but such was life
This makes sense. Even the best friends may some day go far gradually. Maria seems truly care for the family.
but such was life
This makes sense. Even the best friends may some day go far gradually. Maria seems truly care for the family.
the tip of her nose nearly met the tip of her chin
This description appears three times. Maria did not have a desirable appearance, but when she laughed it was sincere and lovely.
There was no longer any perturbation visible on her face.
The change of Polly's mood was so fast, as if her previous sadness is what she pretented to show. She seemed optimistic about the current situation.
glasses became so dimmed with moisture
The author mentioned twice about the mist gathered on his glasses and he had to polish them. It may represent his entangled mind. He needed to clear his thoughts and made a decision. However, at this time, he just wanted to escape.
“No, thank you.”
After a huge circle of effort, 'I' still remained nothing in hand. Maybe he was upsetted by the dark Araby market, closed stalls or the indifference of the young lady. His idealized vision was destroyed.
she continued to sit by the window, leaning her head against the window curtain, inhaling the odour of dusty cretonne.
These sentence echoes with the very beginning. She was tired and entangled. After a thorough reflection, weighing each side of the question, recalling her past life and the good and bad side of her father, she finally decided to go back home. It is a circulation.
When a boy was rough and unruly there was nothing would do him any good but a good sound whipping.
In his impression, grils are delicate, with soft hair and soft white hand. Boys are to be whipped. I was confused why he treated girls and boys so differently.
I sat up on the coping of the bridge admiring my frail canvas shoes which I had diligently pipeclayed overnight
These descriptions are very authentic. The narrator is just a ordinary boy who would diligently make a pair of beautiful shoes and feel satisfied about that. It can be seen that he really expected tomorrow's adventure.
!
Ethel was the one who kept pointing out mistakes with an agitated tone. This made Mr. Neave feel more distant to his family.
Ah, Harold was too handsome, too handsome by far; that had been the trouble all along.
Harold is more beautiful than a woman. Everyone spoiled him. Mr.Neave was unsatisfied with Harold and doubted whether Harold could continue his business.
a little withered ancient man
Mr.Neave saw that little withered ancient man climbing up for three times. It refers to himself. He was feeling tired of life and forgotten by his wife and children. Mr.Neave refused to accept the fact that he was aging and had to give over his business to his son. He struggled to keep the same pace with his famliy.
Enjoying himself!
“Enjoying himself" is repeated twice with exclamation mark. Obviously, Mr.Neave didn't think not spending time on work could let him enjoy himself. Without working, he was conscious. He worried about whether Harold could be competent for his work which he had put huge amount of effort into.
tossing her small dark head and sucking her underlip
These verbs portrayed that Leila is a sensitive little girl. She fought back the man with "pride" in speech but deep inside she felt quite frustrated.
faintest
The word "faint" occurs several times. The tones and motions are faint. Maybe because this unprecedented scene for Leila made her dazzled, she could not clearly get what other people said or did.
She would like to have kept those wisps as a keepsake, as a remembrance.
Everything in this ball was new to Leila. Compared to Laura's family, she was green and inexperienced. She even wanted to keep what Laurie discarded.
polished floors
The word "floor" occurs nine times in this novel. The adjectives to describe it are "golden", "gleaming", "polished", "good" and "not bad". Maybe the floor attracted Leila so much and the charming descriptions of floor mean that Leila longed for this ball. Maybe there are deeper implications.
slipped her hand through his arm
It implies the distance expanded between them.
“Oh!” said William. It was all he could say for the moment.
Some words Isabel said drew him back to the reality. The cool ideal Isabel would never come back. They were defeated by the actual life.
He drew up his legs, tossed the papers aside, and shut his eyes.
Three verbs in this sentence vividly describe how dull William felt about his present life. This contrasts with the wonderful image of Isabel once in his brain.
While we waited she took out a little, gold powder-box with a mirror in the lid, shook the poor little puff as though she loathed it, and dabbed her lovely nose.
