Maria laughed and laughed again till the tip of her nose nearly met the tip of her chin
This phrase has been repeated several times. And for some reason it seem like Maria isn’t laughing because she is truly happy, but instead is laughing because other people are laughing, so she feels like not laughing would be rude. Throughout the story there is a sense of passiveness and distance, as if Maria’s actions are always kind of forced, by herself.
and so Maria had to get up and stand beside the piano.
The use of the phrase “had to” makes it seem like Maria herself doesn’t actually want to sing. This again demonstrates how Maria always puts others’ feelings and thoughts before her own and often makes small sacrifices to make others happy.
She waited on patiently, almost cheerfully, without alarm, her memories gradually giving place to hopes and visions of the future.
It is kind of sad how Polly sees the future, possibly marriage, as hopeful, and she kind of looks forward to it, whereas Mr. Doran thinks of it almost like a jail, taking away his freedom. He almost goes as far as thinking that if he is married he would be done for.
….
It is interesting to me that an elipsis is used at the end of both of the paragraphs remembering how they were together. I wonder whether it is to add a sense of reminiscence or hesitation or both? Or perhaps it is to reflect on the irony that the happiness has somehow now pushed them into almost a despair?
She felt sure she would win.
This is not the first time this phrase is used. From this phrase, and from previous paragraphs as well, we can see that Mrs. Mooney is an intelligent, logical, and perhaps sometimes a little bit domineering woman with an almost majestic presence. It only make sense that others in the boarding house refers to her as THE Madam.
he would drown her
This forms an interesting contrast with the repeated phrase “he would save her” just a couple of paragraphs before. This demonstrates just how confused and conflicted Eveline is.
Derevaun Seraun! Derevaun Seraun!”
According to the internet. This phrase is kind of nonsense and the author has meant for its meaning to be ambiguous. Some, however, has translated the phrase to be “the end of pleasure is pain.”
The career of our play brought us through the dark muddy lanes behind the houses where we ran the gauntlet of the rough tribes from the cottages, to the back doors of the dark dripping gardens where odours arose from the ashpits, to the dark odorous stables where a coachman smoothed and combed the horse or shook music from the buckled harness. When we returned to the street light from the kitchen windows had filled the areas. If my uncle was seen turning the corner we hid in the shadow until we had seen him safely housed
I find this section interesting because of its repeated mentioning of the words “dark” and “odors.” There is also an immediate reference to “light” and “shadow” afterwards. This reminds me of a passage in the previous reading. It seems like the author likes using light and darkness and the contrast between them.
His face was very truculent, grey and massive, with black cavernous nostrils and circled by a scanty white fur. There was a heavy odour in the room—the flowers.
I find the description of the appearance of the priest very interesting. The word “cavernous” seems especially out of place when describing a priest. Previously the narrator mentions that the priest laughed in a way that made him uneasy before he got to know him well. Both seems to suggest that unlike the typical picture of a priest, kind and gentle looking, James looked kind of scary.
walked along in the sun
Here the narrator’s walking in the sun is mentioned again. The sun usually represents hope, happiness, and life, all the direct opposites of death. The warm sun forms a strong contrast with James’ death, yet strangely resonates with that strange sense of freedom the narrator feels.
Down, down went the little old spider, and then, to his horror, old Mr. Neave saw him slip past the dining-room and make for the porch, the dark drive, the carriage gates, the office. Stop him, stop him, somebody!
This seems to say that Neave does in fact want to stop going to the office, he wants to enjoy himself instead of having to work everyday. However his son is unreliable, his daughters and wife unsupportive, which all leave him no choice but to force himself to go the office everyday to work and provide for his family, with nobody to stop him.
Charlotte’s vague
“Vague” is always used when describing Charlotte.
old Mr. Neave that the house and the flowers, and even the fresh marks on the drive, were saying, “There is young life here. There are girls—
The constraint between the word “old” and the words “fresh” and “young” is very interesting, it is almost saying that Mr. Neave, being old, no longer belongs in his own house anymore. This sentence also gives off a feeling of tiredness, which is already mentioned in a conversation before. It would be interesting to look at opposite words that appear in close vicinity with each other using a computer program.
