How do you think the flooding of Paris in 1910 fits in to the narrative of Paris Winter? Why do you think the author choose this event as a backdrop to the story?
Created: 02/09/16
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It's a plot device, of course, a "change maker," to reveal character (just how bad Perov was, so Tanya would break it off, and to open her own eyes to the reality of misery she'd been able to shrug off with her furs, before)... and, to further the action, provide the opportunity for the revenge, and for killing off Morel and Sylvie.
It's also a metaphor: as water rises, so does Maud's obsession with revenge and haunting, and so does Morel's madness build, and so does Yvette's reckless daring... the flood seems to represent the rising danger of excessive passion.
Interesting that it has the effect of dramatically picking up the pace of the story, sweeping us along, whereas the story began by flowing along so gently, slowly, that it was hard to keep going at first...
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The flooding added a dimension to the characters. How they responded in a crisis shows more of their character and allows us to see them react in an unusual situations. The flood also allowed for Morel's death not to be noticed right away, or for the gendarmes to question Sylvie's suicide immediately. That allowed for Yvette and Maud to get away. It also added to Morel's "haunting". It turns out he already showed signs of mental illness as he kept returning to the death of his father.
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The flood represents a tragedy, the same as is happening in Maud's life. It eats at the land and wipes out what was there before. Maud's life is totally changed by Morel and Sylvia. Her former life and beliefs are wiped out. The death of Morel and Sylvia wipe out and cover the sins they committed. The flood is symbolic of what is going on in Maud's life.
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