The Rainbow: Chapter 13: The Man’s World Summary & Analysis

Once Ursula finishes school, she returns home to live with her parents. This puts a great deal of tension into the household, as Ursula finds herself resenting the routine of domesticity that Anna has accepted. Anna seems content in her role, focusing on household chores and maintaining order, but to Ursula, it feels like an enforced prison. The two women often clash, with their differences in outlook leading to frequent arguments. Ursula sees her mother as emblematic of the limitations society places on women, particularly those who dedicate themselves entirely to the home, a path she adamantly rejects for herself. Will does his best to stay out of the fights, retreating into his work. He busies himself with his various artistic endeavors, creating a quiet refuge where he can avoid the tension between his wife and daughter. This distance frustrates Ursula, who feels increasingly isolated within her own family.

Amidst this domestic discord, Ursula’s thoughts often drift to Anton, who is fighting in the Boer War. She worries about him, but at the same time, she senses that their connection has faded. Their relationship, once filled with youthful passion, now feels distant and ghostly. Even more troubling is the lingering impact of her relationship with Winifred. Ursula fears that her brief romance with Winifred may have extinguished whatever spark of desire she once had. The memories of both Anton and Winifred haunt her, as if they are figures from a past life, now irretrievably lost. It is as though those parts of her life have died, and she must now navigate the future without the comfort of those once-meaningful connections.

As her dissatisfaction with domestic life grows, Ursula begins to dream of doing something more meaningful with her life. She longs for independence and a sense of purpose beyond the confines of housework and family expectations. Acting on the advice of her former headmistress, Ursula secures a teaching position at Brinsley Street School, a nearby elementary school. Initially, she is filled with excitement and optimism about her new role. She imagines herself as an inspiring teacher who will connect with her students on a personal level, earn their admiration, and foster their love of learning. The prospect of shaping young minds appeals to her idealistic nature, and she throws herself into the job with enthusiasm.

However, the reality of teaching proves to be far more challenging than she had anticipated. Ursula quickly finds herself overwhelmed by the chaotic energy of her classroom. She struggles to maintain order, and her initial attempts to be kind and gentle with the children backfire. Rather than appreciating her efforts, the students mock her, taking advantage of her inexperience. The class becomes unruly, and Ursula feels helpless as her authority slips away. Frustrated and unsure of how to regain control, she turns to her colleagues for advice.

The other female teachers, more experienced and hardened from their years in the classroom, tell her bluntly that she needs to take a firmer approach. They advise her to assert her authority more forcefully, suggesting that discipline is the only way to manage such a large and unruly group of children. Their words, though well-meaning, leave Ursula conflicted. She had hoped to cultivate a more personal and empathetic relationship with her students, but it becomes clear that she must impose discipline if she wants to survive in this environment.

One student in particular, a boy named Williams, becomes a constant source of trouble. He is disruptive, defiant, and seems to take pleasure in undermining her authority. His antics both frustrate and humiliate Ursula, who finds it increasingly difficult to tolerate his behavior. One day, after Williams repeatedly refuses to follow her directions and disrupts the work of other students, Ursula finally reaches her breaking point. In a moment of anger and desperation, she grabs a cane and beats him. The act of violence shocks her even as she commits it, but she feels she has no other choice.

Williams’s cries fill the room, and Mr. Harby, the school’s authoritarian headmaster, enters the classroom to investigate the commotion. To Ursula’s surprise, Harby appears pleased with her action, giving her a tacit approval for asserting her dominance over the class. This moment marks a significant shift in Ursula’s teaching approach—she realizes that in this environment, force is necessary to maintain control, even if it goes against her principles.

The next morning, however, Ursula’s decision to beat Williams comes back to haunt her. Williams’s mother arrives at the school, visibly upset, and confronts Ursula. She claims that her son has a heart condition and that the beating made him violently ill. The woman speaks with a mix of concern and veiled accusations, suggesting that Ursula’s actions were excessive and could have killed Williams. Though she listens, Ursula largely dismisses the woman’s complaints. She feels caught between the expectations of maintaining discipline and her own discomfort with the methods she has adopted.

The encounter with Williams’s mother only deepens Ursula’s sense of alienation from the school and its rigid, authoritarian atmosphere. Mr. Harby, standing by during the confrontation, offers no support. In fact, Ursula feels that he views her with disdain, almost as if he resents her for intruding on his domain. His cold, hostile demeanor makes Ursula feel as though she is being judged more harshly than any male teacher ever would be.

Despite the inner turmoil she feels, Ursula continues to enforce discipline in her classroom. On separate occasions, she beats other students to maintain order, and while it proves effective in controlling the class, she grows to loathe herself for resorting to such measures. Each act of punishment feels like a betrayal of her true self, and she begins to question whether she can continue in this profession. The stress of teaching and the moral compromises she must make weigh heavily on her, leaving her exhausted and emotionally drained.

During this difficult period, Ursula finds a small respite in her friendship with Maggie Schofield, another teacher at the school. Maggie, a quiet and introspective woman, becomes a source of comfort and companionship for Ursula. The two women often have dinner together after school, sharing conversations about life, work, and their future aspirations. Ursula begins to feel a sense of freedom and possibility in Maggie’s company. With her first few paychecks, Ursula buys a bicycle, and the two friends take rides together to nearby towns like Lincoln, Southwell, and Derbyshire. These excursions provide Ursula with a much-needed escape from the oppressive atmosphere of the school, and she treasures the moments of freedom that they offer.

Maggie also introduces Ursula to the suffragette movement, taking her to meetings and events that inspire Ursula to think more deeply about women’s roles in society. The two women bond over their shared desire for independence and their frustration with the limitations society places on them. Maggie, however, has a more romanticized view of love and relationships, which Ursula finds difficult to relate to. Maggie believes that love is the ultimate fulfillment for a woman, while Ursula sees love as just one part of a much larger, more complex picture. For Ursula, love is not an end in itself but a path to personal growth and freedom. This difference in perspective eventually causes the two friends to drift apart. Ursula becomes increasingly focused on her intellectual and personal development, while Maggie remains more rooted in her ideals of romance and suffrage.

Over the next two years, Ursula’s experiences as a teacher shape her in profound ways. Though she continues to struggle with the demands of the job, she feels her true self beginning to come together. She applies to college and is accepted, marking a significant step toward achieving her dreams. In addition to teaching, she immerses herself in studying for her degree, taking classes in French, Latin, English, mathematics, and botany. These studies provide her with a sense of purpose and direction, and she feels as though she is finally moving toward the future she has always envisioned for herself.