soft wet substance
As the name of the article suggests, the substance is clay. We read from the paragraph that the "clay" must be something ominous since the atmosphere was "laughing" and "joking" but later suddenly became "pause for a few seconds". "Clay" represents death, which I think is a metaphor to Maria's life.
She had lovely ferns and wax-plants and, whenever anyone came to visit her, she always gave the visitor one or two slips from her conservatory.
I think the article so far created a great character for Maria. Though she is just a normal worker who minds laundry, the article introduces her vividly, telling about her personalities, her habits and her interests. I get to know her as a person.
Joe
Who is Joe? This name comes up without intro. Is he the brother/husband of Maria?
-- wait, I think Maria is Joe's nanny
who had taken what remained of her money out of the butcher business and set up a boarding house in Hardwicke Street, was a big imposing woman
female power! (but considering the later story, this comment is a bit ironic lol
Mrs. Mooney
But her name is still Mooney even though they are separated
She had married her father’s foreman and opened a butcher’s shop near Spring Gardens. But as soon as his father-in-law
Why would she marry a person who works for her father? And why the man changed so much after the death of the father?
Escape! She must escape! Frank would save her. He would give her life, perhaps love, too.
It shows that she longs freedom/her own life much more than love.
she heard his footsteps clacking along the concrete pavement and afterwards crunching on the cinder path before the new red houses.
So we see the contrast of Eveline's tiredness and her father's great vitality
SHE sat at the window watching the evening invade the avenue. Her head was leaned against the window curtains and in her nostrils was the odour of dusty cretonne. She was tired.
It is the first time we see a third-person narrative in this book, and the narration style is somewhat similar to that of Mansfield: describing the main character but not directly pointing out whom she is
I imagined that I bore my chalice safely through a throng of foes.
I really like this depiction! It creates a sense of loneliness and determination of love. The "imagine" here also shows that it's all imagination, which resonates to the theme of illusionnent of the article.
Her image accompanied me even in places the most hostile to romance.
wow this sentence is touchy! It shows "love"
An uninhabited house of two storeys stood at the blind end, detached from its neighbours in a square ground The other houses of the street, conscious of decent lives within them, gazed at one another with brown imperturbable faces.
I can feel the depressive atmosphere created here. "blind" is used here to describe the street, and also seems to show the mental status of Dubliners.
ARABY
"Araby is a romantic term for the Middle East, but there is no such country. The word was popular throughout the nineteenth century -- used to express the romantic view of the east that had been popular since Napoleon's triumph over Egypt. And, of course, the story is about Romantic Irony, for the unnamed boy has a romantic view of the world."(http://www.mendele.com/WWD/WWDaraby.notes.html)
I think the story is also about adventure and escape
green
I think "green" is also a recurring element in this article! Green usually represents natural, healthy and lively. Here it is used to describe the natural world that the boys observe on their way. However, in this story, "green" also comes to describe the color of people's eyes, and these people are usually ugly inside/outside. This contrast is just like the contrast in the outer world, goodness and ugliness.
The man, however, only smiled. I saw that he had great gaps in his mouth between his yellow teeth.
Seems like "yellow teeth" is a recurring motif in Joyce's writings. It also comes up earlier in "Sisters." The boys' encounter with this old man here shows the ugliness of the outer world that the boys skipped school for.
When he smiled he used to uncover his big discoloured teeth and let his tongue lie upon his lower lip
I think "big discolored teeth" is a symbolism for death/decay since discolored means yellow/brown which signals negatively for Father Flynn's health situation. This might also imply the decay of catholic church's power in people's life as well since Father Flynn is the symbol of religion here?
faintly and evenly
I think the light here could be seen as a metaphor to the man's life. "faintly" implies that he is ill and weak, and "evenly" shows that he is still alive!
And Lola the baby had chimed in loftily, “All men ought to have hobbies. It makes life impossible if they haven’t.”
This is pretty condescending to say to her father as a daughter.
He wasn’t going to let his father know.
