Olivia+and+Douglas

Relationship Between Olivia and Douglas
(Liam and Emily)

Beginning: The Nawab's First Dinner Party (14) The Days After the Dinner Party (15) The Death of Mrs. Saunders' Baby (22) Douglas' Meeting with the Rich Men (32) Douglas Refuses the Nawab's Second Dinner Invitation and Discusses Whether Olivia Should go on Vacation with Mrs. Minnies and Mrs. Crawford (35) Olivia Does Not Tell Douglas About the Nawab's Picnic or the Nawab's Subsequent Visits (49) The Nawab's Meeting with Douglas (49) Mr. Crawford's Dinner Party (50) Riots in India (60) Harry's Stay at Olivia's House (63) The Nawab Comes to Fetch Harry (66) Olivia Stays Home Instead of Going to Simla (73) Douglas and Olivia Stroll Through the Graveyard (91) Olivia Tells Douglas She is Going to Khatm to Visit Harry (100) Olivia Lays with the Nawab at the Shrine (119) Olivia Becomes Pregnant with the Nawab's Child (123) Olivia Runs Away from the Hospital (149)
 * "Only Douglas was different." (14)
 * "Olivia was [...] admiring Douglas." (14)
 * Olivia is shown to be admiring Douglas. Her admiration shows that she loves Douglas because he is special, interesting, and confident.
 * "She knew the Nawab would come and call on her, and every day she dressed herself in one of her cool, pastel muslins and waited." (15)
 * Olivia looks forward to the Nawab's visit to her home and always dresses nicely to impress the Nawab; her behavior hints at her affection towards the Nawab. At this point, while Olivia shows a liking towards the Nawab, she is still dedicated to Douglas.
 * There is no evidence of Olivia ever feeling anything romantic towards the Nawab; she just wants to occupy herself during her lonely, boring days at home.
 * "[Douglas] has to forget his files for that one evening and devote himself entirely to her" (22)
 * "When Douglas thought she was asleep, he hugged her tighter *...) as if it were to much happiness for him to have her there in his arms," (23)
 * Douglas, although having trouble comforting Olivia about the death of the Saunders' baby, nonetheless shows great love for her and tries his best.
 * He has not yet reached the point of resenting himself for having trouble making her feel better, as occurs later in the novel; Olivia is still fully receptive to his reassurances.
 * "Douglas' voice, firm and manly, rose above the rest (...) It was almost as if Douglas were playing a musical instrument of which he had entirely mastered the stops" (32).
 * Olivia sees Douglas as a confident and dependable.
 * "She said she'd be bored, she'd be irritable, she'd be hot, she'd quarrel with him - all right! But please not to send her away from him" (35).
 * Olivia is still deeply in love with Douglas, and cannot stand the thought of leaving him for an extended period of time.
 * "Not that she didn't want to tell Douglas - of course she did! - but he was always home so late and then with so many preoccupations of his own" (49).
 * Marks a significant step in the deterioration of Douglas and Olivia's relationship- as Douglas has less time for Olivia, they grow apart and Olivia seeks company with the Nawab.
 * Olivia may also use Douglas' situation of being tired and busy as an excuse for herself not to tell him.
 * "It was as if [the Nawab] were the host and this his house" (49)
 * Douglas: ""We even had a bit of trouble outside the jail today." He gave Olivia a quick, sharp look: "You are not to worry. Nothing we couldn't easily handle" (49)
 * It seems that Douglas is trying to reinforce his manliness in front of the Nawab: perhaps he is less confident that she will love him for who he is.
 * Shows that Douglas feels the need to prove that he is in control not only in his household but also in India; he may be getting worried that Olivia is turning more to the Nawab as a friend.
 * "But Olivia resented being spared [the details]" (51).
 * "Without daring to glance in Douglas' direction, she knew him to be sitting very upright with his thin lips held in tight ad his eyes cold" (51).
 * Olivia wants to remind Douglas that she should be important to him and that he should talk to her.
 * Quite differently from the Nawab's dinner party earlier in the story, Olivia no longer feels only admiration for Douglas. Instead, she feels as if he may actually be wrong, and contradicts him.
 * "[Olivia] kept worrying about Douglas: he tried not to show it, but she knew he had been worried for days" (60).
 * Olivia is worried about her husband; however, this may not only be for his sake but for her own as well, as she will have to support him through whatever frustrations he endures.
