brangwen, the youngest, is sent to a grammar school in Derby at the insistence of his mother, Mrs. Brangwen. He struggles with his studies, feeling out of place in the academic environment. His heart is not in books or learning, but in the tangible world of the farm.

When Tom finishes school, he returns to the farm, where he feels more at home. He takes on the responsibilities of running the farm after the death of his father, Alfred Brangwen. Tom finds satisfaction in this work, as he once again feels connected to the land that surrounds him. Around this time, when Tom is 19, he has his first sexual encounter with a prostitute who seduces him while he is drunk. This experience is off-putting to Tom and makes him worry about his future with women.

At 23, Mrs. Brangwen dies, leaving Tom alone with his sister Effie. Mrs. Brangwen’s death hits Tom hard, and he struggles to make sense of it. After the funeral, Tom and Effie clash frequently, making their home life unbearable. Tom escapes by spending more time at the Red Lion, a pub in Cossethay, where he sits by the fire. He greets people he knows heartily but avoids strangers and stays mostly silent in their presence. While at the Red Lion, Tom often drinks to excess. When he returns home in this state, Effie lashes out at him. Eventually, Effie gets sick of this arrangement and decides to marry and move away, leaving Tom alone.

At 24, Tom takes a trip with two friends to Matlock and Bakewell. At an inn in Matlock, he meets a spirited young woman whose male companion leaves her alone for the afternoon. She takes a liking to Tom and engages him in playful conversation, knowing he is shy but also interested in her. When Tom’s companions are ready to leave, Tom invites the woman to come with him, and she accepts. The woman rides with Tom on his horse and, eventually, they ditch Tom’s companions to go off in the woods together, where they have a sexual encounter. The experience exhilarates Tom, though he feels slightly less satisfied when, immediately afterward, the woman insists on returning to her male companion.

Later at dinner, Tom spots the girl’s companion—a middle-aged, foreign man. Tom observes the man closely, intrigued by his calm, almost indifferent demeanor. The man treats the women at his table with a mix of politeness and disregard, as if he considers them beneath him. After dinner, the man approaches Tom and offers him a cigarette. Tom, who doesn’t usually smoke, takes it and fumbles to light it. They strike up a conversation about horses and farming. The man speaks with an easy grace that captivates Tom, who finds this unexpected connection exciting. They talk for a long while, and Tom feels drawn into the world of this foreign man, which is so far removed from his own.

After these encounters, Tom grows obsessed with thoughts of both the girl and the foreign man. He dreams of living a more sophisticated and exciting life, different from his routine existence at Marsh Farm. In an attempt to keep this feeling alive, he drinks more frequently at the Red Lion. For a while, the drinking helps him maintain the sense of euphoria he felt in Matlock, but it doesn’t last. The glow fades, and Tom feels trapped again in his familiar life. He knows it would be good for him to marry, but he cannot find anyone who interests him. This creates a great deal of frustration in Tom and only serves to increase his drinking habit.

At 28, while walking near Cossethay with a cart of seed, Tom sees a woman dressed in black approaching with a little girl (Anna). The woman moves quickly, her head slightly bowed as if lost in thought. When she looks up, she makes eye contact with Tom and Tom feels a sudden, powerful connection. Her face stays with him, and he thinks about her constantly. Tilly, Tom’s servant, tells him she is Mrs. Lensky, a widow from Poland who now works as a housekeeper at the vicarage.

Tom watches for Mrs. Lensky whenever he can and looks for excuses to see her. One day, she comes to his home to buy butter. When Tom opens the door, he feels nervous but tries to appear confident. She enters without waiting for an invitation, which surprises Tom, as it goes against custom. Inside, they stand in awkward silence. Tom calls for Tilly to fetch some butter, but she says there is only what is on the table. Mrs. Lensky, speaking with a slight accent, explains she went to the regular supplier but found that they were out of butter. Tilly grumbles, thinking it rude that Mrs. Lensky came to them as a backup, but Tom insists she wrap the butter for their guest.

As Mrs. Lensky waits, she and Tom exchange a few words. Tom’s direct way of speaking confuses her, making her unsure of his intentions. Tom asks about Anna, trying to find common ground, but he struggles to express himself. Mrs. Lensky’s presence unsettles him, but he also feels drawn to her. He invites her to bring Anna to see the farm animals sometime, and she agrees, though their conversation stays formal and stilted.

After Mrs. Lensky leaves, Tom feels dazed and unable to think clearly. He senses a new connection with Mrs. Lensky that confuses him because they seem to have nothing in common. For days, he drifts around the farm in a trance, feeling as if he is on the verge of some transformation. Mrs. Lensky visits the farm twice with Anna and, although the visits are pleasant, there is an obvious barrier that separates them because of their different upbringings and cultural expectations. Tom barely interacts with Anna during these visits, though he does gain her trust by teaching her about the animals on the farm. On another day, Tom picks up Mrs. Lensky and Anna when he sees them walking on the side of the road. He notices the wedding ring on Mrs. Lensky’s finger, and even though he knows she is a widow, it makes him feel excluded from her life. Still, he hopes that they will be able to deepen their relationship.

Tom becomes frustrated because he feels like Mrs. Lensky is deliberately keeping up a barrier when they are together. As his anger grows, he considers distancing himself from her. Then, while he is still in this state of frustration, Mrs. Lensky comes to the Marsh with Anna once again. Tom’s silent anger affects Mrs. Lensky, stirring something in her that makes her see him differently. She begins to feel drawn to him, even though there is something about him that makes her uncomfortable. Not long after, while working alone on the farm, Tom realizes he wants to marry her, though he fears she may reject him. After much deliberation, he decides he must ask her.

One windy evening, Tom prepares himself, gathers daffodils from the orchard, and heads to the vicarage to propose. He sees Mrs. Lensky through the window, rocking Anna to sleep, so he waits outside. When he finally knocks, she opens the door, surprised to see him. Inside, he quickly tells her he wants to marry her. She seems unsure and says she doesn’t know. However, after a brief moment to consider, she changes her mind and says yes. They share an awkward kiss and Tom tells her that he will speak to the vicar the following day. Mrs. Lensky is satisfied with the arrangement, though she also reminds Tom that she already has a daughter whom he will need to care for.