Implied the family relationship might not be very close
He stumped along, lifting his knees high as if he were walking through air that had somehow grown heavy and solid like water. And the homeward-looking crowd hurried by, the trams clanked, the light carts clattered, the big swinging cabs bowled along with that reckless, defiant indifference that one knows only in dreams...
The first sentence shows that Mr. Neave walked slowly and reluctantly, and the second sentence shows the world passing by him hurriedly. The contrast created here also reflects the loneliness of Mr. Neave.
the friends, acquaintances, shopkeepers, postmen, drivers
There is no "family members" here, but the title of this article is called "an ideal family." This made me guess that maybe Mr. Neave's family is not that ideal. I also sensed loneliness from the sentences above, picturing a lonely old gentleman facing the Spring alone.
there were cabs in front of them and cabs behind. 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.
I really like this paragraph, especially describing couples "float through the air." I could feel the cheers and excitements in the air!
the bolster on which her hand rested felt like the sleeve of an unknown young man’s dress suit
This metaphor makes me feel that she might be nervous about her first ball. Maybe because it is a totally new experience for her
shallow, tinkling, vain
Change is a big theme in the story. Isabel has been transformed to a new Isabel, and so as her relationship with William. They seem to be permanent.
her fine light hair fell over her cheeks.
This indicates the good mood of both William and Isabel
Russian toys, French toys, Serbian toys
We see globalization from here lol!
toys from God knows where
This implies that William's attitude on toys--seeing the thing of buying them as a burden.
“I like it. I love waiting! Really—really I do! I’m always waiting—in all kinds of places...”
What is she waiting for? I feel she is waiting for a chance to begin her own life, a chance for her thoughts and other sides of herself to be recognized (but not only her beauty)
“Allie veet!”
Is it French?
there’s an English bulldog
Why does he mention the dog here? Is it a metaphor?
I stood on the steps a minute, watching the people
So this story is written from a narrator/third-person perspective. I feel interested to know the relationship between the narrator here and Mrs. Raddick and her daughter
"A week since father died, A week since father died,"
What does the repetition mean here? It creates a pretty creepy atmosphere
Josephine got very red when this happened, and she fastened her small, bead-like eyes on the tablecloth as if she saw a minute strange insect creeping through the web of it. But Constantia’s long, pale face lengthened and set, and she gazed away—away—far over the desert, to where that line of camels unwound like a thread of wool...
Another contrast of the sisters' different characters (Constantia seems to be more empathetic and nicer than Josephine to others) --I also love the writing here, especially the metaphor of camels in deserts.
Josephine arched her spine, pulled up her knees, folded her arms so that her fists came under her ears, and pressed her cheek hard against the pillow.
The gesture that Josephine takes seem quite protective. I wonder if it suggests anything about her character? Like tend to feel unsecured?
“I can’t think how they manage to live at all,” she said slowly.
I feel the humanity and empathy from the character
Years ago, when they had stayed awake at night talking, their beds had simply heaved.
This detail is very relatable! It makes me think of my days living in a dorm room with 5 other girls! We usually talk about a lot of things at night
“There’s been a horrible accident,” said Cook. “A man killed.”
The peaceful and delightful atmosphere created in all the paragraphs before was destroyed!
She put her arm round her mother’s neck and gently, very gently, she bit her mother’s ear. “My darling child, you wouldn’t like a logical mother, would you? Don’t do that. Here’s the man.”
They share a really close intimacy...
“Good morning,” she said, copying her mother’s voice. But that sounded so fearfully affected that she was ashamed, and stammered like a little girl,
I think this detail is really cute. A teenage girl trying to look like grown-ups.
Forget I am your mother. Treat me as an honoured guest.
The writer doesn't introduce any, but continues the story with a conversation. So as reader, I started to be curious to know what happened between the child and the mother?
the green bushes bowed down as though they had been visited by archangels.
The first paragraph is purely descriptive. I could imagine a peaceful garden in a nice day, everything is perfect. This is a great opening setting for something special, like a murder to happen.
Only one of his ears twitched to prove that he saw, and thought her a silly young female.
