The Womb

Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory

If you ask Francis Marloe, Bradley Pearson's recurring dreams about being in his parent's shop are probably symbolic memories of being in the womb (1.18.32-35). Not only does Francis suggest outright that Bradley is remembering his early life inside his mother's body, but he's also implying that these unconscious memories are another aspect of Bradley's Oedipus complex.

The Black Prince plays with that idea and craftily includes just enough womb imagery to lend credibility to Francis's theory without actually confirming it. Take a look at how Bradley himself characterizes his apartment: "A sunless and cozy womb my flat was, with a highly wrought interior and no outside" (1.1.3). Symbolism doesn't get much clearer than that.

Although Bradley doesn't come right out and use the word "womb" when he describes the northern seaside cottage that he rents for the summer or his prison cell, it's possible to understand both of those locations as symbolic wombs. Both promise seclusion and, figuratively speaking, gestation, as they're the places where Bradley either imagines himself as carrying out or actually carries out the work of giving birth to his great novel.

As you read The Black Prince, be on the lookout for other examples that contribute to the novel's pattern of womb symbolism and imagery. Whether or not you agree with Francis Marloe's take on the subject, there's definitely something going on there.