57 pages • 1 hour read
The Mitford Affair
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Chapters 1-18Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 1 Summary: “Nancy – July 7, 1932 – London, England”
Nancy is one of seven siblings. She attends a ball presenting her younger sister Unity to society, but her other sister Diana is the real star, as she is the most beautiful woman there. Their sister Pamela and only brother Tom are also in attendance, but her youngest sisters Jessica and Deborah are too young for the party. Nancy is excited to meet with her writer and artist friends at the party, including Evelyn Waugh. However, all her friends surround Diana, and Nancy notes that Diana is looking at someone unexpected.
Chapter 2 Summary: “Diana – July 7, 1932 – London, England”
Diana is hosting the ball at her house. She takes stock of her privileged life and is grateful for her husband, Bryan Guinness, and her sons Jonathan and Desmond. Diana knows that many Londoners who are struggling through the Depression criticize lavish parties like the one she’s hosting, but she doesn’t care because she thinks she can’t change anything about the world or economy anyway. She is surprised and happy to see Sir Oswald Mosley arrive at the party.
Chapter 3 Summary: “Unity – July 7, 1932 – London, England”
Unity hides in a corner of the party, socially awkward and painfully aware of her tall height. Unity wants to fit in, but she’s the odd one of the family. A young man asks Unity to dance; as they dance, Unity notices Diana talking to Mosley, an infamous and ambitious womanizer, a leading fascist, and the founder of the British Union of Fascists.
Chapter 4 Summary: “Nancy – January 24, 1933 – London, England”
Nancy is 29 years old and the oldest sister. Although Diana is 22 years old, Diana has already been married to Bryan for five years and has two children, while Nancy is single and childless. Diana shocks Nancy with the news that she wants a divorce from Bryan. Nancy worries how their parents, Muv and Farve, will react. Even more shocking is that Diana is divorcing Bryan so she can be closer to Mosley, even though Sir Oswald Mosley is not leaving his wife. The family is divided about Diana’s separation from Bryan.
Chapter 5 Summary: “Diana – January 24, 1933 – London, England”
Diana doesn’t regret her decision to leave Bryan for Mosley, whom she connects with through their shared views on the stagnation of British politics. Diana listens while Nancy answers a phone call from Hamish, her fiancé. Diana knows that Hamish is more interested in men and has insisted that he call things off with Nancy rather than string her along in their engagement. Diana hopes that Nancy doesn’t find out she’s the one who told Hamish to break up with her, but she knows it’s for Nancy’s own good.
Chapter 6 Summary: “Unity – January 24, 1933 – London, England”
Unity approves of Diana’s relationship with Mosley because Unity agrees with his politics. Unity comforts Nancy in the aftermath of her break-up with Hamish. Nancy and Unity are unusually affectionate and Nancy hopes this means they are starting a new chapter in their relationship. Unity has a secret plan.
Chapter 7 Summary: “Nancy – April 28, 1933 – London, England”
Nancy is now engaged to Peter Rodd, a banker from an aristocratic family, and is blissfully happy. Nancy attends an event with Peter, Unity, and Diana. Diana and Unity wear black in honor of fascism. Mosley has recently been to Italy to meet with his hero, Benito Mussolini. Mosley, Diana, and Unity are all thoroughly convinced that Britain should be an autocracy, not a democracy. Nancy understands the frustrations of the current situation in Britain—millions of people unemployed and the country in an economic depression—but she doesn’t agree with fascism and, moreover, she is worried about Diana’s idolization of Mosley. The event they attend is a fascist rally. Nancy notes that Unity also looks at Mosley with devotion.
Chapter 8 Summary: “Diana – April 28, 1933 – London, England”
Diana feels that her life has a purpose now that she is with Mosley. Whereas with Bryan she felt like a decorative piece, with Mosley she feels respected and purposeful. However, Mosley is still married to Cimmie and has no plans to leave her. At the rally, Diana admires Mosley as he gives a speech to the audience.
Chapter 9 Summary: “Unity – April 28, 1933 – London, England”
Unity has become passionate about fascism: Her heroes are Mussolini and Hitler. She wants to drive her own society toward fascism, rather than focus on what she now sees as the frivolity of elite society balls and courtships. Unity’s sister Decca has embraced communism, and the two sisters argue bitterly about their differing political views, though they remain close friends. Farve doesn’t approve of Unity’s fascination with Hitler because he fought in the Great War (i.e., the First World War) against the Germans and still considers them the enemy. For a moment, Unity thinks she sees Decca at the rally, dressed in red, the color representing communism.
Chapter 10 Summary: “Nancy – September 3, 1933 – London, England”
Nancy is planning her wedding but is disappointed that her sisters are too busy with their politics to help her. Unity and Diana are spending September in Munich, Germany. Even Nancy’s mother seems apathetic about Nancy’s wedding; Nancy attributes this to Nancy’s publication of two novels that depict the people in their social circle, including Muv, which many consider indiscreet. Muv is concerned that Peter is currently unemployed and that he drinks a lot of alcohol.