This paragraph of the interaction between the dog and cat is vivid and funny. The "she" and "he" make them humankind-like. I feel the serendipity at the bay.
Crescent Bay
Crescent Bay is a cove in the northeast side of Duke of York Island in Robertson Bay, northern Victoria Land, Antarctica. It was charted and so named because of its shape by the British Antarctic Expedition, 1898–1900, under C.E. Borchgrevink.
What will be the next adventures of the Moonstone? Who can tell?
I really like this last sentence! I can feel the mysteriousness that is always with the Moonstone. Time goes, people change, but the diamond will always exists and continuously experiences stories like this one. I feel the Moonstone is like the image of budda in Buddhism who observe everyone and everything in the world over time in peace.
On the third night, nothing unusual was heard or seen by the watch on deck. When the morning came, the smallest of the boats was missing–and the three Hindoos were next reported to be missing, too.
This adds to the mysteriousness motif of the book
I left London by a steamer belonging to another company, which sailed on the morning of Thursday the twenty-eighth. Arriving at Rotterdam, I succeeded in finding the commander of the Wednesday’s steamer.
Not only this place, there are many parts in the book mentioning traveling from one place to the other (even between countries) And the Moonstone itself actually travels from India to the Europe. I think it would be interesting to paint out the travel map of the Moonstone, and also mark out the relevant people in different places.
“With those Thoughts, I considered my new Engagement, that I had a Wife”–(Observe! so had Mr. Franklin!)–“one Child born”–(Observe again! that might yet be Mr. Franklin’s case, too!)–“and my Wife then”–What Robinson Crusoe’s wife did, or did not do, “then,”
Betteredge is trying to find parallel in a novel! This is ridiculous and funny. The book is almost like a religion that he belongs to, and he believes in the book so firmly and regards it as his bible, just like the Indians and their Moonstone.
’forty-eight
What does this mean?
(which I strongly recommend you to do)
After encountering Robinson Crusoe too many times in this book, I laughed out loud
that the influence of the opium–after impelling you to possess yourself of the Diamond, with the purpose of securing its safety–might also impel you, acting under the same influence and the same motive, to hide it somewhere in your own room. You assume that the Hindoo conspirators could by no possibility commit a mistake.
Seems like the existence of drug(opium) blurs the whole thing and plays a big role
She looked me over, from head to foot, as she might have looked at a stranger who had insulted her. “You coward!” she said. “You mean, miserable, heartless coward!”
I feel so bad for this kiss. Franklin shows no respect to Rachel, but his narration is trying to romanticize this.
(with a strong emphasis on gentleman)
I could feel the anger of Betteredge. I think he is offended by Limping Lucy who didn't give Mr. Blake enough respect when she asked for his name. So, he put an emphasis on "gentleman" and underscored this detail by adding footnote to the narration.
high caste Brahmins all of them, Mr. Bruff, when they left their native country!
This footnotes restates the information that Betteredge mentioned in the early part of the book. Why does he restate it here? Is he implying that the Indians in high caste in India abandon a lot for leaving Indian?
After first apologising–in an excellent selection of English words–for the liberty which he had taken in disturbing me
I can feel the condescending attitude of the narrator to the Indian. "in an excellent selection of English words" shows his satire towards the foreign/uncivilized person in his eyes.
there are two reasons for my taking it up next, in my turn.
Different narrators have different style of speaking. Bruff's words are highly logical, unlike Betteredge's informal style and Miss Clack's Christian style
Gray’s Inn Square
This is a bar's name, and interestingly I googled and found that it is still open today
Exeter Hall again!
Godfrey is explicitly and repeatedly linked to Exeter Hall, site of the most theatrical elements in evangelical preaching.
I had been in a burning fever, a moment since, and in some doubt what to do next. I became extremely cold now, and felt no doubt whatever. To show myself, after what I had heard, was impossible. To retreat–except into the fireplace–was equally out of the question. A martyrdom was before me. In justice to myself, I noiselessly arranged the curtains so that I could both see and hear. And then I met my martyrdom, with the spirit of a primitive Christian.
