# Disillusionment and Regret in Indian Summer

> Theme guide for Indian Summer by William Dean Howells.

Colville experiences profound disappointment with his past life in Des Vaches and his failed love affair, leading to a search for meaning and a recurring sense of regret about his choices and the passage of time.

## Where it surfaces

- [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/indian_summer_se/chapters/i): Colville's return to Florence is marked by a sense of loss and disappointment; the familiar sights no longer evoke the same wonder, and he regrets selling his newspaper and leaving his former life.
- [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/indian_summer_se/chapters/iii): Colville indulges in vain regrets about his past rejection and wonders if Mrs. Bowen still sees him as a pathetic figure.
- [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/indian_summer_se/chapters/v): Colville's past heartbreak with Jenny Milbury is discussed as a life-altering event; Imogene questions whether people ever get over such things, and Mrs. Bowen suggests men do, but the tone carries a sense of lingering regret.
- [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/indian_summer_se/chapters/vi): Colville's bitter reflections at the end of the chapter reveal his disillusionment with his return to Florence and regret over past romantic failures.
- [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/indian_summer_se/chapters/vii): Colville's nostalgia for his own lost youth and his sense of being out of place in the Old World reflect a deeper disillusionment with his current life.
- [Chapter XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/indian_summer_se/chapters/xi): Colville feels flat and mean after his victory over Mrs. Bowen, and regrets his behavior.
- [Chapter XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/indian_summer_se/chapters/xii): Colville's aimless existence and regret over his actions with Mrs. Bowen dominate his thoughts.
- [Chapter XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/indian_summer_se/chapters/xiii): Colville and Waters discuss failure, the 'blossom of decay,' and the sense of missed direction in life. Imogene is consumed by regret over her treatment of Colville.
- [Chapter XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/indian_summer_se/chapters/xv): Colville's bitterness and Imogene's unhappiness suggest underlying disillusionment with the engagement and their circumstances.
- [Chapter XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/indian_summer_se/chapters/xvii): Colville and Imogene both feel trapped and disillusioned by their engagement, with Colville grieving over the 'irrevocable loss' and the impossibility of a solution.
- [XIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/indian_summer_se/chapters/xix): Colville's discomfort and Mrs. Bowen's bitterness reflect the disillusionment and regret that permeate the strained relationships in the chapter.
- [Chapter XX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/indian_summer_se/chapters/xx): Colville feels burdened by his situation and the silence of the ladies, reflecting his disillusionment with the affair and his own role.
- [XXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/indian_summer_se/chapters/xxi): Colville and Imogene both confront the painful truth of their mismatched feelings, leading to regret and a sense of relief at the broken engagement.
- [Chapter XXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/indian_summer_se/chapters/xxii): Colville's deep regret over his broken engagement and his self-criticism for his past weakness and cowardice.
- [XXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/indian_summer_se/chapters/xxiii): Mrs. Bowen's refusal stems from her humiliation and regret over Colville's past actions with Imogene, reflecting deep disillusionment.
- [XXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/indian_summer_se/chapters/xxiv): The affair with Imogene remains a lingering shadow, described as 'the grain of sand' that both wish had not happened.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/indian_summer_se/themes/disillusionment_and_regret
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/indian_summer_se/themes