Old Mr. Neave stared at his youngest daughter;
Again there is this emphasis of old and its contrast with young.
On either side of the carriage porch their hydrangeas—famous in the town—were coming into flower; the pinkish, bluish masses of flower lay like light among the spreading leaves.
According to the internet, blue hydrangea symbolize frigidity and apology, whereas pink hydrangea symbolize heart felt emotion. The symbolism of the blue hydrangea seems especially interesting. The title of the story calls the family ideal, yet there is nothing ideal about symbolism of a blue hydrangea, which blooms beautifully and abundantly in the family.
The azaleas were separate flowers no longer; they were pink and white flags streaming by.
The narrator loves comparing people to flowers. The main character is compared to a flower floating in the pool when dancing. The girls are also described as flowers. Azalea symbolizes femininity, abundance, and friendship. The narrator seems to be implying that there are so many people dancing swiftly and beautifully that it is like they all become one mass.
Leila put two fingers on Laura’s pink velvet cloak, and they were somehow lifted past the big golden lantern, carried along the passage, and pushed into the little room marked “Ladies.”
This is an interesting and sudden transition to passive voice. This is probably referring to the crowd pushing them along, so they are no longer moving purely by their own will. The three consecutive, parallel verb phrases further show just how crowded and exciting and slightly chaotic it is.
But after supper they were all so tired they could do nothing but yawn until it was late enough to go to bed...
I am not sure why but Isabel’s friends all seem childish in some ways? They seem childish not in a immature and annoying way, but it is almost like they are able to preserve some aspects of a child, such as innocence. This is probably because of the description of their dialogue and behaviors? They just all seem so lively and happy, which forms a strong contrast with William and his constant dull and gnawing pain in his chest.
But there was no running into the garden now, no laughing and shaking.
This passage, I believe, could be the metaphor representing Isabel’s leaving or/and William’s bygone childhood. It is interesting how the narrator states “he was still that little boy.” This is probably to say that he still wants to run into the garden, and to shake the rose-bush, but neither of those are here anymore. The author is probably demonstrating one’s longing for the innocence and happiness of childhood after adulting. The “dull, persistent gnawing” that immediately follows is likely a representation of the exhaustion of daily life of an adult, which forms a strong contrast with the roses and the gardens of childhood.
they were awfully generous little chaps—while Isabel’s precious friends didn’t hesitate to help themselves...
Here is the first hint of William’s dislike of Isabel’s friends. He probably blames the friends for the “new” Isabel, whom he likely finds unfamiliar. He also thinks of them as selfish, as the opposites of his children.
The Young Girl In her blue dress, with her cheeks lightly flushed, her
After reading the entire story, I realized that the narrator has always referred to the young girl as “she” or “her”. I don’t think her name is ever mentioned in the story or the title. All other characters except the narrator, including Mrs. Raddick and Hennie, are all often referred to by name. The title includes the word “the,” which is usually used when referring to something or someone specific or special, yet the special young girl’s name is never mentioned. The narrator is perhaps implying that her name is unnecessary or that a story similar to this one could happen to other young girls as well?
row upon row of little freaks, little inspirations, little melting dreams. He
This is perhaps the cutest description of pastries I have ever read. The repetition of the word “little” almost makes the sentence sound childish, in a good way, and resonates with the description of the “tiny boy.” I am not sure why the narrator would describe the pastries this way, but it fits the overall dreamy but melancholic feel of the story.
Josephine was silent for a moment. She stared at a big cloud where the sun had been. Then she replied shortly, “I’ve forgotten too.”
Here is yet another parallel with “The Garden Party,” the characters never finish what they want to say at the end. This gives a sense of incompleteness, and leaves plenty of room for the readers’ interpretation. I often felt dreamy for some reason while reading the story, probably due to the author’s use of questions, elipses, colors, and scattered descriptions of far-away sceneries.
I don’t think I am,” said Constantia. She shut her eyes to make sure. She was.
