39 pages • 1 hour read
Virginia WoolfFlush: A Biography
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1933A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
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BetaSymbols & Motifs
Weather
Flush has no comprehension of the human constructs that divide time into months and years. To him, the rising and setting of the sun signify the beginning and end of each day, while the changing weather represents the broader passage of time. When discussing the years that Flush and Elizabeth spend together, the references to the changing weather represent Flush’s awareness of how much time is passing. The novel’s mentions of the weather are narrative touchstones that cross species boundaries and are understood by both Elizabeth and Flush. As Flush grows older, his relationship with Elizabeth matures, and his references to the changing weather symbolize his awareness of the long time that they have been together.
For Elizabeth, however, the weather is more than just a demonstration of passing time. At the beginning of the novel, she is ill and confined to her house throughout most of the year due to the inclement English weather. For someone in her health, the wet and the cold are serious threats. Her life could be cut short by exposure to bad weather. The relationship between Elizabeth and the weather is an example of pathetic fallacy, a literary device in which a character’s environment reflects their emotional state. The bad weather reflects Elizabeth’s mood and health at the beginning of the novel. With the arrival of Flush, Elizabeth’s mood brightens, and she is able to venture out more. Later, with Robert, she moves to bright, sunny Italy, where she is happy. The changed weather reflects her improved emotional state.
Flush moves with Robert and Elizabeth to Italy, where, like Elizabeth, he spends the happiest years of his life. During the hottest part of the day, Flush does little more than laze about in the sun. This is a peaceful time of his life, when Elizabeth, Robert, and their growing family are happy. There are no demands placed on Flush and no challenges to his happiness. The lazy heat of the Italian climate reflects his contentment. The sun compels him to rest, symbolizing the peace that has taken over his life.
Urban Smells
In Flush, the cramped, dark houses of cities are contrasted with the open living spaces of the countryside, representing a divide between the urban and the rural. This is clearest in the opening chapter when Flush moves from a rural home to the urban metropolis of London. He experiences the contrast between the two in the difference in their smells: The city’s overwhelming, corrosive odors startle him. He notes that Elizabeth’s room in the Barrett house has strange new smells—her medicines. At first, Flush yearns for the rich diversity of natural scents that he encountered on his regular country walks. In contrast, his trips out into the streets of London are dangerous and putrid. The rank smell of civilization is very unpleasant to a dog that is used to the countryside. However, he comes to think of Elizabeth’s quiet, dark room as a safe haven. Though it does not have the diversity of smells that Flush remembers from the countryside, it is nevertheless a shelter from the chaos of urban existence.
The Dog Leash
When Flush moves to London, he is forced to wear a leash. Per city rules, all dogs in Regent’s Park and other public spaces must be on a leash. Formerly, Flush ran around freely in the countryside and explored wherever he pleased. In London, however, his movements are restricted, and these restrictions are represented by the leash. The chain around his neck is a symbol of the restrictive nature of urban living, not just for dogs but for humans, too.
City life limits the freedoms that Flush once knew, but over time, he becomes used to the leash, which symbolizes that he becomes used to the restrictions on his freedom. Flush internalizes the concept of the chain and lives as though these restrictions are a natural part of his life. He no longer rushes around outside and explores like he used to in the countryside. Instead, he stays close to Elizabeth on their rare forays into the outside world. Flush’s learned behavior shows how people, too, become used to their lack of freedom and, in time, stop questioning it.
In Italy, Flush does not need to wear a leash. The escape to continental Europe represents an open, free way of life, without the social strictures that dominated English society. This is illustrated by the complete absence of the leash as a symbol of social control. Without the chain, Flush and the other Italian dogs are free to enjoy their lives. Flush can smell what he likes and wander where he likes. No dog is bound by the domineering, demeaning symbol of the chain, which is never mentioned after Flush moves to Italy. These years in Italy are the happiest years of Flush’s life, and they are notably without the leash. Similarly, they are Elizabeth’s happiest years as well; she thrives without her father’s domineering control and English society’s rigid rules, which were like a leash around her neck. Thus, the absence of the leash highlights the link between freedom and happiness.
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