At the Back of the North Wind · Chapter
XXX: Nanny's Dream explained
Diamond visits Nanny in the hospital, and she recounts a vivid dream inspired by a ruby ring lent to her by a kind lady.
What happens
Diamond visits Nanny in the hospital, and she recounts a vivid dream inspired by a ruby ring lent to her by a kind lady. In the dream, she finds herself in a garden, pursued by a dog, and takes refuge in a summerhouse where the moonlight shines through a red pane, growing ever brighter. Diamond suggests the dream may be connected to North Wind, but Nanny insists it was only a dream. Their conversation touches on the nature of dreams, goodness, and truth.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This excerpt marks the dramatic climax because it presents the emotional and psychological peak of Diamond’s i…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Dreams and Reality
Nanny's dream blurs the line between waking and sleeping, and Diamond insists dreams hold a deeper truth beyond mere fantasy.
- Compassion and Service
The lady's kindness in lending her ring and stroking Nanny's hand exemplifies compassionate service to the sick and poor.
Characters to notice
Key passages
“I’ve had such a beautiful dream, Diamond! I should like to tell it you.”
Nanny tells Diamond she has had a lovely dream and wants to share it with him.
Nanny initiates the telling of her dream, which forms the core of the chapter.
“Too good to be true it can’t be. Isn’t true good? and isn’t good good? And how, then, can anything be too good to be true?”
Diamond argues that if something is both true and good, it cannot be too good to be true.
Diamond expresses his optimistic philosophy about goodness and truth.
“Perhaps if she hadn’t done that, the moon might have carried her to the back of the north wind—who knows?”
Diamond wonders if Nanny's dream might have led her to the back of the north wind, had she not resisted.
Diamond connects Nanny's dream to his own mystical experiences with North Wind.
