But no one tried to show her her mistake; and when she had ended her song Joe was very much moved.
The fact that no one had corrected Maria may insinuate that they were either too scared, didn't notice the error, or just didn't care. The superstitions brought up previously in the story position Maria at the center of polar opposite lives: a married, comfortable "rich" life and a life in the convent.
Maria was a very, very small person indeed but she had a very long nose and a very long chin.
The repetition of "very" and "long" emphasizes Maria's physical characteristics. The emphasis on her being small, yet having a long nose and chin sets a memorable tone to complement Maria's personality as a kind, creative woman.
There had been no open complicity between mother and daughter, no open understanding but, though people in the house began to talk of the affair, still Mrs. Mooney did not intervene.
Mrs. Mooney not interfering with their relationship implies that she is watching the relationship unfold so that Polly can assess the relationship herself and take responsibility for her actions.
All the resident young men spoke of her as The Madam.
Being known as "The Madam" insinuates a level of authority and reverence to her and her business.
The light from the lamp opposite our door caught the white curve of her neck, lit up her hair that rested there and, falling, lit up the hand upon the railing. It fell over one side of her dress and caught the white border of a petticoat, just visible as she stood at ease.
We often note in film how the usage of lighting and shadows are able to exemplify or distance characters. In literature, the vivid imagery provided from the text enables these techniques to function in a similar way. The light from the lamp highlights her as ethereal and breathtaking.
I did not smile.
This sentence reminds me of our discussion on how shorter, terse sentences/phrases tend to be "punchier." The boy clearly wants to go to the bazaar because of the girl to buy something, yet his uncle had forgotten to give him money. This short sentence perfectly encapsulates how the feelings of disappointment and frustration.
I found it strange that neither I nor the day seemed in a mourning mood and I felt even annoyed at discovering in myself a sensation of freedom as if I had been freed from something by his death.
There is no formula for dealing with grief. Though the boy feels a sense of freedom in Father Flynn's death, there is no ill-intent behind his thoughts. The sensation of freedom for the boy comes from him not feeling paralyzed by his routinely visit to Father Flynn's house and essentially, waiting for his death.
I drew the blankets over my head and tried to think of Christmas. But the grey face still followed me. It murmured; and I understood that it desired to confess something
Even when thinking of a joyous holiday like Christmas, the "grey face," Father Flynn presumably, "follows" the young boy. The boy mentions the word paralysis at the beginning of the short story -- a direct reflection of his current state. The boy is paralyzed in bed with ruminating thoughts about Father Flynn's current state.
“I’m coming, I’m coming,” said old Mr. Neave.
Mr. Neave's name usually follows the word "old." By ending on a quote, the narrative is left open for interpretation and reflection. "I'm coming" marks the end of his personal introspection as he physically makes his way to dinner. By frequently mentioning how old he is, we see how Mr. Neave's personal reflection about his family illustrates the disconnect between each family member.
“You’re an ideal family, sir, an ideal family. It’s like something one reads about or sees on the stage.”
Here we see a direct reference to the title of the story, An Ideal Family and how ironic this title actually is. As previously mentioned in the text, hobbies don't pay for their home and personal luxuries. It all comes at the expense of their father working to provide such affordances to his children. Their family may seem ideal because of their quality of life, but it seems like the "ideal" is centered around individual desire and personal interest.
Two
The word "two" had been used three times in this paragraph alone. Each individual entity complements the other half. Whether it be two fingers, two benches, or two old women, there is always a visual balance between them. It would be interesting to see if there are other complementary items, people, or circumstances.
The road was bright on either side with moving fan-like lights, and on the pavement gay couples seemed to float through the air; little satin shoes chased each other like birds
It's amazing how vivid imagery makes something as simple as street lights seem new and exciting. People weren't walking down the street. They were floating "through the air." The sheer amount of footsteps on the pavement weren't depicted as mundane and mechanical, but instead illustrated as a chase between one footstep and another.
She was at the station, standing just a little apart from everybody else; she was sitting in the open taxi outside; she was at the garden gate;
Author uses the literary device, anaphora, to emphasize the how Isabel's physical distance from the father mirrors their distant relationship. Isabel seems to be physically "here" and "there," yet even with strangers, she is "a little apart from everybody else."
What about fruit? William hovered before a stall just inside the station. What about a melon each? Would they have to share that, too? Or a pineapple, for Pad, and a melon for Johnny?
Instead of candy, the father is debating on bringing fruit back for his kids. By asking these hypothetical questions, we can insinuate that money is tight because he questions whether they would have to share the fruit.
But he hastily wiped it off like a little gentleman.
The strategic usage of similes in the story enhances and builds our perception of the characters. Though Hennie's childlike action of burying his nose in the cup, he quickly cleans it up like an adult. These contrasting actions and others alike are facilitated by the usage of similes. It would be interesting to see how many similes are in the story to see who or what it is describing.
