Emily of New Moon · Theme
Loss and Grief
How Emily of New Moon develops Loss and Grief.
The novel opens with the death of Emily's beloved father, and her journey through orphanhood, displacement, and the struggle to find belonging at New Moon is a central emotional arc.
Where it surfaces
- The House in the Hollow
The chapter foreshadows the impending loss of Emily's father, with Ellen Greene's revelation casting a shadow over Emily's joyful walk.
- A Watch in the Night
Emily confronts the impending loss of her father, while Douglas reflects on the death of his wife Juliet and the grief of separation.
- A Hop Out of Kin
Emily experiences the death of her father and the profound loneliness that follows, struggling to maintain composure.
- IV: A Family Conclave
Emily's private goodbye to her father and her struggle to maintain composure during the funeral.
- VI: New Moon
Emily's profound homesickness and father-sickness are central, as she mourns the loss of her father and her former home.
- XXV: "She Couldn't Have Done It"
The chapter explores the loss of Beatrice Burnley—her abandonment of her child and her death—and the grief that haunts Dr. Burnley and now Emily.