The author used a great deal of verbs in short sentences to describe the woman's motion. It creates very authentic scenes. If we could do some analysis, we may find large number of sentences beginning with "she".
squeezed
The author loves to use "squeeze" to describe motions and psychological activities.
soothingly
In this part the author use some adverbs to describe the tone of Mr. Farolles, "gently", "tenderly", "soothingly". Mr.Farolles is a mild person. There many adverbs in other places, too. For example in a dialogue between Josephine and Constantia, "crossly" and "mildly" are used to describe their tones which is a good contrast.
she had such a dainty little contrayvance for the buttah. It was a silvah Cupid balanced on the—on the bordah of a glass dish, holding a tayny fork.
The spell of some Nurse Andrews‘s words is weird. She tended to speak ‘er’ as ‘ah’ and ‘i’ or ‘a’ as ‘ay’ because of her dialect accent. It might be discovered that she lacked education, courtesy and also self-restraint.
“My word, Laura! You do look stunning,”
Laura's determination to cancel the party is not that firm. Her determination could be overcome by others' compliment about her attractive appearance, still like a common middle class miss.
“Well, cook, I congratulate you.”
"Jose loved giving orders to the servants, and they loved obeying her." In this part, Jose was doing needless matters around the cook. Maybe she satisfied her vanity by giving hypocritical kindness to the servants.
practical
The word "practical" is used twice to describe Jose. It is ironic because what Jose considered are for herself, or the superficial aspect of her family (Laura's frock).
“The stems will ruin her lace frock,” said practical Jose.
Mrs. Sheridan imposes her own tendency on what "people of that class" like. In addition to this, while the poor can rarely see arum lilies, Jose fears of the stems ruining the dress. We can see how the Sheridans disdain the poor.
I can’t understand how they keep alive in those poky little holes
Mrs. Sheridan is completely indifferent about the poor's death. She even shows contempt to their living condition. It is as if the poor people deserve their death.
throwing the nightgown down on the table between us, and pointing to it as if it was a living creature that could hear him.
Betteredge totally believed in Franklin and was willing to help him find the truth. He was so agitated when Franklin was wronged. I am touched by the friendship between them.
“I have served your family, sir, to mighty little purpose, if you doubt it!”
I found that in Franklin's narrative, Betteredge became more active. The tone of his words became more lively than in his own narrative. Maybe we can calculate how often Betteredge's sentences end with the exclamation mark in his own narrative and others' narrative respectively and compare the result. He might suppress his own personality in his narrative. In front of a dear friend like Franklin, he liberated his nature.
“There was only one way–to make another nightgown exactly like it, before Saturday came, and brought the laundry-woman and her inventory to the house.
As the truth is gradually revealed, Franklin felt regretful for what he had said to Rosanna. Though he might sometimes be arrogant as a nobility, his nature is good. I also see how humble Rosanna is in her relationship with Franklin. She did everything good for him but even talking with him became an extravagant hope for her.
June 25th
Ezra records each date precisely, just like recording states of illnesses of his patients every day as a doctor assistant. The clear timeline makes reading much more easier.
When we go to the house, we shall find nothing neglected, and nothing forgotten.
Betteredge was indeed a responsible servant and would do whatever he promised, though he seemed uncompromising. Since Franklin's narrative, the image of Betteredge has been largely enriched.
While the workpeople are in the house, my duty as a servant gets the better of my feelings as a man. When the workpeople are gone, my feelings as a man get the better of my duty as a servant.
Betteredge is indicating that he may not blindly obey Mr.Jennings's instructions.
Only the protest of the world, Miss Verinder–on a very small scale–against anything that is new.
Betteredge and Mrs. Merridew are both against this scientific experiment and their reactions are both "childish". According to Ezra's cognition, most people are positive to this kind of new trials, like Rachel, Mr. Bruff and Sergeant in this novel. It kind of insinuates the reality.
“In HIS interests, I can do anything!” she answered fervently.
This is Rachel. Just like before, to protect Franklin, she would rather bear the injustice herself.
