Marie And Transcendentalism

382 Words2 Pages
Upon first appearance Marie appears to be a dark, twisted temptress, but upon closer analysis Cather reveals to us she is truly a wild spirit. Cather presents Marie to us as a “white night-moth” who is “flutteringly” away into the night. Cather’s imagery presents Marie as a free spirit, because moths travel freely with no clear direction or motive. This paints Marie as an individual who moves without direction or intention, which displays the transcendentalist principle of living life on a whim. Marie is described as a “white” moth which represents purity and how she seems to be divergent from others around her. Cather’s word choice to describe Marie as “flutteringly” creates a light and and playful mood, which seems to be at the center of