The Railway Children

Mother’s angry response to the arrival of the old gentleman’s hamper reveals an important aspect of her characterization: in spite of her reduced economic circumstances, she continues to cling to the social etiquette and pride in self-sufficiency instilled in her by her upper-class background. Mother’s insistence that the children must not speak to others “about our affairs” (91) demonstrates her commitment to maintaining a certain degree of social decorum and dignity, no matter what. The novel presents this trait of Mother’s as a fundamentally noble impulse, as she is refusing to bow to her circumstances. The children respect her wishes, but they can also see that their poverty is sometimes quite pressing. Bobbie’s intervention with Dr. Forrest, for example, reveals the extent to which she is aware of their money problems. Mother’s pride is, therefore, slightly misplaced, in the sense that without asking for the old gentleman’s help or Dr. Forrest’s indulgence, the family’s circumstances would become even more straitened.

The appearance of the Russian Exile is highly significant in the novel for several reasons. First, while Mother may be reluctant to accept charity from others, she is not hesitant about giving it. She offers the Russian Exile a place in her own home because she is moved by the beauty of his written work and the tragedy of his circumstances. Second, the Russian Exile’s past as a man unjustly imprisoned mirrors the plight of Father, who is also currently imprisoned, although the children are still unaware of that fact at this point in the story. Third, Peter’s incredulity when he hears of the Russian Exile going to jail despite having done no wrong, and Mother’s rejoinder that sometimes people are imprisoned just because “judges think they’ve done wrong” (138), alludes to the fragile nature of justice, and the novel’s thematic preoccupation with the difference between legal justice and moral justice. Finally, the Russian Exile’s wearing of Father’s left-behind clothes turns him into a stand-in for the absent father figure in the children’s lives, while also further deepening the symbolism between the Russian Exile’s situation and Father’s own.

The children’s quick-thinking act of heroism in Chapter 6 solidifies their bond with the railway, although it does come at a temporary emotional cost for Bobbie. Bobbie’s reaction to the adverted disaster—fainting and feeling weak afterward—reveals the deep sensitivity in her character and her awareness of how tragic the loss of life would have been. While Peter and Phyllis seem more prone to view it all as an exciting adventure and an achievement, Bobbie’s reaction speaks to her greater emotional maturity.