There are several interesting similarities so far between this short story and “the Garden Party.” Both begin with a description and a dialogue before the characters’ names are introduced. Both include a dialogue between two people with opposite views—one sympathetic and the other indifferent. There is also a similar sentence to the highlighted one in Garden Party: “ ‘I say, you’re not crying, are you?’ asked her brother. Laura shook her head. She was.” This hints at the author’s style and a possible common theme between the stories.
looks a picture. There’s nothing to show. Come along, my dear.” Laura came. There lay a young man, fast asleep—sleeping so soundly, so deeply, that he was far, far away from them both.
Here is the reference to a far away picture once again. Another interesting thing is how courteous and kind the women are to Laura, which forms a sharp contrast with the attitude Laura’s family holds towards them.
She had her feet on a newspaper
Here is the newspaper reference again. To the rich family the poor may just be like a picture on a newspaper, insignificant and often ignored. But to the people in the newspaper, the events happening have tragic effects on their lives.
She ran to her father and begged him. “Daddy darling, can’t the band have something to drink?”
Laura really is such an endearing child.
But it all seemed blurred, unreal, like a picture in the newspaper. I’ll remember it again after the party’s over, she decided. And somehow that seemed quite the best plan...
I think this metaphor is very interesting. Unlike her mother and Jose, Laura is sympathetic for the loss of their neighbor regardless the vast difference between their wealth and status. However, after receiving a light scolding from both her sister and her mom, even Laura’s empathy has dwindled. Newspapers usually contain news of people far away, people whose lives don’t usually interfere with the one reading the paper. By comparing the picture of the lad dying and the grieving family to a picture in the newspaper, the narrator is implying the almost unreachable distance between the poor and the rich even though they live so physically close to each other.
And after all the weather was ideal.
It is very interesting to me that not only does the sentence start with the conjunction “and,” but the entire story starts with it. It gives a sense of completion, like the end finally arriving after a long wait. This is probably because one of the most common uses of “and” is before the last part in a long list.
Oh, the relief, the difference it made to have the man out of the house. Their very voices were changed as they called to one another; they sounded warm and loving and as if they shared a secret.
Jonathan did say that Stanley made a job out of everything. At the beginning of the chapter Stanley was also described as looking “uncannily clean and brushed.” From the descriptions of his behavior at home, we could see that he is maybe a little bit too uptight for the women to fully enjoy his presence at home all the time.
Splish-Splosh! Splish-Splosh! The
This reminds me of the “Baa! Baa!” of the sheep. It seems like the narratir likes using descriptions of repetitive sound as well.
an enormous shock-haired giant with his arms stretched out. It was the big gum-tree outside Mrs. Stubbs’ shop, and as they passed by there was a strong whiff of eucalyptus. And now big spots of light gleamed in the mist. The shepherd stopped whistling; he rubbed his red nose and wet beard on his wet sleeve and, screwing up his eyes, glanced in the direction of the sea. The sun was rising. It was marvellous how quickly the mist thinned, sped away, dissolved from the shallow plain, rolled up from the bush and was gone as if in a hurry to escape; big twists and curls jostled and shouldered each other as the silvery beams broadened. The far-away sky—a bright, pure blue—was reflected in the puddles, and the drops, swimming along the telegraph poles, flashed into points of light. Now the leaping, glittering sea was so bright it made one’s eyes ache to look at it.
From this passage and previous descriptions of nature, we can see that the author loves using personalization. He describes the tree as a “shocked-hair giant with his arms stretched out,” the mist being “in a hurry to escape,” the bush’s twists and curls as having “jostled and shouldered each other,” and the drops “swimming along the telegraph poles.” Using these personalizations the narrator paints a vivid picture of the beautiful scenery. I remember when I was younger I used to skip over the descriptions of nature or sceneries to get to the plot quicker. But the more I read, the more I realize just how beautiful those seemingly boring and unimportant descriptions can be.
If I had only myself to think of, I should prefer the sharp pains to the frightful dreams. But the physical suffering exhausts me. If I let myself sink, it may end in my becoming useless to Mr. Blake at the time when he wants me most.
Here again Mr. Jennings is putting others before himself. It shows just how noble and kind Mr. Jennings is. He is going out of his way to help Mr, Blake, whom he is neither familiar with nor close friends or family with, who is just a distant acquaintance. He has suffered because of others, yet he still tries his best to help.
