Page "The Blithedale Romance" Paragraph 1

At this point, the story switches narrators when it becomes Zenobia telling a tale entitled “ The Silvery Veil .” She describes the Veiled Lady and her background, though it is never revealed whether or not her version of the story is reality or fiction.

After switching narration back to Coverdale, the story proceeds to Eliot's Pulpit, a place of rest and discourse for the four main characters Coverdale, Hollingsworth, Priscilla, and Zenobia.

There they discuss women's rights, and Zenobia and Hollingsworth agree, against Coverdale, on a more misogynistic point of view.

Their disagreements intensify the next day when Hollingsworth and Coverdale discuss their hopes for the future of Blithedale.

They disagree so thoroughly that Coverdale renounces Hollingsworth and effectively ends their friendship.

A turning point in the novel, the drama culminates with Coverdale's leaving the farm and returning to the city.

He there shows a sort of voyeurism in peeping through hotel windows at a young man and another family.

Whilst peeping, he spies Zenobia and Westervelt in another window.

They notice, and, embarrassed and curious, Coverdale visits them and gets chastised by Zenobia.

She also reveals that Priscilla is staying with them, then all three leave Coverdale for an unnamed appointment.

Motivated once more by curiosity, he seeks out Old Moodie, who when drunk tells him the story of Fauntleroy Zenobia, and Priscilla.

It turns out that Old Moodie is Fauntleroy, who was a once wealthy man and the father of Zenobia.

He fell from grace, but remarried later and had another child, Priscilla, making the two women half sisters.