This paragraph clearly shows her jealousy.
it was loud, it was bold, it was wanting in every female charm. The voice of Rachel Verinder.
This is a drastic turning point! The whole paragraph was about Mr. Godfrey, but now Rachel enters the room. As we read from previous sections, Miss Clack doesn't like Rachel and that is partly due to her jealousy to her romantic relationship
Exeter Hall
This location appears for four times in this book in total. Does it play any important role in this diamond missing case?
Mothers’-Small-Clothes
As a Christian who feels it is her duty to evangelize to everyone she meets, Miss Clack is also a faithful member of the Mothers’-Small-Clothes-Conversion-Society. This society aims to rescue “unredeemed fathers’ trousers from the pawnbroker, and to prevent their resumption, on the part of the irreclaimable parent… abridg[es] them immediately to suit the proportions of the innocent son.”
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.
Here we can clearly feel the different narrator's style. And here we feel that Miss Clack is very confined in the old days. Interestingly, it echoes to the "indebted to my dear parents" in the last paragraph.
The events related in several narratives.
The following narratives are different perspectives and different versions of the story. Also, there are footnotes added by Betteredge, so we can combine them all together and try to make decision ourselves. It will also urge readers to read the book not linearly to get better sense of all perspectives.
Ha, Mr. Betteredge, the day is not far off when the poor will rise against the rich.
Connecting this to the point I made before, I feel this show a sense of female appreciating themselves and dignifying themselves.
I loved her,” the girl said softly. “She had lived a miserable life, Mr. Betteredge–vile people had ill-treated her and led her wrong–and it hadn’t spoiled her sweet temper. She was an angel. She might have been happy with me. I had a plan for our going to London together like sisters, and living by our needles.
I notice that here might be the first time that the relationship between two women was painted (not necessary romantic relationship,) but what it was described here is drastically different from that described by the other males in this story like the narrator and Mr. Franklin. I feel a sense of irony.
in his neat, witty, unbelieving, French way.
But the later words are very sarcastic and not respectful towards women. In this scenario. they also smokes. So imagining the situation, we can see two men smoking and talking about women contemptuously.
Robinson Crusoe–God knows how–had got into my muddled old head.
Here Robinson Crusoe comes again!
could
This "could" underscores the degree of the emotion that Mr. Franklin wants to leave the house.
“The Last Rose of Summer”
The song appears for about the third time here! I am really curious about its role in the book. It is almost like a motif in this book.
Not to irritate your curiosity, as he irritated mine, I may here inform you that he had come back from Frizinghall provided with a search-warrant. His experience in such matters told him that Rosanna was in all probability carrying about her a memorandum of the hiding-place, to guide her, in case she returned to it, under changed circumstances and after a lapse of time. Possessed of this memorandum, the Sergeant would be furnished with all that he could desire.)
Here is another footnote. This provides additional information and at the same time transfer the narrator's idea (comply to its character and need which is to evade from suspicion)
Don’t blame me for upsetting your sleeping arrangements, Mr. Betteredge–blame the Diamond.”
The sergeant who was regarded rational and logical started to say things like this. Seems people are all starting to accept the myth of unlock brought by the moonstone as the truth! But that's still a bit weird to see this big change!
My girl was in wretchedly low spirits about the changed state of things in the house. “Nothing goes right, father; nothing is like what it used to be. I feel as if some dreadful misfortune was hanging over us all.” That was my feeling too. But I put a good face on it, before my daughter.
Reading the earlier chapters, I was wondering why the misfortune aspect of the moonstone was not touched at all. And here it comes!
If Miss Verinder refuses to put off her visit to her aunt (which you will find Miss Verinder will do)
We clearly see the conflict, and feel the sense of dialogue by this type of writing. Very interesting innovative!
“Tell me the truth, Sergeant,” I said. “What do you suspect? It’s no kindness to hide it from me now.” “I don’t suspect,” said Sergeant Cuff. “I know.” My unlucky temper began to get the better of me again. “Do you mean to tell me, in plain English,” I said, “that Miss Rachel has stolen her own Diamond?”
