The Rainbow: Chapter 6: Anna Victrix Summary & Analysis

Will and Anna, still in the early days of their marriage, spend their honeymoon in their small cottage, away from everyone else. To Will, it feels like they are the only two people left in the world, living in a place where nothing else matters. They focus entirely on each other, filling their days with only what they want to do. Will feels both joy and guilt about this new life. At night, when they are shut away from the world, he feels safe and free. In the dark, it seems like the world outside does not exist, and they can do whatever they like. However, everyone morning, when he hears the sounds of life outside, it bothers him that they are still in bed, not even having had breakfast yet. He feels guilty for staying inside while the rest of the world moves on.

Anna sees things differently. She doesn’t see why Will should feel guilty. For her, these mornings are perfect. She enjoys lying in bed, talking with him, and touching his face. She is happy in these slow, peaceful moments. Will enjoys these times too, but he also feels pulled back to the world outside. He thinks about how different his life is now. Just a short time ago, he was living on his own, part of the world and its routines. Now, he feels like he has left all that behind. He hears the noises outside but feels distant from them. Inside the cottage, it is quiet and calm, and he feels like time has stopped.

Gradually, the outside world creeps back in. The sounds from outside become clearer, and they realize it is getting late. Anna is the first to speak. She says she is hungry, but even then, it doesn’t feel completely real. They continue to lie in bed, ignoring the minutes that pass by. Finally, she repeats herself more urgently, “I am dying of hunger.” This time, Will decides to get up, but they both hesitate, holding onto the warmth of the bed for a little longer.

Will eventually gets out of bed and puts on his clothes. He goes downstairs, where the kitchen feels cold and dim with the blinds still down. He quickly makes a fire and starts preparing breakfast. As he works, he feels a quiet happiness in doing these simple tasks. He decides to open the door, but when he looks outside, he feels exposed and guilty again. The world is still there, and it is now afternoon. He shuts the door quickly, wanting to return to their private space.

When he comes back upstairs with the breakfast tray, Anna is sitting up in bed, looking excited. Will gets back into bed, and they eat together, enjoying the moment. They talk and laugh, taking their time, but Will cannot shake the feeling that they are somehow wasting the day. Later, as they lie together again, Anna announces that she wants to have a tea party. Will becomes upset. He does not want the outside world to intrude on their time together. He becomes anxious and angry, feeling like she is ruining the special connection they have created. Anna starts cleaning and preparing for the tea party, and Will’s frustration grows.

For two days, Will and Anna barely speak. Will is consumed by his anger and feels cut off from everything, including Anna. She suggests he needs something to do, some kind of work to distract him, but he only feels more irritated. The darkness within him deepens, and he becomes like a stranger to her. Anna decides to leave for a while and goes down to her parents’ house at the Marsh. Will stays behind, keeping to himself and working in the garden without really thinking about what he is doing.

When Anna comes back, she tries to reconnect with him. She compliments the work he has done in the garden, but Will barely acknowledges her. This hurts Anna, and she starts to cry in their bedroom, feeling helpless. Eventually, Will realizes how much he has hurt her. His anger fades, and instead he starts to feel a strong sense of compassion. He goes to her, and after a tense moment, they make up. They hold each other and find comfort in being close again.

The next morning, they wake to snow covering the ground. The sight of it makes them feel like they are shut away from the world even more, and they both enjoy this feeling of being separate. The snow lasts for several days, and they keep to themselves. On Sunday, they decide to go to church. Anna doesn’t care much for church, but today, she feels hopeful that it might give her something new. However, she quickly becomes frustrated when she sees how different she and Will are. He becomes absorbed in the church rituals, lost in his own world. She feels left out and disconnected, unable to share in his experience.

Back at the cottage, their differences lead to another argument. Anna mocks the religious symbols that mean so much to Will, especially the lamb in the stained-glass window at the church. She finds it silly and can’t understand why he takes it so seriously. Will becomes defensive and angry, feeling ashamed and frustrated that she doesn’t understand. He storms out of the house and travels to the nearby town of Nottingham to clear his mind. He ends up in a bookshop and finds a book on Bamberg Cathedral, filled with pictures of carvings and statues that fascinate him. This discovery lifts his spirits, and he feels a sense of purpose and joy. When he returns home, he shows the book to Anna, but she doesn’t share his enthusiasm. This causes yet another argument about religion where they cannot seem to see eye-to-eye.

