An interpreting effect is created by the difference with regard to what the characters say and what they feel. In a case, the reader has to do a lot of "reading between the lines" (interpretation) to decide what is going on and to appreciate the story fully.
Vera's change
Physical Changes：
Six years ago | Six years later |
beautiful happy | poor, less better off, in poor health |
Spiritual Changes：More spiritual changes
Six years ago | Six years later |
nothing to worry about suppressing her dream and desire, longing, aspiration (together with the man) | fragile (ill not so well) fragile but strong-willed (for the fact that she resisted the temptation) too romantic (she focused too much on spiritual life) |
Unchanged personality
Six years ago | Six years later |
belonging to the leisure class well-educated (she used to know a lot of flowers, Para. 13) | still well-educated, middle- class, but now in a very difficult situation sensitive and tolerant (because she was very considerate and sensitive to other's feelings, not willing to hurt others) feminist: a spirit of sacrifice (If she couldn't gain spiritual satisfaction, she would give up.) |
One point she kept for 6 years
Six years ago | Six years later |
She never told the man why she left him. She wanted the man to feel her desire rather than tell him. That just created such trouble: She wanted this, but the man was insensitive. | |
The man's change
Change in appearance
Six years ago | Six years later |
young, handsome, good-looking | still very sweet, far better looking (material looking, well-dressed, admirable clothes) |
Change in financial status
Six years ago | Six years later |
poor | financially secure (he made money), well-traveled, quite experienced |
Change in experience
Six years ago | Six years later |
He had not then found his career. vague about future and life, dreamy, indecisive. young, unpractical, out of all proportion to the occasion | attractive, experienced, mature, very sophisticated, confident (behaving with an air of man) successful, having established his reputation |
Unchanged personality
Six years ago | Six years later |
self-centered, insensitive, talkative, conceited, inconsiderate | |
What they have in common:
interest in music, traveling and loneliness (both were lonely)