This is another twist. Sergent Cuff's words saying "I don't suspect, I know." I really like this short and powerful sentence. In the earlier part of the text, Sergent Cuff had also said words like this! (like "stolen" vs "missing")
(For, nota bene, a drop of tea is to a woman’s tongue what a drop of oil is to a wasting lamp.)
Another roast to women -- very Betteredge
(as I flattered myself)
This sidenote is pretty funny!
Hadn’t you better say she’s mad enough to be an ugly girl and only a servant?” he asked. “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.
Wow this one sentence reveals a lot!
“boudoir.”
This word appears several times in the book. This word means a women's private room or bedroom. The frequent usage of this word with quotation marks makes me feel that Betteredge has some meaning underneath it but I can't tell what exactly... Maybe its his another roast to women?
burst out crying as soon as she was alone again.
Another sentence showing Rachel's emotional attitude.
She said those words so spitefully, so savagely, with such an extraordinary outbreak of ill-will towards Mr. Franklin
I notice that Rachel seems to be very emotional after she found out that the moonstone was gone. Her astonishment, aggressiveness and anger towards Mr. Franklin make me think that she might know something!
)
What does the sentence within parenthesis mean here? Is is a sidenote or a later added part?
To-day
I notice that there a lot of words with hyphen. Thinking of conducting computational literary analysis on the text, I feel these words might be some that are easily overlooked or difficult to be analyzed. I wonder how should we best deal with it? Or we just treat it as inadequate data that could be not included in analysis, just like sometimes we throw away some data that are recorded wrong/missing during other data science projects?
Nota bene
I also notice this type of footnotes later in the book. I think this could be seen as a motif for The Moonstone which is the editorial presence. I think the footnote serves to remind us that the driving force of all of these narratives is to clear Franklin Blake's name of suspicion. It also encourages us to read the text of The Moonstone non-linearly. -- this is a quite innovative way to compose a book!
With a look that was not like herself, with a voice that was not like her own
I think this might due to the astonishment of this sudden loss that Rachel felt unbelievable, and this might imply that Rachel was thought of the myth regarding to the moonstone. This sentence here shows the nervous atmosphere in the story.
There also stood the two doors of the Indian cabinet, wide open.
The place where the diamond was kept was the Indian cabinet. Does it mean anything here? I feel here the gone of the diamond is naturally connected to the myth behind it and its oriental culture far away. Very interesting!
the Diamond might take to shining of itself, with its awful moony light in the dark–and that would terrify her in the dead of night. Then she bethought herself of an Indian cabinet
Here the author mentions the "moony light" of diamond at night and also the Indian cabinet -- they together create a sense of east/oriental/foreign culture which is also an important motif throughout this story
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.
I really love this following paragraph! The author vividly paints out the excitement and happiness of a young girl receiving a beautiful previous gift. The author uses a lively and witty tone to describe Rachel deciding where to put the monotone for the night. She thinks of many places and keeps changing her minds -- very typical teen girl!
brandy
A sign for the motif - alcohol. In the next sentence, Mr. Godfrey also comes with brandy and soda-water.
I lit my pipe, and took a turn at Robinson Crusoe.
This book mentions Robinson Crusoe for many times. I wonder if it means more than the narrator's personal interest? I tried to relate the book with the story here. In the beginning of this paragraph, it mentions "an eminent traveller" Maybe the meaning of Robinson Crusoe here means the anxiety of the narrator and his hope to gain power and direction from reading the great traveller's story.
They have doubly sacrificed their caste–first, in crossing the sea; secondly, in disguising themselves as jugglers. In the land they live in that is a tremendous sacrifice to make. There must be some very serious motive at the bottom of it,
This paragraph reveals the suspense behind the Indians. What are the motives? Why did them make the sacrifices and how? This makes me interested to continue reading!
those men are high-caste Brahmins
This indicates that these people are among the first class in India.
there she stood, innocent of all knowledge of the truth, showing the Indians the Diamond in the bosom of her dress!
