Necessary Lies

Charlotte returns to work and immediately reprimands Jane for the trip to the beach. Jane explains that she had hoped interacting with Ivy in a neutral environment would help her evaluate Ivy’s intelligence. Jane is certain that Ivy’s seizures are not a valid reason to prevent her from having children permanently.

Ivy is working in the barn when Lita runs over: William is missing, and she orders everyone to help in the search. Ivy is worried but hopeful that William is merely hiding amid the tobacco plants in the field. Suddenly Jane appears, having been telephoned by Mr. Gardiner.

Jane, though worried about William, is relieved for an excuse to leave the office, where everyone opposes her actions. She has completed the petition for Ivy’s sterilization and knows she must now submit it. Mr. Gardiner joins the search, telling Jane that it would be best if William is placed into foster care. Jane agrees but does not wish to see him separated from Mary Ella. Suddenly, Lita’s son, Devil, emerges with William, who had been playing at the creek. As the group disperses to return to work, Lita comments to Jane that Ivy seems to have gained weight.

While Ivy is bathing William in a tub outside, Jane approaches and asks to speak to her. She confronts Ivy about the possibility that she is pregnant. Ivy lies at first but then admits to having sex, though she stresses the care she has taken to avoid pregnancy. Jane explains she will have Ivy examined by Nurse Ann. Ivy is adamant that she does not want to leave school.

Jane tells Charlotte and Fred her hunch about Ivy. Charlotte is resolute about the sterilization, but Jane does not wish to lie to Ivy about the surgery as was done with Mary Ella. Fred accuses Jane of being high-minded and disrupting the organization’s practices.

Ivy slips a note to Henry Allen, asking him to meet her. That night, she tells him she is pregnant. Henry Allen is initially alarmed but then vows to marry her.

Jane is shopping when she bumps into Lois, one of the women she met at the country club ball. Lois, who is ill with cancer, can tell Jane is upset and suggests they immediately go out for coffee. Jane confides in Lois that she has grown close to the Hart girls, and Lois applauds her for the care she exerts.

Nurse Ann arrives to examine Ivy; Nonnie, whom Ivy has not yet informed about the pregnancy, is furious. Nurse Ann gauges Ivy to be five to six months pregnant. After the exam, Ivy announces the news. Mary Ella is overjoyed, but Nonnie is angry. Jane is there as well, and she probes Mary Ella when she speaks of wanting additional children. Jane promises Ivy she will look for a way for Ivy to remain in school.

Jane sits in her car outside of the Hart home before driving off. She decides that if the sterilization petition is approved, she will inform Ivy of the purpose of the surgery. Further, she decides she must inform Mary Ella that she will not be able to have any more children.

The chapter presents the content of the completed petition for Ivy’s sterilization. It offers reasons for the request for sterilization and includes information on Ivy’s family and social history.

Jane arrives at the Hart home just as Nonnie is about to beat Ivy with a branch. Jane calms her somewhat and then asks to speak with Mary Ella privately. Nonnie is suspicious and tries to resist, but Jane is able to take Mary Ella outside alone. Through an open window, Ivy hears Jane explaining to Mary Ella that she cannot have any more children. Mary Ella is outraged and throws a tantrum. Nonnie, in turn, is equally furious at Jane for telling Mary Ella about the surgery. Ivy worries that she, too, will be sterilized once her baby is born.

As she drives home, Jane berates herself for the way she handled the talk with Mary Ella. She places dinner in the oven as Robert arrives and reveals to him what has transpired with the Harts. Robert disagrees that Mary Ella has the right to know about her condition and demands Jane no longer talk about her work at home. He is upset himself, having just diagnosed a young boy with polio. As Jane tries to comfort him, Robert touches her head only to discover her hair is filled with lice. Jane insists it is dandruff but then realizes Robert is correct. He rushes off to the pharmacy, instructing Jane to wash the linens immediately.

Three weeks pass, and Ivy has not had contact with Henry Allen. Mary Ella has sunk into a depression, barely speaking. Lita arrives with some baby clothes and a smuggled note from Henry Allen, insisting he will come up with a plan so that he and Ivy can be married.

They are interrupted by screams from William; he has eaten some of Nonnie’s diabetes testing pills. The family rushes to the hospital, driven by the Gardiners. As they wait for news on William, Jane arrives with the police, who will place the toddler in temporary foster care.

Jane feels remorse for having William placed in foster care but knows he is getting better care. Charlotte tells her Ivy’s sterilization has been approved, threatening Jane that she will be dismissed for insubordination if she tells Ivy the truth. Jane still feels that she must tell Ivy, even though she is risking her job.

Ivy is tending to the laundry when Jane arrives, wishing to speak with her. Ivy is reluctant, insisting that lately, Jane only brings bad news. She is outraged when Jane informs her that Ivy is to be sterilized once her baby is born. Ivy insists that Nonnie will not let this happen, as Nonnie has told Ivy she has changed her mind about Ivy having more children in the future due to Ivy’s promise that she will marry Henry Allen.

Jane is mad at herself for upsetting Ivy as she drives away. Her car suddenly stalls, and she realizes she is out of gas. She begins walking along the road, but two men in a truck heckle her. A second truck appears, driven by Eli Jordan. She accepts his offer for a ride despite her wariness about him. He is wary of her too and denies being William’s father when Jane attempts to pry him for information. Eli mentions something about Mary Ella being his sister, which Jane finds confusing.

Eli drops her at the Gardiners’ house. As they drive back to her car to fill it with gas, Jane asks Mr. Gardiner about Eli’s comment. Mr. Gardiner explains that Eli is Mary Ella and Ivy’s half-brother, as Percy Hart fathered four of Lita’s five children. According to Gardiner, Percy and Lita had been in love from a young age, but racial differences kept them from legally marrying. He notes that Violet Hart suspected her husband of infidelity but wrongly attacked Mrs. Gardiner, believing her to be the one with whom her husband was having a long-standing affair. Mr. Gardiner stresses to Jane that she should not reveal this information to either of the Hart girls and that it is important that Ivy receive the sterilization procedure.

Ivy meets Henry Allen at midnight. He has learned that they cannot marry until age 18 without parental permission, which he is certain his parents will not give. He promises Ivy he is saving money for bus tickets to California and that they can live there without being legally married. Ivy is still worried, knowing the baby is due to be born in two months.

Lois dies of cancer, and Jane and Robert attend the funeral. After observing how naturally Jane interacts with Lois’s child at the service, Robert comments on his dismay that Jane has not yet become pregnant. She confesses that she has been using birth control pills. Robert is outraged, adamant that Jane is not the person he thought he was marrying. He suggests they spend some time apart and says he will stay with his family after attending an upcoming medical conference.