A Room with a View Close Contextual Analysis
‘A Room with a View’ – Close textual Analysis p.105-107
Throughout the whole of the novel the theme of light and dark is constantly reoccurring and is openly present within this extract: ‘thinking of the old man who had enabled her to see the lights dancing in the Arno’, this metaphor gives the reader an insight to how Lucy is desperate for the freedom of her own independence which the lights clearly symbolise. The passage begins with ‘‘The Curtains parted.’’ This gives the reader an impression of a theatrical entrance, to then introduce Cecil appears to the reader as somewhat of a disappointment; ‘‘Cecil’s first movement was one of irritation.’’ It is symbolic as this idea of parting the curtains draws in on the continuous contrasting theme of Lucy’s fight with restriction and her will for freedom. As the curtains part Lucy is being exposed to more of the freedom she is so desperate to gain. Cecil’s action ‘‘of irritation’’ is not in correlation with the previous images of independence and liberty. ‘Irritation’ implies to the reader that Cecil is not comfortable almost awkward in his current situation and acting ill-tempered, which shows immediately to the reader how opposite Lucy and Cecil are for one another and how ill-fitting a marriage between them would be. . The idea of Cecil ‘‘parting the curtains’’ subsequently becomes ironic as his own actions associate him with darkness rather than with the light that we as the reader attach Lucy to. Previously in the novel there are other references to windows in a similar context; ‘Come away from the window, dear’, Showing Miss Bartlett’s concern and restraint of Lucy becoming exposed to the freedom she desires.
The next passage starts ‘Light entered.’ showing instantaneously a new positive outlook. Giving a beautiful, elegant description of a ‘terrace, with trees each side of it, and on it a little rustic seat and two flower beds…’ Forster lulls you into a false sense of optimism, ‘Lucy, who was in the
Throughout the whole of the novel the theme of light and dark is constantly reoccurring and is openly present within this extract: ‘thinking of the old man who had enabled her to see the lights dancing in the Arno’, this metaphor gives the reader an insight to how Lucy is desperate for the freedom of her own independence which the lights clearly symbolise. The passage begins with ‘‘The Curtains parted.’’ This gives the reader an impression of a theatrical entrance, to then introduce Cecil appears to the reader as somewhat of a disappointment; ‘‘Cecil’s first movement was one of irritation.’’ It is symbolic as this idea of parting the curtains draws in on the continuous contrasting theme of Lucy’s fight with restriction and her will for freedom. As the curtains part Lucy is being exposed to more of the freedom she is so desperate to gain. Cecil’s action ‘‘of irritation’’ is not in correlation with the previous images of independence and liberty. ‘Irritation’ implies to the reader that Cecil is not comfortable almost awkward in his current situation and acting ill-tempered, which shows immediately to the reader how opposite Lucy and Cecil are for one another and how ill-fitting a marriage between them would be. . The idea of Cecil ‘‘parting the curtains’’ subsequently becomes ironic as his own actions associate him with darkness rather than with the light that we as the reader attach Lucy to. Previously in the novel there are other references to windows in a similar context; ‘Come away from the window, dear’, Showing Miss Bartlett’s concern and restraint of Lucy becoming exposed to the freedom she desires.
The next passage starts ‘Light entered.’ showing instantaneously a new positive outlook. Giving a beautiful, elegant description of a ‘terrace, with trees each side of it, and on it a little rustic seat and two flower beds…’ Forster lulls you into a false sense of optimism, ‘Lucy, who was in the