I taste the sense of disdain of the narrator as a well educated gentleman from here. The author depicts the Indians as barbarians without any awareness of politeness and Miss Rachel as pure and innocent.
As they rounded the corner of the terrace, and came in sight, I hobbled out to warn them off. But, as ill-luck would have it, the two Bouncers were beforehand with me. They whizzed out on to the terrace like a couple of skyrockets, wild to see the Indians exhibit their tricks. The other ladies followed; the gentlemen came out on their side. Before you could say, “Lord bless us!” the rogues were making their salaams; and the Bouncers were kissing the pretty little boy.
This paragraph combines the excitement of "the two Bouncers" to see the diamond from the myth, as well as the panic and worries of the narrator who starts to believe the "ill-luck" with the moonstone.
I really like the way the author describes the excitement with words like "whizzed out like a couple of skyrockets." They are very vivid.
At his command havoc and rapine were let loose once more among the temples of the worship of Brahmah. The shrine of the four-handed god was polluted by the slaughter of sacred animals; the images of the deities were broken in pieces;
The sentences here draw the contrast between brutality and civilization by putting "havoc" and "rapine"as well as "temples" together. The second sentence illustrating the runination is also vividly powerful in my eyes.
from the Italian point of view: “We have got three things left, sir–Love, Music, and Salad”
Interesting by itself haha
“A nasty sly fellow! I hate him for trying to supplant Mr. Franklin!” If I had had breath enough, I should certainly have protested against this indecent way of speaking of an eminent philanthropic character.
"Nasty sly fellow" and "eminent philanthropic character" are in contrast to each other. That's interesting to see the difference between father and daughter.
(don’t be alarmed; we are not going very deep into family matters this time)
This sentence really makes me laugh. Jesus I am so confused with the family matters so far reading lol
They simply confined themselves to making a mess
Is it an irony here or not?
the poor souls must get through the time, you see–they must get through the time
I feel a sense of empathy from the narrator from here. To be honest, I always think him negatively while reading due to his attitudes toward women, but here makes me feel slightly different.
but also that they were actually foolish enough to believe in their own magic
This implies that the narrator doesn't believe in this myth at all.
Here, for one moment, I find it necessary to call a halt.
This transition sentence shows the narrative style of the narrator, which also implies his personality. Instead of using other writing technique, the narrator directly states out his purpose of changing the writing direction.
An elegant little casket in China accompanied the note
This detail vividly echoes the later "her cousin's love and best wishes." The description sounds very romantic!
by a French name
why by a "French" name?
Neither you nor I need trouble our heads any more about Mr. Blake, senior. Leave him to the Dukedom; and let you and I stick to the Diamond.
This transition is pretty different from the way that a formal writing usually takes. It is casual and colloquial, which is interesting.
with a fierce look and a red face, that her journal is for her own private eye, and that no living creature shall ever know what is in it but herself. When I inquire what this means, Penelope says, “Fiddlesticks!” I say, Sweethearts.
This is so fun!
I made as good a fight of it against the indignity of taking my ease as I could. But my mistress knew the weak side of me; she put it as a favour to herself. The dispute between us ended, after that, in my wiping my eyes, like an old fool, with my new woollen waistcoat, and saying I would think about it.
This is really a funny paragraph! I think it vividly depicts the interaction between the first person and his lady.
I beg it to be understood that what I write here about my cousin (unless some necessity should arise for making it public) is for the information of the family only.
The author mentions twice about it, saying keep it secret and private. This is a quite usual way of writing which makes the story more mysterious and fascinating.
And the Brahmins knelt and hid their faces in their robes.
This interesting! Instead of watching, the subconscious reaction of the Brahmins is avoiding to see the deity and hiding. This might imply some traditional the Hindu religion?
before the assault, and to the stories current in our camp of the treasure in jewels and gold stored up in the Palace of Seringapatam.
Here putting the words "assault", "treasure in jewels and gold", and "Palace" which are drastically different together creates a sense of suspense. As the last sentence of a chapter, it really attracts me to continue reading.