 * Rising tensions outside also reflect rising tensions between Olivia's relationships with the Nawab and with Douglas, especially due to the British government workers' conflict with the Nawab over how to handle the potential riots.
 * "If Douglas did not like Harry - and Olivia knew he didn't - he gave no sign of it" (63).
 * Olivia: "But is [Harry is] the Nawab's guest?" (65)
 * Olivia: "Douglas, are you //sure//, darling" (66)
 * Olivia seems to be grateful towards Douglas' attitude towards Harry: hospitable, helpful, and defensive when it came to protecting Harry's right to visit his family.
 * However, Olivia also seems worried about upsetting the Nawab, possibly reflecting that she has less confidence in Douglas than she used to, and she also cares more about the Nawab's opinion as well.
 * "When the Nawab said he had come to take Harry home, Douglas stiffened." (66)
 * "You don't have to [go back]" (67)
 * "Olivia looked quickly at Douglas. She was sorry to see that he remained as before." (68)
 * Douglas tries to coax Harry into staying at Olivia&Douglas's house even though Douglas has never shown a tremendous liking toward Harry.
 * Douglas' behavior suggests that he only wants Harry to stay to frustrate the Nawab
 * Olivia and Douglas are revealed to be thinking completely separate things; while he expresses dislike towards the Nawab, Olivia thinks the Nawab is sincere.
 * "she never touched on any subject that might cast even the faintest shadow on him." (74)
 * "Douglas loved her more than ever at this time." (74)
 * Olivia no longer asks Douglas questions about his work, like she used to before
 * Suggests that Olivia and Douglas only love each other in a superficial way
 * "'I don't want to talk about it.' Douglas wore his stuffy look." (93)
 * "he was silent as he stood above her, waiting." (93)
 * Although Douglas initially provides Olivia with some vague information about the dacoits, he does not with to be specific detail
 * In contrast to the previous walk to the graveyard that caused Olivia to weep for fear of her future baby dying, when Olivia weeps this time Douglas does not comfort her, but merely stands beside her.
 * "Olivia told Douglas that [...] she wanted to go and visit [Harry who was ill]. Douglas said "Oh?" and nothing further." (100)
 * Olivia uses Harry's illness as an excuse for visiting the Nawab and keeps her real reason a secret
 * Douglas expresses obvious disapproval toward her visit, but Olivia "took this as the permission she wanted."
 * The communication between Olivia and Douglas has become strained.
 * This is a very great turning point in the relationship between Olivia and Douglas. At this time, Olivia has completely betrayed Douglas.
 * "When Olivia found that she was pregnant, she didn't tell Douglas. [...] and in the end she told the Nawab first."
 * Olivia no longer trusts Douglas, and the Nawab has become her confidant
 * "Olivia never returned to Douglas but, escaping from the hospital, she went straight to the Palace." (149)
 * In the end, Olivia leaves Douglas and goes to the Nawab, showing that Olivia's relationship with Douglas has completely fallen apart.

Overall, this relationship deteriorates throughout the course of the novel. Although Olivia and Douglas initially love each other as much has they think is possible, their interests gradually differ. As Douglas becomes more of the stereotypical British government worker in India: formal, incredibly busy, and a smoker, Olivia has more and more trouble loving him and is drawn towards the Nawab. Olivia was initially attracted to Douglas' confidence and charisma. However, over time she finds that he no longer displays these same qualities, or at least she can no longer see them in him. In addition, Olivia's decision to tell Douglas about her pregnancy after telling the Nawab represents her acceptance that the Nawab is the real father, and also that she cares more for him than for Douglas at that point in her life. Her decision to lie to Douglas about her pregnancy (or at least hide the truth) represents the definitive end to their relationship. Until then, they had dreamed of having a baby together, and at this point Olivia gives up any chance of telling Douglas the truth or otherwise trying to salvage this dream, and their relationship. Olivia had been scared to tell Douglas this lie, hence putting it off for as long as possible; however, after she tells it to him there is no turning back and she has ended their relationship forever.