Chapter 11 Summary: “Diana – September 3, 1933 – Nuremberg, Germany”
In Germany, Diana and Unity attend a Nazi party convention. Hitler’s foreign press secretary, Putzi Hanfstaengl, chaperones the women. Hanfstaengl’s family has a long association with Hitler, including sheltering him in 1923 and supporting him through his incarceration. Mosley is not with them because he is mourning the death of Cimmie, who died in May from peritonitis. Diana is understanding of the time he needs to take care of his family, but she is jealous and suspicious that Mosley is spending time with Cimmie’s sister Baba.
At the rally, Diana and Unity are the only British people in the special guest section. Diana and Unity are beautiful and blond, and Diana wonders if they’ve been invited so they can demonstrate a type of British Aryan-ness. Diana and Unity hope to meet Adolf Hitler. Diana is hopeful that the connections she’s making at this rally will also further Mosley’s career. Diana and Unity watch Hitler’s speech in rapture.
Chapter 12 Summary: “Unity – September 3, 1933 – Nuremberg, Germany”
Unity is in awe of Hitler but can’t understand his speech, so she resolves to learn German. Unity wants to move to Germany so she can immerse herself in the language. Her parents wouldn’t approve so she needs to think of a way to mislead them. Unity has been lying to her parents all year, telling them that she’s spending time with friends when she is with Diana at fascist meetings, which her parents don’t approve of. Unity tells Hanfstaengl that she was born in a town in Canada called Swastika. Hanfstaengl notes that this will please Hitler as he believes in fate.
Chapter 13 Summary: “Nancy – June 8, 1934 – London, England”
Now that Nancy and Peter are married, Nancy is more aware of how much Peter drinks and his problems with debt. Nancy and Peter attend another rally led by Mosley. Anti-fascist protestors cause a scene and a fight breaks out in the theater. People stampede to get out of the theater as the conflict grows; Nancy falls and blacks out.
Chapter 14 Summary: “Diana – June 8, 1934 – London, England”
In the ensuing chaos of the theater, men in black shirts (the fascist uniform) try to help guide Diana to safety, but a female protestor attacks her. Diana is reunited with Mosley backstage. She notes that, despite his calm exterior, he is frightened.
Chapter 15 Summary: “Unity – June 8, 1934 – London, England”
Unity searches amid the chaos for her sisters. She feels betrayed for being left on her own. She is also disappointed in the fascists at the event for allowing the rally to become violent and out of their control. As Unity searches for a way out, she sees Decca in her red shirt. Decca helps Unity escape.
Chapter 16 Summary: “Nancy – October 4, 1934 – London, England”
Nancy wakes up in the middle of the night from a nightmare. Peter is not in bed, and she doesn’t know where he is. She works on her next novel, inspired after the events at the last fascist rally. Nancy is disappointed that her sisters are fascists; the violent reaction to the protestors shows Nancy that the fascists don’t believe in free speech and aren’t open to debate. Nancy wants her next book to be a comedic satire that will expose Mosley. It’s especially important for Nancy to finish her book so she can bring in some income; Peter has lost another job. Peter returns to the bedroom, drunk. Nancy wants to make her marriage work so that she can have children.
Chapter 17 Summary: “Diana – October 4, 1934 – Munich, Germany”
Chapter 18 Summary: “Unity – October 4, 1934 – Munich, Germany”
Unity is in Germany at a ladies’ finishing school studying the German language. She often sneaks away from school to visit Hitler’s favorite restaurants, hoping to meet him. One day, she takes a table at a restaurant where Hitler and his team arrive. Unity is thrilled to be in such close proximity to her hero. The waitress tells Unity that Hitler asked about who Unity was, and was pleased to hear that Unity is an Englishwoman interested in Germany.
Chapters 1-18 Analysis
Chapters 1-18 set up the characterization of the three central characters in this novel as well as the philosophical background that separates three otherwise tight-knit sisters. This opening section is particularly important in setting the narrative in its historical, social, and political context and in providing subtle exposition to help the reader navigate these details.
The opening chapters establish the important theme of The Intersection Between the Political and the Personal, especially between the sisters’ growing respective allegiances to fascism (Diana and Unity), communism (Decca), and moderate liberalism (Nancy). Fascism particularly is a prime concern in this novel because Diana and Unity fall in love with fascism, creating a schism between them and their family. Nancy is especially concerned about her sisters’ attraction to fascism because of its totalitarian nature and the way in which it leaves no room for debate or freedom of speech. What’s more, Nancy sees that the passion excited by fascist ideals has obsessed Diana and Unity to a dangerous extent: they take extreme measures in their commitment to promoting fascism, such as Diana leaving her husband and Unity lying to her parents about her whereabouts and aspirations.