Is it possible (I ask myself, in reading this delightful letter) that I, of all men in the world, am chosen to be the means of bringing these two young people together again? My own happiness has been trampled under foot; my own love has been torn from me. Shall I live to see a happiness of others, which is of my making–a love renewed, which is of my bringing back?
This passage, I think, reveals several things about Mr. Jennings character. He does not think of himself highly, besucase he never previously thought it possible that he could bring two lovers back together. His life has also been tragic. He was falsely accused and he has left the love of his life. However, despite the pain others has inflicted upon him, he still wishes to help, and to bring goodness into other peoples lives. This could be seen from both this passage and his occupation as a doctors assistance. To me, Mr. Jennings is quite a noble and admirable character.
To such of these as spoke to me, I gave myself out as a Hindoo-Boodhist, from a distant province, bound on a pilgrimage.
It is interesting why he is trying to hide his European roots here. It was said in previous narratives that Mr. Murthwaite has been to many dangerous places. Is he simply disguising for safety reasons, or is he trying to better learn their ways of life by acting like one of them?
The Finding of the Diamond
It is interesting to me that this part of the story is included in the Epilogue rather than the main story itself. It is almost like these are just some extra bits of information to fill in some gaps, but not part of the main story revolving around the diamond.
He died in my arms, at sunrise, on Wednesday last
After finishing the book I was reading on the internet about its potential motifs and one particular point stood out to me. The article says that in order to complete the story, both Rosanna and Mr. Jennings must meet their deaths. They are both outcasts of society, both have negative rumors surrounding them. However, there are parallels between them and Miss. Rachel and Mr. Blake. They too, after the incident of the diamond, are surrounded by rumors of theft and their reputations are destroyed. It is almost like that Rosanna and Mr. Jennings’ deaths are contrasts to Miss Rachel and Mr. Franklin’s endings, and are necessary to demonstrate the tragedy of being an outcast whose reputation has been destroyed.
Take a drop more grog, Mr. Franklin, and you’ll get over the weakness of believing in facts!
This reminds me of Betteredge's view on the benefits of being "superior to reason," a view he first presents after Cuff points Miss Rachel's suspicions behavior out to him. My interpretation of this is that Betteredge believes it is good to hold on to certain beliefs firmly, even when reason may suggest that they are wrong.
“Now, Mr. Franklin, there’s one thing certain, at any rate,” said Betteredge, throwing the nightgown down on the table between us, and pointing to it as if it was a living creature that could hear him. “He’s a liar, to begin with.”
it is very interesting how Betteredge points to the nightgown and calls it a liar. The nightgown is apparently an object, not living or understanding, incapable of lying or understanding what Betteredge is saying. By calling the nightgown a liar, Bettteredge has firstly stated his belief in Mr. Blake and has secondly temporarily put the blame on the nightgown, which could either be him trying to relieve themselves of the shock or simply be the effect of the alcohol.
He might not have respected my life. But he did what none of my own countrymen had ever done, in all my experience of them–he respected my time.
This reminds me of Mr. Murthwaite's saying that the three Indians are perfectly great people even though they would not hesitate to kill for the Moonstone.
But his swarthy complexion, his long lithe figure, and his grave and graceful politeness of manner were enough to betray his Oriental origin to any intelligent eyes that looked at him.
I wonder why politeness is repeatedly stressed whenever the three Indians are mentioned? It is also interesting the narrator describes his politeness using the word "grave," since it usually has a negative connotation while "politeness" and "grateful" usually have a positive connotation.
Mr. Godfrey Ablewhite’s motive for submission as plainly as if he had acknowledged it himself. He needed a large sum of money; and he needed it by a given time. Rachel’s income, which would have helped him to anything else, would not help him here;
This negative view of Mr. Ablewhite is completely new. All the previous narrators, Miss Clack especially, hold a purely positive view on the nature of Godfrey. Their praises of Godfrey has led me to believe, falsely or not, that Godfrey is a charming and warmhearted gentleman, so much so that I was very surprised when reading Mr. Bruff's narrative. This really demonstrates how a narrator can be biased, and the effects of that on the reader. This has also reminded me that narrators can be unreliable, and that readers should take what they say with a grain of salt.
