In Chapter 18 of The Flight of Gemma Hardy, Mr. Sinclair, Gemma, and Nell all travel to visit the St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall. The cathedral itself is significant to the town and to Mr. Sinclair’s family. Many family members were “christened” there, and Mr. Sinclair encourages Nell to “draw...picture[s] of the inside” (Livesey 190). According to the current St. Magnus Cathedral website, the church “is a place of stillness, of inspiration, of warmth, and is steeped in the presence of God.” Although the cathedral is an important place presently and at the time of the novel, the way it is described by the characters is almost satirical. For example, as Gemma admires the architectural aspects of the building, Mr. Sinclair explains “like many houses of worship...St. Magnus had begun in bad behavior” (Livesey 191). Churches are often described as places which come from humble beginnings. Describing the church in this way reveals Sinclair’s feelings toward religion as well as religious institutions—he finds them almost humorous. He goes on to describe the different uses of the cathedral, even mentioning that it was once “a place to dry sails” (Livesey 191). Shortly after his commentary, he notices Gemma’s curriculum does not include scripture.  

As they continue walking through the building, Gemma notices a “statue of Earl Rognvald” with a “tunic shorter than [her] most daring skirt” (Livesey 192). Here, the humorous description of the Earl reveals Gemma’s modesty. Even though she does wear trousers in the novel, she cares about the length of her skirts. The man—a founding father of the church—did not care about modesty.  

During their visit, Mr. Sinclair questions whether Gemma is “neglecting Nell’s moral education” (Livesey 191). Gemma believes he is referring to Nell’s religious education, but Mr. Sinclair corrects her—he specifically wants Gemma to focus on teaching “the difference between right and wrong” (Livesey 193). In Jane Eyre, religion was significant, but even Jane felt as though she would never be able to be a perfect Christian, no matter how hard she tried. She did strive to live a Christian life. On the contrary, Gemma avoided teaching Nell scripture because of her lack of knowledge in the subject. She admits to Mr. Sinclair she isn’t sure she believes in God due to her experiences with evil people who thought themselves religious. This is a different idea than the one presented in Jane Eyre. Jane often reflects on God’s presence in her life and Rochester’s--she asks God to protect him even after she learns of Bertha’s existence. Mr. Sinclair, however, agrees with Gemma but admits when he was younger he would have lied and said he believed--just because this was what everyone wanted to hear. Based on this revelation, he becomes somewhat of a hypocrite. He wants Nell to learn morals, but he admits he is a liar. He wants her to know what is right and what is wrong, but he lied to avoid becoming a Bevin boy. It is also revealed in this chapter that Gemma is hiding she “had once been someone other than Gemma Hardy” (194). The trip to the cathedral would foreshadow many events to come—the first being the revelation that Mr. Sinclair was hiding behind his own façade of “good morals.” 

St. Magnus Cathedral. Orcadia Design, 2022, https://www.stmagnus.org/. Accessed 20 Feb. 2022.  

Livesey, Margot. The Flight of Gemma Hardy. New York, HarperCollins Publishers, 2012. 

Kirkwall: St. Magnus Cathedral. image. Britannica Academic, Encyclopædia Britannica, 13 Nov. 2021. academic-eb-com.eu1.proxy.openathens.net/levels/collegiate/assembly/view/155131. Accessed 20 Feb. 2022.