Fatmah Alyammahi
Through his depiction of Francis’ country house and the landscape, Richard highlights one essential attitude in this section: his keen observational attitude. Unfortunately, Richard may overlook crucial realities due to his obsession with minute details, which finally causes him to fail to recognize that he is involved in a murder.
Richard describes the yellow leaves falling, demonstrating his focus on and attention to the little things. He begins by calling it “a gust” of yellow leaves to denote a substantial and unforeseen inflow of leaves (Tartt 108). Richard then uses the phrase “storming down” to emphasize how quickly and firmly the leaves enter the room (108). Because he uses strong illustrative language in describing the leaves, Richard demonstrates how closely he’s focused on the leaves and, in general, his surroundings. Although his goal in visiting Francis’ country home was to interact with Henry, Bunny, Camilla, Charles, and Francis and begin a friendship, Richard continued to focus on unimportant details like the falling leaves. I assume that when he says, “I took a sip of my drink,” he is irritated and wants to regain focus and collect his blurry brain (108). His desire to focus leaves me with the impression that Richard prioritizes small details over other factors to create an artistic vision of what Richard wants us to see and feel. He begins by describing the falling yellow leaves, then continues concentrating on small, subtle details like the swing and clematis vines.
Similarly, Richard’s depiction of the swing and the clematis vines proves that he lowers his emphasis on crucial things while overlooking the more significant ones. For example, we think the swing is old and rusty because he used the word “creak” (109). Nevertheless, Richard emphasizes how much he enjoys it and is accustomed to the swing’s creaking sound, saying, “I couldn’t have loved it more, couldn’t have been more familiar with the creak of the swing” (109). Swings movement reflects how Richard moves back and forth between the more prominent details and the little details. In the case of Richard, swings are related to his loneliness and poor youth, which is the bigger picture, and when he swings too far in different directions indicates the minute details. This supports the notion that Richard is a myopic individual, having a limited perspective and a disregard for wider ramifications. Another example that confirms this argument is when he starts describing the clematis vines. The clematis vines are organized in a specific arrangement, as indicated by the word “pattern,” which adds to the trellis’ attractiveness (109). Furthermore, the way he analyzes the clematis vines as they are arranged in patterns suggests that he is more interested in the beauty of the flower rather than the trellis, which may be worn and broken. By focusing on superficial features, like the vines, rather than the trellis, Richard overlooks what’s underlying the surface. This relates to his attitude and how he treats other people, as he can’t see the forest for the trees.
After analyzing Richard’s attitude, I argue that the passage’s ending conveys that something terrible will happen sooner or later. For example, “velvety swell” conjures up images of a broad, pleasantly gentle landscape (109). “Velvety” accentuates the luxury of the magnificent setting that seems more luxurious (109). His artistic ability to precisely observe things is proven by his use of the word “velvety” (109). The phrase “velvety swell” creates the idea that Richard is living the life of his dreams in Francis’s home, surrounded by a lovely environment, and that he is at ease (109). The velvety tone will eventually go away, leaving only the grey horizon. The colors have vanished! When it is grey, it symbolizes his false sense of security and warns that his contentment will not last for long.
Even though he has an exceptionally creative and meticulous way of observing the world, Richard cannot notice his group’s actual characteristics and behaviors, which could eventually cause him to be involved in a murder. Most of us have experienced situations where we only pay attention to the minute details and ignore the broader picture. In my first semester of college, last semester, I went through a similar experience. I stopped socializing, making frequent phone calls to family and friends, and eating all contributed to my mental breakdown. Yes, I did receive excellent scores in every subject, but at the cost of my friends, family, health, and free time. Lastly, don’t let your focus on the small things destroy your soul!
Works Cited: A
