- Aug 2021
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icla2021.jonreeve.com icla2021.jonreeve.comDubliners15
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She felt a soft wet substance with her fingers and was surprised that nobody spoke or took off her bandage.
I searched the symbolism of clay in bible and found this: There are several instances given in the Bible referring to clay. In Job 33:6 it states: I also am formed out of the clay. In Psalm 40:2, there is a reference to the “miry clay” symbolizing our lives before we were saved. In one of the miracles of Christ we find a reference to clay being made and put upon the eyes of the blind man (see John 9:6,11,14,15).
Does this mean Maria is still not saved? Does this relate to the intimacy between her and Joe?
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she had the notions of a common woman.
So far, all characters are female, and the female notions, such as mother, common woman, "shyness", marriage are mentioned.
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sown his wild oats
A proverb from Bible: Proverbs 1:10-14 – Many young men “sow their wild oats” and spend the rest of their lives paying the consequences.
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She dealt with moral problems as a cleaver deals with meat
Interesting analogy to say that Mrs. Mooney is very sharp and perhaps merciless when dealing with moral issues.
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which made her look like a little perverse madonna.
This is an interesting analogy... Is it respectful to use this adjective before madonna in a religious context?
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Could she still draw back after all he had done for her?
Eveline thinks about "could she still draw back", instead of "why she should draw back". So in some sense staying with her family is a very convincing reason for her to stay.
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a face of bronze.
I remember seeing description of face color in "Araby" and "An Encounter" too.
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Freemason
Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities and clients.
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brown imperturbable faces.
Is brown here just a description of the face's color, or skin color?
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A slap on the hand or a box on the ear was no good: what he wanted was to get a nice warm whipping. I was surprised at this sentiment and involuntarily glanced up at his face.
This description is very weird... How can a whipping be nice and warm, just because of his intention?
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Mahony’s grey suit approaching
An interesting way to say someone is approaching.
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he looked that peaceful and resigned. No one would think he’d make such a beautiful corpse
This contradicts with the description of the corpse earlier.
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pleasant and vicious
At the beginning of the novel, he describes paralysis as something that "sounded to [him] like the name of some maleficent and sinful being". It's interesting that he uses "JJ and JJ" to describe paralysis.
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My idea is: let a young lad run about and play with young lads of his own age and not be… Am I right, Jack?”
Mr. Cotter likes "..." so much.
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paralysis
paralysis is a symptom of stroke (https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/stroke/symptoms-causes/syc-20350113)
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- Jul 2021
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What legs he had! They were like a spider’s—thin, withered.
Reading this metaphor gives me the feeling of how exhausted he is. It also shows the la k of support for him.
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Ideal
This format of title reminds me of “her first ball”. It turns out that Leila’s first ball is also her last ball. This makes me wonder feel ideal will implies something not so ideal in the article.
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Very stiffly she walked into the middle; very haughtily she put her hand on his sleeve. But in one minute, in one turn, her feet glided, glided. The lights, the azaleas, the dresses, the pink faces, the velvet chairs, all became one beautiful flying wheel.
At the end, Leila's attitude toward dancing changed and aligned with "strange faces" that she saw at the beginning of her ball. The first ball might as well be the last ball for Leila.
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Was this first ball only the beginning of her last ball, after all?
It's interesting and also surprising to see that despite all these new, luxurious settings in the ball, the fat man's words are su persuasive to Leila.
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What about a melon each? Would they have to share that, too? Or a pineapple, for Pad, and a melon for Johnny?
Both pineapple and melon are not native to Europe (pineapple is from tropic regions, melons are native to central Asia). It seems that even though Williams doesn't necessarily like or can afford imported goods, he think these are must-have for the kids as gifts.
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“Dear William! I’m sure you did!” She laughed in the new way.
This new Isabel sounds more interested in material goods. "Dear" and "I'm sure you did!" sounds a little more sophisticated and superior than William.
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But nowadays they had Russian toys, French toys, Serbian toys—toys from God knows where.