These chapters also show that the theme of the Social Expectations of Upper-Class Women in the 20th Century will be key to the personal and family dynamics explored by the narrative, especially through the blend of historical and fictional elements. The novel reflects that Diana’s divorce was a scandal at the time. The Mitford family is well-known because of their aristocratic family status and their social connections, with the rich and powerful, including politicians (such as Winston Churchill) and influential figures in the arts (such as Evelyn Waugh). The Mitford family status makes Diana’s divorce both possible (divorce was expensive and only possible through an Act of Parliament on the grounds of adultery) and socially embarrassing. For the upper classes, especially the aristocracy, outward adherence to social and moral rules was rigorously enforced in public life, even if transgression was discreetly permitted. Social ostracization for the woman was an almost guaranteed consequence of a divorce, especially as proven adultery was the only permitted reason. The novel shows that, in leaving her husband for another man so publicly, Diana is subject to the gender-based rules and double standards of women’s lives at the time while also showing that her wealth and status afford her the very rare freedom to leave her marriage and set up a (quite luxurious) London home of her own. In highlighting that Diana leaves a brilliant society marriage very soon after proclaiming herself happy, and that she sacrifices social position and family life, the novel emphasizes the personal dangers and damage caused by Diana’s obsessive passion for both her new political ideals and Oswald Mosley. The personal turmoil her decisions cause is parallel to the division and disruption caused by the fascist politics she promotes in the wider sphere.
Benedict cycles through Diana’s narrative interspersed with the other main characters’, through a third-person limited point-of-view, giving the readers both insight into Diana’s thoughts while providing the distance necessary for an objective analysis of her character. Diana is characterized as opinionated, strong, passionate, and beautiful. Her beauty is her ticket into many areas of life, including Nazi party conventions where she would otherwise be an object of suspicion for being English. She is also arrogant and lacking in self-awareness: her beauty and privileged upbringing protect her from the poverty and stress that most English people were facing at the time. Her lifetime experience of privilege is presented as making her believe she can behave how she pleases without consequences. Diana is less self-reflective about this than she is about her attraction to fascism, which is mingled with her attraction to Mosley. Diana is so determined to be with Mosley and help further his career that her passion for fascism can be read as a way of projecting her desire for Mosley onto the world. It is also an expression of her self-interest, as her political and personal goals are shown to be intertwined. These elements of her character play into the theme of The Intersection Between the Political and the Personal and into The Ability of Power to Corrupt. Diana is as powerful as a woman of her time and place could reasonably be: She is beautiful, aristocratic, well-connected, intelligent, and rich. She uses this power to make selfish choices, in which the feelings of others—and the political direction of society—are merely collateral.
The Intersection Between the Political and the Personal is also explored through Unity, especially through the juxtaposition of her narrative with Diana’s. Similarly, the novel introduces Unity’s story through a third-person limited narrative point-of-view. In Unity’s case, Benedict uses this point-of-view to show an intimate internal character, and to highlight the ways in which Unity’s age and personality make her intensely vulnerable to radicalization. The novel characterizes her as an outsider: She is socially awkward, very tall, and shy in ways her other glamorous sisters aren’t. In this way, the novel explores the nature of radicalization, especially for those who feel marginalized and/or who are experiencing the identity challenge of adolescence. The novel develops the theme of The Social Expectations of Upper-Class Women in the 20th Century through Unity, as she is a debutante expected to find a husband, but she feels out of place in society and in this role. In fascism, Unity finds purpose and identity. The novel also explores the paradox that, in rejecting the traditional path of wife and mother, Unity instead subsumes her identity and agency with total focus on a man: her obsession with Hitler. Unity’s lack of a sense of self outside of fascism and adoration of Hitler foreshadows the future internal conflicts she will experience.
Nancy is another sister whose third person limited narrative point-of-view helps give the reader a balanced view of the novel’s context. Nancy supports her sisters but can’t agree with their attraction to fascism. Nancy is a more moderate and pragmatic character, level-headed about her life, even though her life is disappointing. Increasingly anxious to be married and start a family, Nancy’s personal life is shown in early chapters to be one betrayal after another: by her sister(s), her fiancé, her parents, and then her husband. Yet, the novel suggests, the detachment this has created has made Nancy freer to think deeply and critically about the world around her and about her life. Her writing is also the place where she processes her feelings and takes revenge, as her writing is a thinly-veiled satire of her life and connections, causing some discomfort and embarrassment to those who recognize themselves. Her career as a novelist highlights her ability to openly criticize her society and deeply consider human nature. Her fuller characterization as a sympathetic character sets her apart from her two sisters and represents the middle ground.
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