March
The exchange between Marmee and Grace at the Hale household is indeed a study in contrasts. Explain how it works.
Chapter Sixteen
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Chapter Sixteen
As Grace tells Marmee the truth about her relationship with March, Marmee's insecurities are realized. Not only does she fear that March has had an affair with Grace, she also fears that Zannah, too, was his lover. Just as she cannot comprehend the relationship between Mrs. Hale and Grace, she cannot comprehend the relationship between Zannah and March. Grace says many things of importance during this chapter, most notably that March has been "dipped in the river of fire," meaning that he has been fully exposed to his personal guilt, and that there may not be much recognizable about him now. She also says that March does not love her, but that he loves an idea of her idea: the beautiful, intelligent Africa. At the end of the chapter, Marmee knows she can forgive March for his indiscretions with these women, but she can never forgive him for lying to her.