How we cite our quotes: (Paragraph)
Quote #4
The ponderous woman looked through the pattern of falling words at the flowers standing cool, firm, and upright in the earth, with a curious expression. She saw them as a sleeper waking from a heavy sleep sees a brass candlestick reflecting the light in an unfamiliar way, and closes his eyes and opens them, and seeing the brass candlestick again, finally starts broad awake and stares at the candlestick with all his powers. (18)
The flowers have a powerful effect on the woman, drawing her into a state of intense meditation. She seems to be in awe of nature here. How precisely would you characterize the effect of the flowers on her, and what does this little vignette contribute to the story's more general theme of wonder towards the natural world?
Quote #5
Even when she wondered what sort of tea they gave you at Kew, he felt that something loomed up behind her words, and stood vast and solid behind them; and the mist very slowly rose and uncovered—O, Heavens, what were those shapes?—little white tables, and waitresses who looked first at her and then at him; and there was a bill that he would pay with a real two shilling piece, and it was real, all real, he assured himself, fingering the coin in his pocket. (26)
The young man is overcome by a sense of unreality. Everything seems a bit amazing to him—the girl, her words, the tables, the coin in his pocket. Oh, the magic of youth! Or is it the magic of the garden? Why exactly is he so amazed at these features of everyday life? And what do you make of his repetition of the word, "real"? It's almost as if the feeling of awe is associated here with an experience of unreality. Life must not have been very awesome for these guys back then.
Quote #6
"Wherever does one have one's tea?" she asked with the oddest trill of excitement in her voice, looking vaguely round and letting herself be drawn on down the garden path, trailing her parasol, turning her head this way and that way, forgetting her tea, wishing to go down there and then down there, remembering orchids and cranes among wild flowers, a Chinese pagoda and a crimson crested bird. (28)
Trissie is in awe of the beauty of the garden and of all there is to explore—her voice even squeaks with excitement. Again, humans are amazed at the spectacle of the natural world. Does this amazement create a distancing affect between the viewer and the things viewed? Think about how the experience of awe might affect man's relation to nature.