Winter Afternoon
This following passage uses vivid sensory imagery to create a melancholic atmosphere that mirrors Rosemary’s emotional state. It goes, "Rain was falling, and with the rain it seemed the dark came too, spinning down like ashes. There was a cold bitter taste in the air, and the new-lighted lamps looked sad. Sad were the lights in the houses opposite. Dimly they burned as if regretting something." The lamps are personified as sad, which suggests a pervasive sense of unfulfilled desire or disillusionment. It effectively externalizes Rosemary's internal dissatisfaction and foreshadows the emptiness she feels despite her wealth and privilege. It also accentuates the thematic contrast between the warmth of her luxurious life and the cold reality outside.
The Enamel Box
The narrator says, "An exquisite little enamel box with a glaze so fine it looked as though it had been baked in cream. On the lid a minute creature stood under a flowery tree, and a more minute creature still had her arms round his neck. Her hat, really no bigger than a geranium petal, hung from a branch; it had green ribbons. And there was a pink cloud like a watchful cherub floating above their heads." This detailed description signifies Rosemary's life of refined elegance and material excess. It reflects the idealized world that Rosemary inhabits—one that is beautiful, controlled, and detached from the harsh realities of life. Thus, the imagery highlights the superficiality of Rosemary's desires but also serves as a critique of the materialism that defines her character.
The Transformation of Miss Smith
This passage uses imagery to depict the transformation of Miss Smith after she is fed and warmed in Rosemary's home. It narrates, "And really the effect of that slight meal was marvellous. When the tea-table was carried away a new being, a light, frail creature with tangled hair, dark lips, deep, lighted eyes, lay back in the big chair in a kind of sweet languor, looking at the blaze." The "sweet languor" and the warmth of the "blaze" suggest a momentary respite from her hardships, which creates a contrast between the comfort of Rosemary's world and the starkness of Miss Smith's life. This imagery analyzes the fleeting and insincere nature of Rosemary's charity, as it temporarily masks but does not change the deeper issues of poverty and class disparity.
The Lacquered Room
This imagery richly details the opulence of Rosemary's bedroom highlighting the luxurious surroundings that she takes for granted: "Her beautiful big bedroom with the curtains drawn, the fire leaping on her wonderful lacquer furniture, her gold cushions and the primrose and blue rugs." The warmth and brightness of the fire contrast with the bitter weather outside. It reinforces the theme of the sheltered and insulated world in which Rosemary lives. The emphasis on material objects, rather than human connections, reflects her focus on appearances and status rather than genuine compassion.
