On page 23, there is a striking description of Mrs. Tennant in that she seems to have many nautical qualities. For example, her hair gets permed once a month, but the narrator chooses to describe this process in a peculiar way- "her white hair was washed in blue and waved and curled" (23). The ocean imagery is pretty heavy there, but in case someone missed it, she has "oyster" nails and there's reference to a dolphin later in the paragraph. The phrase " black slab of polished marble" also seemed sea-like to me, although I'm not sure why.
People are referred to as sea creatures as the novel goes on as well. On page 24, Raunce is compared to an eel. Then on 28, Mrs. Tennant's daughter in law is likened to a shrimp.
What are these sea references for? For Mrs. Tennant, I venture to say it's a representation of her transient nature. Raunce has a distinctly slippery character. And as for Violet... I haven't quite figured that one out yet.
I think the blue wash is something old women used to do, to get darker looking salt-and-pepper hair to come out looking almost white. It sometimes resulted in what were called "blue-haired ladies," and embarrassing over-coloration. And the wave of course is part of many hair styles. Not to say this isn't still ocean imagery.
ReplyDelete