They both started back, on finding that I was looking at them, like two boys caught out by their schoolmaster in a fault.
The way Mr. Bruff and Betteredge observed Franklin does not fit their identity at ordinary times. At this time, they completely complied with Ezra's instruction which is also uncommon for them. This reaction is quite lovely. They had innocent hearts just like children.
A horrible doubt crossed my mind. Was it possible that the sedative action of the opium was making itself felt already? It was not in my experience that it should do this. But what is experience, where opium is concerned? There are probably no two men in existence on whom the drug acts in exactly the same manner. Was some constitutional peculiarity in him, feeling the influence in some new way? Were we to fail on the very brink of success?
A series of descriptions of Ezra’s mental activities creates a tense atmosphere. He conducted the experiment meticulously, observed Franklin very carefully and truly wanted to vindicate Franklin, perhaps to compensate for his previous fault.
“NOW, sir, do you believe in ROBINSON CRUSOE?” I asked, with a solemnity, suitable to the occasion.
Robinson Crusoe is throughout the novel. At last Betteredge associated it with Franklin and Rachel’s marriage. After so many twists and turns, though, Robinson Crusoe may not really have the correlation with reality, Franklin still said he was convinced. The solid and lovely friendship between Betteredge and Franklin sometimes deeply touches me.
Let me sleep, nameless. Let me rest, unknown.
Ezra is an extremely humble person. He would like being forgot rather than being remembered. He could not bear to trouble anyone, even feared of his death distressing Franklin. As a doctor, he always cared about his patients. Also, he would feel deeply indebted when someone (for example Franklin) once brought about him happiness. As Mr. Candy said, “This was a great man.”
He forgot that I was performing a conjuring trick on Mr. Franklin Blake; he forgot that I had upset the house from top to bottom; he forgot that I had not read ROBINSON CRUSOE since I was a child.
Ezra knew clearly what misfortune he had brought to the family and was apparently sorry for this. When it is time to get step closer to the truth and to vindicate Franklin, Betteredge put aside his original objection to the experiment and was sincerely obedient to Ezra. He truly cared for Franklin.
My brief dream of happiness is over. I have awakened again to the realities of my friendless and lonely life.
It is Franklin that helped Ezra find the interest and meaning in life by letting him do an experiment which is crucial to the case. Ezra also helped Franklin vindicate himself and helped Rachel and Franklin understand each other. Ezra indeed has a good personality. He is the one who can bring readers the most comfort.
I found the mark, and read–MY OWN NAME.
This part proves that what Sergeant persisted in before, finding out the dress with the stain of paint, is very crucial in this story. It is the direct evidence in Sergeant and Rosanna’s eyes and is what the real thief used to conceal his crime. Rosanna hid the nightgown to protect Franklin as well as to preserve the proof of her unrequited love. Even facing Franklin’s “indifference” attitude, Rosanna did not expose her evidence. She kept protecting Franklin till the end of her life.
If time, pains, and money can do it, I will lay my hand on the thief who took the Moonstone!
The motivation that Franklin traced the diamond is all relative to Rachel. Before it is to get back the diamond for Rachel, and now it is to figure out her enmity towards him. He is just a boy driven by love.
The shame of it would be nothing to HIM. But the shame of it would be unendurable to me.
Godfrey in this more objective description by Mr. Bruff. They spoke and behaved logically. Mr. Bruff even tried to persuade Rachel from her decision. We can see the Mr. Bruff's admiration to Rachel and maybe this is also his subjective judgement. And maybe there is another reversal of Rachel's image in later chapters.
She was obstinate; she was wrong. She was interesting; she was admirable; she was deeply to be pitied.
Rachel is a girl who has clear love and hate. She stands for justice. Once she decided something, nothing can sway her from her determination. Rachel is such a bright girl, but her life is entangled with the dark curse of the Moonstone. Fortunately, her righteousness would protect her.
Lady Verinder was no more.
