Essay Questions

What does Denis find in Jenny’s notebook?

Denis had noticed that Jenny was continually writing in her red notebook during her stay at Crome. When offered the opportunity to peep inside its pages, he was appalled to find out that the task, with which she had busied herself for many evenings, was the completion of a number of satirical sketches of her fellow guests. Some of these sketches represented Denis himself in all his vulnerability of shyness, uncertainty, and self-consciousness. Thus, he had found in Jenny’s notebook what he never expected, namely the fact that his insecurities were not shaded as he had thought from the eyes of the outer world.

How does Huxley introduce Denis?

In the very first chapter of Crome Yellow, Denis is introduced as an anxious young writer who is heading towards the countryside to meet some friends and be reunited with the woman he loves. The very first thoughts of this young poet, during his journey in the train, transmit his restless nature and anxious habits. A little further in the chapter, we witness the crash of his enthusiasm in the face of an uninterested group. Thus, his lack of confidence is added to the initial introduction of his character in the book.

What does Denis learn from Anne and Gombauld’s conversation?

Denis overhears a conversation between Anne and Gombauld which makes him believe that the pair is involved with each other as a couple. Not staying long enough to hear the rest of it, he misses the part where Anne rejects Gombauld’s advances. Accordingly, he prepares himself to leave Chrome on account of this fragmented conversation, while he would have found stronger reasons to stay had he known that Anne did not favor Gombauld, and that she really cared about him.

What does Priscilla’s excessive interest in astrology tell us about her character?

Priscilla is depicted as a character who nurtures a keen interest in astrology. She consecrates a great portion of her time and money to test her discoveries in the field. The book is actually immersed in existential themes, and such portrayal of Priscilla is only a way to develop one of them; namely the anxiety connected with the meaninglessness of life. Priscilla is one of the characters who find it hard to attribute meaning to life, and are consequently drowned in the dread of being utterly insignificant and lost in a hostile universe. For which reason, she clings to the belief that astrology is actually in control of her own life and that she is not drifting around in meaningless circles.

What does the book tell us about Huxley’s life?

Crome Yellow is a semi-biographical novel, which tells us a great many things about its author. Crome, for instance, is inspired from Garsington Manor in which Huxley had lived for some time following his disqualification from active duty in the war, which was caused by a period of near-blindness. Accordingly, many of the characters gathered at Chrome are caricatures of certain members in the Bloomsbury set. Denis, for one, is representative of the author himself with his fear and anxiety of passing through the world without leaving a mark in it.

How does the book represent artists?

Partly inspired from real life individuals, the artistic characters gathered in Crome are divided into two categories. The first, including Mr. Barbecue-Smith, covers the faction of seemingly successful artists who are either overrated or overconfident. The second, including Denis and Gombauld, represent the humble and hard working faction. In this manner, Huxley satirized the artistic circles of his own time commenting on the quality of art and artist back then, without omitting all the internal conflicts lived and experienced by them.