Mrs. Raddick rushed at me. She was brightly flushed, gay, a different creature. She was like a woman who is saying “good-bye” to her friends on the station platform, with not a minute to spare before the train starts.
Interesting how Mrs. Raddick is depicted as being in a hurried state, but also as a "different creature." She has transformed into something seemingly non-human. Yet, the following sentence is a simile that depicts her in a common, relatable state where she is solely feeling the time crunch given that she does "not [have] a minute to spare."
Josephine gazed at Constantia;
There's multiple instances and mentions of language regarding the eyes. Here, Josephine looks over at Constantia to communicate a need to discuss something in private. Earlier in the text, when Mr. Farolles voices that their father's passing was "quite peaceful," the author acknowledges that the "eye wasn't at all a peaceful eye." The grief that consumes their eyes is far from "peaceful."
The week after was one of the busiest weeks of their lives.
Similar to The Garden, we're beginning this short story in medias res. We don't know what busy week had just occurred, but we'll soon learn why this was the the "busiest week of their lives."
“Stop the garden-party? My dear Laura, don’t be so absurd. Of course we can’t do anything of the kind. Nobody expects us to. Don’t be so extravagant.”
It's "absurd" how death is taken so lightly and even joked about when the death had occurred so close to their home. The language "don't be so extravagant" used by Jose is intended to gaslight Laura into feeling that she is the person in the wrong. It's her fault that she is stopping the grand garden party. Shortly later in the text, the mom's response is just as "absurd" because her views directly align with Laura. Does she not sympathize with Scott at all? He had a wife and five kids..
Darling little spots.
Interesting how the text is primarily composed with short descriptive phrases or sentences broken into smaller fragments. This distinction makes it easy to interpret what is being emphasized and also easy to digest.
Some of the women at the Bay privately thought he’d commit a murder one day
Though Mrs. Kember's husband was described as handsome, athletic, and talented, his mysterious aura is created by his duality. He is described as existing on two opposite ends of a spectrum where he either can't be tolerated or won't speak at all. Thus, these characteristics have led women and others assumingely to gossip amongst themselves that he would be capable of murder.
“Baa! Baa!”
This is the third time so far that "Baa! Baa!" is written. I like how the author uses a flock of sheep and their sound to provide spatial context and awareness to the readers. We first learn of the sheep coming in "ghostly flocks," then "spreading into a fan," and finally we hear the cry from a single strayed sheep.
Yes! after the lapse of eight centuries, the Moonstone looks forth once more, over the walls of the sacred city in which its story first began.
It's fascinating how the Moonstone is able to bring together the aforementioned "grand white mass of people" standing before the shrine of the Moon god. The Moonstone has been brought back to the people where it belongs to the people who ultimately define the Moonstone's value.
Thence, I again traced them as having left for Plymouth. Inquiries made at Plymouth proved that they had sailed, forty-eight hours previously, in the Bewley Castle, East Indiaman, bound direct to Bombay
Sergeant Cuff's man's statement is relatively short and straightforward. This account begins with the date of his latest communication with Sergeant Cuff and what his current status. Here, we learn that the three Indians have been found and are headed to Bombay. The Moonstone seems to be returning "home" to where it belongs.
Would his next proceeding be the same as the proceeding of last year? Would he leave the room? Would he go back now, as I believed he had gone back then, to his bed-chamber? Would he show us what he had done with the Diamond, when he had returned to his own room?
By utilizing language such as "it was now ten minutes past one," "he put," "he opened," "then," Jennings builds suspense and anticipation for us as readers. Now, with the inclusion of hypothetical questions, we're completely drawn into the narrative. This is interesting because journal entries relating to the experiment and the Moonstone are detailed and elaborate. They seem geared towards evoking a certain response from the reader (i.e. anticipation) as opposed to providing a bland, explicit narration of what had happened.
She looked at my ugly wrinkled face, with a bright gratitude so new to me in my experience of my fellow-creatures, that I was at a loss how to answer her. Nothing had prepared me for her kindness and her beauty. The misery of many years has not hardened my heart, thank God. I was as awkward and as shy with her, as if I had been a lad in my teens.
It's interesting how confessional and intimate journal entries are as opposed to formal writing. Jennings describing himself as having an "ugly wrinkled face" and feeling like a shy teenager around Rachel is exactly the type of self-deprecating humor I would expect from a personal journal entry.
Extracted from the Journal of Ezra Jennings 1849.–June 15….
Right off the bat, I'm noticing that Ezra's narrative is taken from a journal as opposed to traditional chapter headings. Here, these journal entries are dated. Perhaps these entries could indicate a more authentic and genuine tone of voice..
I left word that I would call again at six o’clock that evening.
