Analysis of The Singing Lesson
...r since he states that he loves her yet he also states that he is disgusted. After the letter is revealed the scene quickly returns to the signing lesson, this is an overlap of the two scenes that are of importance to the short story. The traditional, honorable moment revealed through the color yellow from the chrysanthemum, from Mary, has turned from a cheerful moment to a crisp coldness. Also by Miss Meadows not saying thank you but swiftly stating in a voice of ice, “Page fourteen, please…” reveals the coldness within Miss Meadows as well as the irony that she can say please to be polite yet she hasn’t said thank you to Mary. Irony can also be seen just in the name of Miss Meadows, from a tranquil, pleasant meadow Miss Meadows is anything but pleasant. When Miss Meadows has her students sing “…Fade the Ro-o-ses of Pleasure: Soon Autumn yields unto Wi-i-nter Drear” the personal feelings can be seen within the phrases. The way that roses is broken down reveals smoothness, and the way that winter is broken down reveals sharp, coldness of the way that the warm Autumn changing feelings have turned into a cold dead winter. With the conducting of her two hands she would beat and the reader can begin to see Miss Meadows taking out her anger with the music by pounding the air with her hands. Miss Meadows’ personal life then overlaps to where she begins to think about the letter again and how he had previously written about a bookcase that he had bought and a carved owl hat rack holding three hat-brackets in its claws. Miss Meadows could not see how any man would need three hat hooks on a hat rack. Yet Basil was probably at that particular time revealing that he was interested in the hat rack, even though it had three racks because he was not only thinking about Miss Meadows and himself, but also including others, such as a family in the near future. There is also symbolism revealed since the owl is carved onto the hat stand which reveals wisdom. Miss Meadows singing lesson is now back in the scene and the coldness has slowly dispersed throughout the room that Mary Beazley has “wriggled her spine” since she can feel the coldness. This show...