I have believed in that man. I have promised to marry that man. How can I tell him he is mean, how can I tell him he has deceived me, how can I disgrace him in the eyes of the world after that? I have degraded myself by ever thinking of him as my husband. If I say what you tell me to say to him–I am owning that I have degraded myself to his face. I can’t do that. After what has passed between us, I can’t do that! The shame of it would be nothing to him. But the shame of it would be unendurable to me.”
This passage, I think, forms a very interesting contrasting with Miss Rachel's reaction after hearing that rumors say Ablewhite is the one who has stolen the diamond and taken the it to London. In Miss Clack's narration, Miss Rachel is willing to tarnish her own reputation to vouch for Ablewhite's innocence, yet here she is unable to tell Ablewhite that he has deceived her directly to his face because the "shame of it would be unbearable" to her. I think it would be interesting to analyze the difference to Miss Rachel between shame and a bad reputation. It seems like she would much rather have a bad reputation than to feel shame.
When I had dropped another tract through the area railings, I felt relieved, in some small degree, of a heavy responsibility towards others.
This passage further demonstrates how interesting a character Miss Clack is. Even though she is aware that her relatives are richer and possibly belong to a higher social class than her, she feels spiritually superior in a sense, possibly due to her devotion to religion, and feels like it is her responsibility to help others spiritually. This sense of superiority shows through in previous passages as well, including when she states "...not even [Mr. Blake's] wealth can purchase my conscience too."It would be interesting to explore whether it is her dislike of them that contributes to her sense of spiritual superiority or the other way around.
The person who answered the door, informed me that my aunt and her daughter (I really cannot call her my cousin!) had arrived from the country a week since, and meditated making some stay in London. I sent up a message at once, declining to disturb them, and only begging to know whether I could be of any use.
I find this passage quite interesting. Ms. Clack has already showed that she does not really like Franklin Blake, quite bitterly in my opinion. Here she states that "I really cannot call her my cousin!" This seems to demonstrate that she does not like Miss Rachel either. It also seems like that she sees herself somehow as inferior to her relatives, possibly status-wise, since she begs to know whether she could be of any use. Later in the passage she does not hold back from expressing her dislike of Betteredge too, by calling him a "heathen old man," and saying that he is "long, too long, tolerated." It really seems like that she doesn't like anyone in the family so far.
with all his hair blown out by the breath of his own eloquence, and his eyes, most lovely, charming the money out of your pockets.
I love this description of the picture, especially the part "... with all his hair blown out by the breath of his eloquence." Eloquence cannot actually blow out someone's hair, but by giving it a physical action the narrator emphasizes just how well-spoken Mr. Godfrey is while also adding to the imagery.
Mr. Franklin’s universal genius, dabbling in everything, dabbled in what he called “decorative painting.”
It seems like the narrator is almost being sarcastic with this sentence. Previously in the text the narrator has hinted at both his admiration and subtle dissatisfaction towards Mr. Franklin's foreign education, possibly due to Mr. Franklin's occasional almost condescending attitude. I am wondering whether computers can be programmed to distinguish between genuine praise and satire? It looks to be a challenging task because both on the surface sounds positive.
I am even fanciful enough to believe that he will live to regret it, if he keeps the Diamond; and that others will live to regret taking it from him, if he gives the Diamond away.
I find it interesting that the diamond, originally a sacred and beautiful thing, is now almost described like a curse. Even the narrator, who does not believe the tale of the Diamond, believes superstitiously that it will bring regret to whoever owns it from now. It is almost like the Diamond has been tarnished now and will not go back to its original state unless returned to its original place. It is also notable how the word "Diamond" is always capitalized, giving it a special meaning so it becomes a specific name rather than a general object.
He held out his hand, as usual, and said, “Good morning.”
I find Herncastle to be a very interesting character. We know from earlier in the text that he believed the story of the Moonstone, and therefore must have been aware that whoever takes it by force would meet the stone's vengeance. Why then did he still kill the guardians of the stone? It seems a bit bizarre if the sole reason is to prove to others the stone's existence. Speaking of interesting characters, I wonder whether a computer could help analyze a character's development throughout the text by keeping track of words that describe him or things that he says?