Chapter 16 Summary

During Newland's visit, he pushes May to convince her parents to let them marry soon. May is reluctant and asks Newland if the reason that he is pushing to shorten their engagement is because there is someone else. May suspects that Newland is still in love with the married women he had once had a known affair with. Newland adamantly denies these allegations, and May is satisfied that Newland does wish to marry her.

Chapter 16 Analysis

Chapter 16 reveals the first indecision May has over marrying Newland. She has suspicions that Newland is still in love with a woman he had once had an affair with. In her questioning, she gives Newland a way out of their engagement, although he does not take it. He successfully convinces May that he had no alterior motive behind shortening their engagement.