The novel written by Alan Hollinghurst is told over many decades, from the beginning to the end of the 1900’s. The story follows a series of events that come to pass after the seemingly mundane visit of Cecil Valance to George Sawle’s home, to visit his family in the ‘Two Acres’ estate. The first chapters presents the two main characters of the book: Cecil Valance and Daphne Sawle, the younger sister of his lover George.
In the first chapter, Cecil is portrayed through the thoughts of Daphne that he immediately impacts, similarly to the way he impact her life. Before his arrival, the garden where Daphne is reading appears to be peaceful as she was there for over an hour. But with the approaching arrival of Cecil she begins to become agitated
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In addition, it implies her willingness to be in this situation, as she continued with her ‘non-fiction’ lies which lead her into a ‘heap’ that she ends up in. Moreover, his control over the her thoughts is shown she neglects what she is doing unknowingly immersing herself in thoughts of him, as ‘words began to hide amongst themselves on the page’ and she ‘forgot about her books’. The influence of his arrival is further depicted in her actions as ‘she’s been studying some of Cecil Valance’s poem’ in an attempt to impress him. This desire to make an impression on him is reaffirmed in chapter 6, as Daphne ‘came back down in her mother’s crimson shawl’, and the reader is aware that she is not supposed to do that as the housemaid glance at her in a ‘critical way’. It appears that Daphne …show more content…
Cecil is shown to “instinctively” take control of the house as he arrives. Hollinghurst suggests that Cecil likes to be superior and head of everyone, this is shown is suggested multiple times through the first part, “humoured” them by participating in there conversations. Even as he is walking to a destination he is not familiar with he is still “slightly ahead.” When him and George arrive at the river he, it is revolved that Cecil could be “demanding.” He is shown to be the more dominant and confident one in his and Georges relationship, “never had a wicked thought till I met you.” This shows illustrates Cecil’s possibly manipulative ways of changing people this is further emphasised when he goes to dinner on sunday with the family, “we infrequently have wine on sunday.” To finalise Cecile is shown be be looked up to by the Sawle family, especially Goerge who knows him for who he is but still hold him is very high regrets as he,“allows him to go forward”. He is clearly shown to be demanding as a lumping figure through out the first part and a central figure in the rest of the