Blithedale Romance essays

Blithedale Romance essays Upon reading The Blithedale Romance, there are many things to take note of. The first is to do a case study of the two characters Priscilla and Zenobia. From the introduction, we learn that Zenobia is an attractive woman whom Mr. Coverdale has grown an interest to. When we first meet Priscilla, she is, in so many words, a wreck. In Mr. Coverdales narration he thinks to himself To complete the pitiableness of her aspect, she shivered either with cold, or fear, or nervous excitement you might have beheld her shadow vibrating on the fire-lighted wall. In short, there has seldom been seen so depressed and sad a figure as this young girls; and it was hardly possible to help being angry with her, from mere despair of doing anything for her comfort (28). However, as time elapses we soon learn that Priscilla grows into a very pretty girl, and still keeps budding and blossoming and that her imperfections and short-comings affected Mr. Coverdale with a kind of playful pathos. Symbols are among one of the most valuable possessions for the human race. One symbol that really stands out is the exotic flower that Zenobia always wears. When I read about the flower, it brought to me a kind of curiosity and appeal whenever Zenobia was mentioned. But to elaborate on that point, I think that Zenobia wearing the flower, depicts a kind of earth mother, sensual, radiant, skilled with herbs and always preparing tea. This could be a possible foreshadow by her being the backbone in the utopia that they all seek. However, what is most startling to me which I noticed re-reading, is the passage "It was an April day, as already hinted, and well towards the middle of the month....But towards noon, there had come some snow, driven along the street by a northeasterly blast, and whitening the roofs and sidewalks, with business-like perseverance that would have done credit to our severest ...