A Man Could Stand Up— · Character

Valentine Wannop

A suffragist and classicist's daughter who has decided, against all propriety, to live with the disgraced Tietjens on the day the Armistice breaks over London.

major

Also known as Valentine, Wannop, Val

First appearance: A Man Could Stand Up—

As a major figure in A Man Could Stand Up—, Valentine Wannop is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Receives a cryptic telephone call from Tietjens and grapples with her feelings and the rumors of his madness.

In the storyA Man Could Stand Up—Open this moment free

Valentine stands between two worlds on Armistice Day: the emptied school where she teaches and the seething city beyond, where she intends to find Tietjens and make a life with him. Her longing has refined her face and hardened her nerve; she is willing to be called "marital" by gossips and to battle a houseful of voices to reach him. She matters because she is the future Tietjens is trying to walk toward, and the reason he finally refuses to be a perpetual second-in-command.

See Valentine Wannop in A Man Could Stand Up—Book page

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Character Web

17 connections

A slice of how Valentine Wannop sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Professional
Friendship
Rivalry
Social

Character groups

Social and Military Elite
Protagonist

+12 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because it presents the emotional and psychological peak where Valentine W…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

Miss Wanostrocht
professional · ambivalent
Miss Wanostrocht is Valentine's employer and headmistress, maintaining a formal but… How this plays out →
Edith Ethel Duchemin
friendship · ambivalent
Sylvia Tietjens
rivalry · negative
Lady Macmaster
social · ambivalent
General Lord Edward Campion
social · positive
Captain Mckechnie
psychological · negative
Miss Wanostrocht
professional · ambivalent
Miss Wanostrocht is Valentine's employer and headmistress, maintaining a formal but… How this plays out →
Captain Mckechnie
psychological · negative
Miss Wanostrocht
professional · ambivalent
Miss Wanostrocht is Valentine's employer and headmistress, maintaining a formal but… How this plays out →
General Lord Edward Campion
social · positive
Sylvia Tietjens
rivalry · negative
Lady Macmaster
social · ambivalent

Miss Wanostrocht
Miss Wanostrocht is Valentine's employer and headmistress, maintaining a formal but somewhat strained professional relationship.
Edith Ethel Duchemin
Edith Ethel Duchemin is a close friend and intellectual confidante to Valentine, though their relationship is tinged with social competition.
Sylvia Tietjens
Sylvia sees Valentine as her romantic rival for Christopher Tietjens and actively works to undermine her.
Lady Macmaster
Lady Macmaster is a social acquaintance of Valentine, interacting with her through literary and upper-class circles.
General Lord Edward Campion
General Campion is a family friend to Valentine's family, maintaining a polite and protective social relationship.
Captain Mckechnie
Captain Mckechnie views Valentine with suspicion, associating her with Sylvia and the perceived threat of female manipulation.
Miss Wanostrocht
Miss Wanostrocht is Valentine's employer and headmistress, maintaining a formal but somewhat strained professional relationship.
Captain Mckechnie
Captain Mckechnie views Valentine with suspicion, associating her with Sylvia and the perceived threat of female manipulation.
Miss Wanostrocht
Miss Wanostrocht is Valentine's employer and headmistress, maintaining a formal but somewhat strained professional relationship.
General Lord Edward Campion
General Campion is a family friend to Valentine's family, maintaining a polite and protective social relationship.
Sylvia Tietjens
Sylvia sees Valentine as her romantic rival for Christopher Tietjens and actively works to undermine her.
Lady Macmaster
Lady Macmaster is a social acquaintance of Valentine, interacting with her through literary and upper-class circles.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

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In the story

Valentine Wannop appears across 8 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

A Man Could Stand Up—
Receives a cryptic telephone call from Tietjens and grapples with her feelings and the rumors of his madness.
I
Physical instructress at the school, receives a confusing telephone call on Armistice Day, feels joy and rebellion against authority.
Chapter II
Valentine is agitated after a phone call from Edith Ethel, smashes the telephone, and wrestles with memories of Tietjens and doubts about his intentions.
III
Reveals her past as a tweeny maid and her father's legacy; defends Tietjens against accusations; expresses desire to leave the school.
V
Tietjens realizes his inner calculations are based on the idea of living with her.
VI
Tietjens reflects on his immutable love for her, her freckled appearance, and decides not to write to her to avoid causing her pain.
I
Protagonist of the chapter; she goes to Tietjens' house to tell her mother of her decision to live with him, reflects on her mother's work, and confronts Mckechnie.
II
Longed for by Tietjens; present at the Armistice celebration, dances with him.

Chapter companion notes

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See Valentine Wannop in A Man Could Stand Up—