Will remains deeply attached to religious stories, particularly the miracle of water turning into wine. He feels these stories deeply, beyond their literal meaning, and they shape his inner world. But Anna pushes him to see them as mere stories. She questions how water could suddenly become wine and tries to make him see things rationally. Will knows she is right in a factual sense, but he does not want to let go of his deeper belief in the power these stories hold for him. When she challenges his beliefs, he becomes withdrawn, feeling as if she is tearing down something vital within him.

Their arguments leave them both feeling empty and miserable for a while. Will tries to reconcile his need for these stories with the realization that they are not literally true. He decides that even if the miracles did not happen as described, they still hold meaning for his soul. Meanwhile, Anna feels frustrated because she senses that he is retreating into vague sentiments rather than confronting reality. She believes in the power of human reason and knowledge, while Will holds on to something more intangible.

This tension leads to constant battles between them. Will tries to assert himself as the head of their household, demanding Anna’s obedience. She mocks him, calling him a fool, and tells him that his petty demands are unmanly. For Anna, Tom is a positive representation of masculinity and, as such, Will’s behavior results in less respect from her, not more. Eventually, Will realizes that his attempts to be the authoritative “master of the house” are failing, so he gives up trying to impose it.

Despite this, Will still seeks some form of mastery. He repeatedly tries to assert himself, only to end up in more conflicts with Anna. She suggests he focus on his wood-carving and finish his panel of Adam and Eve, which is his passionate project. However, because Will knows Anna does not care about his work, her suggestion only drives him further away from it. One day, in a fit of rage, Will chops up the panel and burns it. When Anna finds out, she weeps, feeling a deep loss. This leads to a fragile new beginning between them, where love re-emerges from the ashes of their conflict.

Soon after, Anna realizes she is pregnant. She wants to share this news with Will but feels uncertain about how to approach him. Because he has been harsh and unresponsive lately, she fears his reaction. Feeling isolated, she decides to visit her parents at the Marsh. There, Tom notices something is troubling her and tries to comfort her. Anna finally breaks down and reveals she is pregnant and that Will has been cold and cruel, making it hard for her to share the news.

Tom is angry with Will but tries to calm his daughter. When Will arrives to fetch Anna, tension fills the room, though Tom does not confront Will directly. On their walk home, Anna tells Will about the baby. He trembles at the news, feeling both joy and fear. They walk in silence, each feeling the weight of this new development in their own way. As Anna’s pregnancy progresses, she feels happiness and vitality returning to her. She often dances alone in the bedroom, celebrating her pregnancy in a private, almost spiritual way. One day, Will catches her dancing naked in front of the fire. She tells him to leave, wanting to keep this moment to herself.

The vision of Anna, so free and separate, torments Will. He feels excluded from this part of her life. Will feels he needs Anna too much, and this realization drives him to a kind of madness. He tries to force Anna to meet his emotional needs, but she resists. Their conflict reaches a point where Anna makes him sleep in a separate room. He feels abandoned and struggles with a deep sense of emptiness. He tries to fight it, but eventually, he lets go. In his solitude, he begins to accept that he must be able to stand on his own, even if it is painful. This realization brings a new sense of calm between them, though it is fragile.

Eventually, Anna gives birth to a girl, whom they name Ursula. Though Anna had wanted a boy, she quickly becomes deeply attached to her daughter. She finds great joy in caring for the baby, and her love for Will softens as she becomes absorbed in motherhood. Will feels left out but also relieved to see Anna happy again. He starts to let go of his need to control her and learns to find peace in their changed relationship. With Ursula’s birth, a new phase begins for Anna and Will. They remain aware of their differences, but there is a renewed gentleness between them. They both realize that their lives are intertwined, but that they must also stand as individuals.