Many authors use pe rfume as a novelistic shorthand for memories awakened in complete recall. A character smells something and it awakens deep memories, or takes him back in time. In Daphne du Maurier’s neo-gothic romance Rebecca , this motif takes a sinister turn. A youung girl marries a widower with an obscure, tragic past and moves to his ancestral estate . She soon discovers that the place is haunted by the presence of the memory of the previous wife, Rebecca. This ‘haunting’ is mostly expressed through smell and fragrance. Azaleas, overpowering, overfeminine, unnaturally-abundant blooms which choke the manor of Manderley, become a symbol of the dead wife’s overpowering femininity. Rebecca even wore a perfume which smelled of azaleas. The hapless new wife discovers traces of perfume on Rebecca’s clothes, which have turned musty with age, she experiences the oppression of the obscure yet present past in the form a choking fog that blights the landscape a...
I wish I were there. Looks like a lovely way to spend the day.
ReplyDeleteamen to that! Much better than sitting here in this lecture hall as a TA on a beautiful summer day.....
ReplyDeleteSon. of. a. gun.
ReplyDeleteI am a thorough fan of JBtElder, but apparently a patently casual one. How have I missed this? Never seen it before. That is an embarrassing admission on my part, in a way, but I am thrilled to have been introduced to it now.
That painting doesn't just speak for itself. It's a dinner party full of interesting guests all talking at once. Man.
My thoughts exactly, SS
ReplyDeleteWhat an incredible painting!
ReplyDeleteWhile studying in Baltimore in the '80s, there was a restaurant called Haussner's that was famous primarily for its vast art collection that adorned every inch of wall and floor space that wasn't occupied by tables. I had the good fortune to dine there just once prior to my graduation. This painting just brough that experience back to me. Thanks for the memories!
Ooh, sounds like a cool restaurant! I'll have to check it out if it's still there the next time I'm in Baltimore!
ReplyDeleteGlad this brought back happy memories!