Obsession and Jealousy

Robert Godwin's consuming, unrequited love for Felise transforms into a bitter, self-torturing obsession, illustrating how fixation can lead to cruelty and a desire to witness the happiness one cannot have.

Felise's intense focus on Martial's movements and her emotional turmoil as he passes without seeing her hint at the beginnings of an obsessive attachment.

Felise's single-minded focus on Barnard, her inability to notice the world around her, and her emotional turmoil after the meeting highlight an obsessive quality to her love.

Barnard's inability to stop thinking about Felise, his return to the beech tree, and his fixation on the carved initial and handkerchief illustrate the onset of obsessive longing.

Felise's obsessive thoughts about Martial, her repeated visits to the beech tree, and her fear of losing him to another woman.