Mr. Blake's narrative is riddled with dates, times, and close estimates of when something occurred. Language such as "six o'clock that evening," "by daybreak the next morning," "half an hour after receiving this information", and more insinuate that his narrative follows a solid, legitimate timeline.
It informed me that my father was dead, and that I was heir to his great fortune. The wealth which had thus fallen into my hands brought its responsibilities with it, and Mr. Bruff entreated me to lose no time in returning to England.
The letter had informed Mr. Blake that his father was dead, yet Mr. Blake does not show any form of remorse or sadness from the news. Instead, it has become Mr. Blake's responsibility to deal with the "great fortune" that he will be inheriting. It's strange to me how one's death is more of a burden and nuisance than of remembrance and commemoration.
The Will remained in its fireproof box at my office, through more years than I like to reckon up. It was not till the summer of eighteen hundred and forty-eight that I found occasion to look at it again under very melancholy circumstances.
We briefly talked about the usage of dates in a narrative to serve as an "objective truth." Here, Bruff mentions that "it was not till the summer of eighteen hundred and forty-eight" that he viewed the Will again. After Lady Verinder's death, the Will is one of the only pieces of evidence that prevails as the narrative unravels.
In the second place, it was my good or ill fortune, I hardly know which, to find myself personally involved
Bruff's narrative begins by him intentionally enumerating why he has to take his "turn." By saying "in the first place" and "in the second place," Bruff hints at his involvement as a coincidence. Thus, his serendipitous narrative serves as a sort of alibi.
My one great anxiety is that Rachel should be kept in ignorance of the truth. If she knew it, she would at once attribute my broken health to anxiety about the Diamond, and would reproach herself bitterly, poor child, for what is in no sense her fault.
It's unfortunate knowing that now, death can be attributed to misfortune surrounding the Diamond. Though Lady Verinder is suffering from heart disease, it truly seems like a series of unfortunate events.
In that happy bygone time, I was taught to keep my hair tidy at all hours of the day and night, and to fold up every article of my clothing carefully, in the same order, on the same chair, in the same place at the foot of the bed, before retiring to rest.
Right from the beginning, Miss Clack's account begins with her stating that she is "taught to keep [her] hair tidy" throughout the entire day. She also mentions how careful and precise she is with folding clothes. Thus, I'm curious to see how accurate or how credible her narrative will actually be.
here we end with the greatest marvel of all–namely, the accomplishment of Sergeant Cuff’s three predictions in less than a week from the time when he had made them.
The author had previously been skeptical of Sergeant Cuff and how he had gained his "celebrated" status. Thus, it strongly contrasts his feelings now. Now, Cuff's three predictions have become the "greatest marvel of all." Cuff is now seen almost as a prophet or sage despite not finding the Moonstone.
I privately wondered, on my side, how the celebrated Cuff had got his reputation.
It's interesting to note how the author seems to be be immediately skeptical and cynical of Sergeant Cuff without knowing very much about him. As a reader, this makes me skeptical about how much he will actually contribute or what he will bring to the case. It's also worthy to note that Cuff is described as "celebrated." So, he is clearly revered and respected by some.
However, when he had swallowed his cup of coffee–which he always took, on the foreign plan, some hours before he ate any breakfast–his brains brightened;
Interesting usage of the diction "brains brightened" to characterize Mr. Godfrey. Is Godfrey not as keen without a jolt of caffeine? In the previous lines, the author hints at Godfrey's "natural strength of mind." I'm curious to learn about how his character develops because Collins seems to be poking fun at Godfrey's intelligence.
Miss Rachel was in high good spirits, just in that humour for talking nonsense, and perversely persisting in it as if it was sense, which you may sometimes have observed in young girls, when they are highly wrought up, at the end of an exciting day. First, she declared she didn’t know where to put the Diamond. Then she said, “on her dressing-table, of course, along with her other things.”
Miss Rachel's free, spirited character puts us as readers in a predicament because Rachel herself states that she isn't sure of where she put the Diamond. Then, right away she states that it is on her dressing-table. Rachel's usage of "of course" makes me skeptical as a reader because she herself could be a suspect in the novel
It is my conviction, or my delusion, no matter which, that crime brings its own fatality with it
The transparency of the narrator to admit that it is either his "conviction," a firm belief about the linkage between crime and fatality, or "delusion," a false belief about the linkage presents a contradicting paradox. Though I often think of mystery detective novels to focus on presenting contextual, factual evidence, the "delusional" aspect of the narrator insinuates that the story will continuously weave in personal anecdotes and asides.
Still, this don’t look much like starting the story of the Diamond–does it?
Interesting usage of a rhetorical question to start the novel. This rhetorical question attempts to not only build rapport with the readers but also invites the audience to partake in uncovering the mystery of the diamond. Also, the numerous illusions to Robinson Cruesoe prior to this line insinuates that the "The Moonstone" could have a similar narrative style.