HT: Analysis

“Her thoughtfulness baffled his cunning scrutiny. He could make nothing of her face. He pressed her in his arm, and kissed her cheek. She returned the kiss, but still looked at the fire.” (p. 95)

Analysis: The narrator is describing an encounter between Tom and Louisa. In this passage we see the drifting apart of the two siblings. The narrator starts each sentence with a pronoun, effectively taking any personal feelings away from the passage. Brothers and sisters refer to each other on a first name basis, granted they have a good relationship with each other. If the impersonal feelings aren’t convincing enough, the narrator explicitly states, “He could make nothing of her face.” The fact that while embracing each other yet not being able to recognize each other shows a clear disconnect in their relationship. The passage ends with her still looking into the “fire” which can be seen as her passionate side. She is looking at a man whose “fire” burned out, and her still face suggests that she is disappointed in him. Overall the narrator has shown the demise of the two siblings relationship through his impersonal passage.