This sentence sounds a little negative. Is globalization causing a negative impact on him, so that he cannot afford toys?
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Nice? This place? Nice? For the first time she stared about her, trying to see what there was... She blinked; her lovely eyes wondered. A very good-looking elderly man stared back at her through a monocle on a black ribbon.
This description makes me feel very robotic as if she is emotionless, not totally autonomous and takes a lot of time to process information. But at the same time she ignores people, which makes me feel she is just really confused and lost.
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But just at that moment there was Mrs. Raddick again with—her—and another lady hovering in the background.
Who's her here? Is it referring to Mrs. Raddick's daughter? Why is it in "--"?
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A tiny boy with a head like a raisin and a chocolate body came round with a tray of pastries
This description makes this part sounds like a fairytale
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Constantia stayed before the Buddha, wondering, but not as usual, not vaguely. This time her wonder was like longing. She remembered the times she had come in here, crept out of bed in her nightgown when the moon was full, and lain on the floor with her arms outstretched, as though she was crucified.
Why does Constantia use "crucified" here, after she just talked about the Buddha? Does she believe in Buddhism but had to hide it due to her father?
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Ceylon
Is their mother died while the Colonel is in Ceylon/Indian?
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a watch
The watch also appeared in the narrative about their father's death, when Nurse Andrews staring at his watch.
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when Constantia had pushed Benny into the round pond.
Was there an introduction of Benny before this point? Who is Benny?
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“father will never forgive us for this—never!”
Josephine and Constantia are fearful of their father; but at the same time, the funeral still sounds like a task to me instead of an emotional ceremony.
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A good one that will last
They seems not care about their father or the funeral that much? So far, it feels they just want to avoid loneliness and take care of their father's death as a task.
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Communion
Why is communion capitalized?
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“Quite,” said Josephine faintly. They both hung their heads. Both of them felt certain that eye wasn’t at all a peaceful eye.
In the description of the Colonel and also here, eyes are described with details. I'm curious to see if "eye" is a motif through the story.
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He lay there, purple, a dark, angry purple in the face,
Does this angry emotion come from Nurse Andrews?
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Indeed, both Constantia and Josephine felt privately she had rather overdone the not leaving him at the very last. For when they had gone in to say good-bye Nurse Andrews had sat beside his bed the whole time, holding his wrist and pretending to look at her watch.
Is Nurse Andrews just a nurse who serves the family, or does she have more personal relationships with the Colonel? This description sounds very intimate.
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And Constantia said more loudly than she meant to, “Mice.”
The conversation between the two daughters gives a feeling of anxiety and chaos, and they don't agree with each others. Each of them have their own thoughts in mind.
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“Never a more delightful garden-party...” “The greatest success...” “Quite the most...”
Pretentious praise for the party sounds heartless too.
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Laura had to say “yes” to that, but she felt it was all wrong
Even within the family, mother's authority is absolute for Laura.
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and I can’t understand how they keep alive in those poky little holes
The language they use is very disrespectful. Even though they are neighbors, it seems that they are very segregated and unsympathetic.
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They’ve made away with my stick, now!”
Is "they" referring to a specific group of people?
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By the time we reached the hill the moon was high in the heaven.
The most frequent time in the novel is night, which matches the diamond's name "Moonstone"
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When this is said, all is said. Ladies and gentlemen, I make my bow, and shut up the story.
This ending make me feel Betteredge becomes a more reliable narrator than he was in the beginning. His tone is more formal, and there are more recording of conversations instead of writing about himself.
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No,” he answered when I offered to write. “I won’t distress him! I won’t distress him!”
Ezra Jennings really don't want Mr. Blake to distress from addiction. He is very emotional toward Mr. Blake: he felt happy seeing him be together with Rachel, and don't want to distress him. He sees Mr. Blake as a close friend who fight addiction too, and maybe want all the things he couldn't have anymore on him.
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Shall I leave them together? Yes!
