Stick
As in “stick in a mud.” This is Gareth’s go-to symbol for those who have to be dragged into the world he considers experimental and daring. In reality, of course, Gareth’s world of experimentation and daring will seem remarkably tame even by the standards of his time, but forgive him. It is a symbol defined by one’s limited perception of the world.
Breeches
For instance, in Gareth’s little bubble of sophisticated privilege, breeches (pants) worn by a woman becomes a symbol of pure, unadulterated sexuality. Why, pray tell? Because unlike the voluminous material which composes skirts normally worn by woman in his day, breeches show off certain…aspects. Like, you know, the length of a leg.
Gareth St. Clair
As if it weren’t made clear by now, let it be plainly stated: Gareth St. Clair is a symbol of limited perception arising as the result of privilege. Do not assume that this is merely the observation of an external analysis; it is situated right from the start of the novel as an essential and fundamental element of Gareth’s nature. The book literally opens with a listing of the four principles governing Garth’s relationship with his father. These principles clearly are intended to quickly delineate the backstory of that relationship, but as the narrative plays out, it becomes increasingly obviously that they are a metaphor for Gareth’s relationship with the entire world. He is an emotional bubble boy who has grown up believing the entire world operates in the same fashion and so sees everything about the world which does not as subversive relative to his own perceptual state of mind.
The Diary
The diary which brings the Gareth and Hyacinth together into romance is a symbol of Freudian repression. That may be going too far, but the diary which by neither and in a foreign language which must be translated does gradually become transform into the psychological mechanics capable of admitting feeling which have been primarily suppressed by each participant. Only by working together to translate the diary do the pair allow themselves to finally confront their buried feelings and admit them to themselves and convey them to the other. It’s complicated and far from perfect symbolism, but nevertheless fits like a glove.
