The Nightingale

by

Kristin Hannah

The Nightingale: Chapter 3 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
Vianne’s earliest memories are of war. She remembers watching her mother cry as her father left to fight. She also recalls being cold and hungry. More than anything, she remembers how much the war changed her father. After the war, her father began drinking more and ignoring his family; he became stoic and always walked with a limp. Now, Vianne rarely reaches out to her father, and they don’t have a real relationship. Vianne knows Isabelle still tries to make things work with their father, but she thinks it is a fool’s errand.
World War I was a traumatic event for Vianne and her family. She worries that something similar will happen to her current family unit now that war is here again. In particular, she wonders what will happen to Antoine; she doesn’t want the war to destroy him like it destroyed her father.
Themes
Love and War Theme Icon
The night Antoine tells Vianne he is going off to war, they have sex. Afterward, Antoine tries to console Vianne; he knows she is afraid of war and assures her that France will be okay. The following day, Vianne and Sophie visit Rachel de Champlain, Vianne’s best friend. Vianne met Rachel in the aftermath of her mother’s death, and the women mean a great deal to each other. Vianne and Rachel speak privately about the war. Both are worried about how their husbands will fare. Like Antoine, Rachel does her best to cheer up Vianne.
Because Vianne and Antoine have been together since they were young, Antoine knows Vianne’s fears and does his best to assuage them. Luckily, Vianne does have Rachel to help her while Antoine is away. Therefore, she has a support system, even when Antoine is not present.
Themes
Love and War Theme Icon
The next day, Antoine and Vianne have a serious conversation about the coming weeks. Antoine suggests that Vianne take Sophie to Paris, where she could live with Julien Rossignol, her father. However, Vianne refuses—she wants to stay put. Antoine accepts Vianne’s decision and tells her that he’s emptied their bank account, so she’ll have plenty of money to use while he’s gone. This information makes Vianne nervous; she is not used to handling the family’s finances.
Antoine worries about what will happen to Vianne if she doesn’t have a man around to help keep her safe. While Vianne doesn’t necessarily disagree, she does not feel comfortable living with her father. As such, she must take on responsibilities that traditionally belonged to men, such as handling the family’s finances.
Themes
Gender Roles Theme Icon
After this conversation, Vianne goes and gets Sophie. Sophie is sad that Antoine is leaving. She puts on a crown made of daises he created for her the day of the picnic and then dutifully follows her mother. Together, Vianne, Antoine, and Sophie leave their home. Outside, Vianne spots three little crosses on the perimeter of their property. These crosses represent the three miscarriages Vianne suffered before giving birth to Sophie. This topic regularly brings Vianne great sadness, but today she doesn’t want to think about it; it would be too much.
Sophie’s crown of daises represents her innocence and Antoine’s love for her. Additionally, as it turns out, Vianne has even more trauma in her past than she first let on. She repeatedly failed to give birth to a healthy child until Sophie came along, making Sophie that much more precious in Vianne’s mind. Here, Vianne has to repress her past trauma to avoid breaking down entirely.
Themes
Love and War Theme Icon
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The Mauriacs get into their automobile and then drive to the train station at Tours. While there, Vianne does her best not to think about what happened the last time she witnessed soldiers returning from war. However, she cannot help herself; she thinks about all the men she saw with burns and with broken and missing limbs. After arriving at the station, the family hasn’t long to say their goodbyes. Antoine tells his wife and child he loves them and then quickly departs. Vianne is too choked up even to say goodbye.
At the time, World War I was responsible for more deaths and injuries than any other conflict in the Western world; practically everyone in France above a certain age would know someone who was either injured or killed in the war. Vianne tries to suppress these memories but cannot. She is too afraid that something similar will happen to Antoine.
Themes
Love and War Theme Icon