Why Ezra Jennings want Mr. Blake and Rachel to be together? Is this a motivation for him to help conduct the experiment?
Seeing Ezra taking care of Mr. Blake and want him to be with Rachel reminded me of Miss Clack. It's a clear contrast that Miss Clack cared more about herself, whereas Ezra is more genuine and benevolent.
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Betteredge took a note of the exception. “‘The inner hall to be furnished again, as furnished last year. A burst buzzard alone excepted.’ Please to go on, Mr. Jennings.”
It's interesting to see how Mr. Jennings tried to make the experiment as scientific as possible.
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“Betteredge was perfectly right, Mr. Blake. When smoking is a habit a man must have no common constitution who can leave it off suddenly without some temporary damage to his nervous system. Your sleepless nights are accounted for, to my mind. My next question refers to Mr. Candy. Do you remember having entered into anything like a dispute with him–at the birthday dinner, or afterwards–on the subject of his profession?”
Because of quitting smoking, Mr. Blake suffering from insomnia- so did Mr. Candy made Mr. Blake take opium without his consent?
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“No. I was born, and partly brought up, in one of our colonies. My father was an Englishman; but my mother–We are straying away from our subject, Mr. Blake; and it is my fault. The truth is, I have associations with these modest little hedgeside flowers–It doesn’t matter; we were speaking of Mr. Candy. To Mr. Candy let us return.”
Are the flowers an analogy to Ezra Jennings' multiracial background?
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“Exactly! And when you had read the letter, you pitied the poor creature, and couldn’t find it in your heart to suspect her. Does you credit, my dear sir–does you credit!”
Mr. Bruff still suspect Rosanna for stealing the diamond.
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For her own sake, I had purposely shown no special interest in what was coming; for her own sake, I had purposely looked at the billiard-balls, instead of looking at her–and what had been the result? I had sent her away from me, wounded to the heart!
I wish Rosanna had explicitly checked with Mr. Franklin about her hypothesis that Mr. Franklin is the thief...
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He has grown the white moss rose, without budding it on the dog-rose first.
Moss rose is native to South Asia; dog rose is native to Europe, northwest Africa, and western Asia. Does this have an analogous meaning to cultures?
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Show me any two things more opposite one from the other than a rose and a thief; and I’ll correct my tastes accordingly–if it isn’t too late at my time of life.
Sergeant Cuff loves rose. it reflects Rosanna's story.
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The tone in which those words were spoken might have melted a stone. But, oh dear, what is the hardness of stone? Nothing, compared to the hardness of the unregenerate human heart!
The comparison of stone and human is very interesting. I wonder if the stone here is analogous to the Moonstone as well.
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musk and camphor.
Both musk and camphor have an Asian origin
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Me
Why the Me is capitalized? What's the rule for capitaization instead of italicization?
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melancholy
Melancholy appeared many times to describe Sergeant Cuff. Wondering if personality words like this can be studied computationally.
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and had heard the crackling of a fire (a fire in a servant’s bed-room in the month of June!) at four in the morning.
Why there is a crackling of a fire in a room?
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nota bene
Latin phrase for "note well" appeared again
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You have got a nice garden here, and a well-kept lawn. See for yourself how much better the flowers look with grass about them instead of gravel. No, thank you. I won’t take a rose. It goes to my heart to break them off the stem. Just as it goes to your heart, you know, when there’s something wrong in the servants’ hall.
Is this a metaphor related to women's appearance, as before this they mentioned about Rosanna's appearance and her love for Mr. Franklin?
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I declare my lady turned a shade paler at the sight of him! She commanded herself, however, in other respects, and asked the Sergeant if he had any objection to my being present. She was so good as to add, that I was her trusted adviser, as well as her old servant, and that in anything which related to the household I was the person whom it might be most profitable to consult.
Why the lady is so sensitive at seeing the Sergeant Cuff? And why she demands Betteredge to stay instead of other people that she trust, such as Mr. Franklin or Miss Rachel?