Just when Rachel accepted Godfrey's proposal, Lady Verinder left the world. It may seems that the marriage between Rachel and Godfrey was not approved by the God. Or this may be the misfortune which the Moonstone had brought about.
I won’t let you–I won’t let any innocent man–be accused and disgraced through my fault.
Rachel is a righteous girl. She wouldn’t let anyone being slandered because of her fault, no matter how great the pressure and misunderstanding she would bear, or even sacrifice her own reputation. She is indeed an independent, responsible and attractive girl.
“Why not speak to my lady?” I said. “The way to relieve your mind is to speak to the merciful and Christian mistress who has always been kind to you.”
Betteredge and Penelope really cared for Rosanna. So did Lady Verinder. Through the these comforts Betteredge gave Rosanna, I feel the warmth in this family. However, Rosanna still was the one isolated from others and no one could truly understand her. The misfortune the diamond brought to the family is distressing.
Once more Mr. Franklin cut him short; once more Mr. Franklin answered, “I have nothing to say.”
After Seegrave, Franklin is also fed up with Sergeant Cuff. It might mainly because his unfriendly and aggressive personality. So far I can see that he indeed wants to find out the diamond but the manner of his conducts is impolite and he is too confident about his deduction.
The falling in love with a gentleman of Mr. Franklin Blake’s manners and appearance doesn’t seem to me to be the maddest part of her conduct by any means.
Sergeant put severe discrimination against Rosanna, tending to not believe in her.
She said, ‘They will never find the Diamond, sir, will they? No! nor the person who took it–I’ll answer for that.’
As Rosanna says this, it seems that she is planning an artificial testimony. Why she tells Franklin about this? Maybe Franklin is also related to the loss of the Moonstone and Rosanna wants to cover up the truth.
“I have not sent for you!” she cried out vehemently. “I don’t want you. My Diamond is lost. Neither you nor anybody else will ever find it!”
Rachel’s behavior is abnormal. Just as her mother said, “The loss of her jewel seems almost to have turned her brain.” And it also has the correlation with the previous part which describes Rachel’s personality. She always goes on a way of her own and no one knows what she is going to do. Logically, she should have cooperated with the superintendent and the police to find out the thief. However, she seems to try to impede the investigation. That is weird and I am curious about why she behaves like this.
There is a totally different explanation from yours, Betteredge, taking its rise in a Subjective-Objective point of view.
Betteredge and Franklin give two different explanations about the requirement in Colonel’s legacy that his sister must be alive. This indicate the difference between their personalities. Also, Colonel’s revenge on his sister through giving his niece the Moonstone is scheming and dreadful.
The girl’s face was all in a flush as she made me that answer; and she walked away with a toss of her head and a look of self-importance which I was quite at a loss to account for.
Rosanna’s body movement and facial expression grow weird. Perhaps it is because she is so infatuated with Franklin. Her crazy love of Franklin and jealousy of Rachel may cause the psychological deformity inside her. Her strange behaviors make me suspect that she might have been involved in the steal of the Moonstone.
He first sent for the servants, and told them to leave all the lower doors and windows (with the exception of the front door, which I had opened) exactly as they had been left when we locked up over night.
This paragraph describes a series of measures Franklin conducts to deal with the accident. He arranges the inspections methodically. We can discover that Franklin indeed has a clear head and really wants to find out the criminal.
Her complexion turned of a beautiful red, which I had never seen in it before; she brightened all over with a kind of speechless and breathless surprise.
The character of Rosanna described before is timid, self-abased and pessimistic, which forms a contraction with how she behaves in this sentence. It indicates that Franklin is the brightness of her life. However, what Franklin thinks of her let me know that, she could hardly get rid of those discriminations.
All quite comfortable, and all through ROBINSON CRUSOE!
Whenever Betteredge meets with problems, he will light his pipe and read ROBINSON CRUSOE. This book serves as his life mentor and some sentences can always enlighten him. In our life, something we obsessed with may also be able to heal our anxiety and encourage us to go on.