The Nebuly Coat · Question
How does The Nebuly Coat develop the theme of Obsession and Madness?
Answer
The Nebuly Coat by John Meade Falkner develops Obsession and Madness across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
Martin Joliffe's fixation on proving his lineage and the organist Sharnall's descent into alcoholism illustrate how obsession can lead to ruin, with the nebuly coat serving as a symbol of consuming delusion.
Martin Joliffe's lifelong quest to prove his Blandamer ancestry, which consumed his fortune and sanity, is a central focus of Sharnall's narrative.
Sharnall's growing secretiveness over Martin Joliffe's papers and Miss Euphemia's fear that the papers will 'bewitch' the gentlemen echo the theme of obsessive pursuit.
Sharnall's obsessive attachment to his composition and Westray's sudden, frantic journey to London suggest a theme of fixation and irrational response.
Evidence in the book
- Chapter II
Martin Joliffe's lifelong quest to prove his Blandamer ancestry, which consumed his fortune and sanity, is a central focus of Sharnall's narrative.
- Chapter XI
Sharnall's growing secretiveness over Martin Joliffe's papers and Miss Euphemia's fear that the papers will 'bewitch' the gentlemen echo the theme of obsessive pursuit.
- XII
Sharnall's obsessive attachment to his composition and Westray's sudden, frantic journey to London suggest a theme of fixation and irrational response.
- XIV
Westray's fixation on Sharnall's absence and the eerie atmosphere of the minter reflect the theme of obsession; Sharnall's earlier hallucinations about a man with a hammer hint at madness.
- XX
Martin Joliffe's lifelong obsession with proving his legitimacy and claiming Fording is portrayed as a delusion that consumed his life.
- Chapter XXI
Lord Blandamer's obsessive dedication to the nebuly coat and his paranoia about threats to his title reflect a near-mad fixation.
- XXII
Westray's obsessive remorse and the psychological strain of his moral compromise border on a kind of madness, as he contemplates sacrifice and self-destruction.
- XXIII
Westray's decision to remain in the belfry until the last moment and Lord Blandamer's calm, almost reckless rescue reflect a fixation on the tower's fate that borders on the obsessive.