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Further talk might have let me into the secret of what Miss Rachel had said to him on the terrace.
What's the secret between Ms. Rachel and Mr. Franklin? Is it related to the Moonstone?
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The sacrifice of caste is a serious thing in India, if you like. The sacrifice of life is nothing at all.”
Mentions the cultural difference between Eastern and Western culture. Caste system vs. class, seems like they have inequality in different ways.
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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
The jugglers are willing to sacrifice their class to chase the Moonstone, but Mr. Franklin and other British characters cherish the Moonstone as an accessory of their high class. It shows that the motivation for chasing the Moonstone must be strong and also beyond class and wealth for the three jugglers.
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Religion (I understand Mr. Godfrey to say, between the corks and the carving) meant love. And love meant religion. And earth was heaven a little the worse for wear. And heaven was earth, done up again to look like new. Earth had some very objectionable people in it; but, to make amends for that, all the women in heaven would be members of a prodigious committee that never quarrelled, with all the men in attendance on them as ministering angels. Beautiful! beautiful! But why the mischief did Mr. Godfrey keep it all to his lady and himself?
Before this description, I thought Betteredge as very religious. Why he seems not understand and don't care about Mr. Godfrey's words about religion? What does he mean by the mischief that Mr. Godfrey keep it all to his lady and himself?
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Carbon Betteredge! mere carbon, my good friend, after all!”
Mr. Godfrey seems like the only character that doesn't care about the commercial value of the Moonstone so far.
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varnish
When Betteredge first introduce Mr. Franklin, he used varnish as an analogy to describe Mr. Franklin's education abroad. I'm wondering if varnish has any symbolistic meaning associated with Mr. Franklin?
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sometimes he was reported to be trying strange things in chemistry
Does this show that he is interested in mysticism? Does the Moonstone attract him to do so?
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She was more like a fly than a woman: she couldn’t settle on anything.”
I feel Betteredge has shown a lot of biased and disrespectful judgement about women, even though he himself was trying to portray himself as an innocent old man.
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But I wonder sometimes whether the life here is too quiet and too good for such a woman as I am, after all I have gone through, Mr. Betteredge–after all I have gone through. It’s more lonely to me to be among the other servants, knowing I am not what they are, than it is to be here. My lady doesn’t know, the matron at the reformatory doesn’t know, what a dreadful reproach honest people are in themselves to a woman like me. Don’t scold me, there’s a dear good man. I do my work, don’t I? Please not to tell my lady I am discontented–I am not. My mind’s unquiet, sometimes, that’s all.
Rosanna seems ruminate and blame on herself heavily for her past.
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we shall be in the thick of the mystery soon, I promise you!
The author delays 4 times so far on getting to the core of the mystery. I'm wondering if this shows him as a disorganized narrator, or is he hiding some information?
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Well, I took my stick, and set off for the sands.
The narrator need a stick. While his previously describes himself as a men turning seventy, who "possess an active memory, and legs to correspond", from this paragraph he seems more fragile and helpless.
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This Penelope offers to do for me by looking into her own diary
Another documented evidentiary is the diary from the narrator's daughter, Penelope.
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suffer
Building on the prophecy of the Moonstone at the beginning of the chapter, suffering could possibly be a theme that connect plots and characters throughout the stories.
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The deity commanded that the Moonstone should be watched, from that time forth, by three priests in turn, night and day, to the end of the generations of men. And the Brahmins heard, and bowed before his will. The deity predicted certain disaster to the presumptuous mortal who laid hands on the sacred gem, and to all of his house and name who received it after him.
Through this paragraph, the author talks about the uniqueness of the moonstone as the only one escaped from the rapacity, and shows the spiritual myth behind the Moonstone. I feel it makes the moonstone more mysterious. The deity's prediction that disasters will happen to the ones who laid hands on the sacred gem lays a foundation for the rest of the story related to stealing the Moonstone. It also stimulates curiosity for the readers to test whether this sacred dream will be validated by the story or not.
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