In reading Dark Spring by Unica Zürn, it is obvious that the theme of eroticism is woven within the entire book as it takes over the main character, a young girl whose name is withheld. With this young girl being at the center of this story as she narrates the events, it is shocking that erotic behavior is associated with someone that in reality, should still be naïve. Over the course of the book, it is obvious that this young girl is exiting her childhood early and entering the adult world for which this erotic behavior consumes her as she continually has the desire to experiment with and test the sexual knowledge she is gaining throughout.
It is apparent throughout much of this story that this young girl is constantly experimenting with different sexual things as her imagination and quest for sexual knowledge drives her to find new ways to pleasure herself. Although it does seem a bit taboo for a young girl to be engaging in sexual pleasure at this age, it portrays the erotic theme as the quest for sexual pleasure consumes her life. As the young girl seeks out different ways to pleasure herself, these sexual encounters make the story at times very uncomfortable to read. With this, I prefer to not focus on the erotic scenes but rather find more interest in analyzing the fetish theme that is also prevalent throughout much of this book as it illustrates a different type of desire and quest for the young girl.
Towards the end of the book, the young girl comes across a very attractive young man while swimming at the pool one day. In laying eyes upon him, she instantly becomes attached to him and develops a crazy fetish desire for which everything about him consumes her entirely. As she returns to the pool daily and idealizes him, her obsession for him only begins to grow which ultimately results in the emotional breakdown she experiences when she believes he may be sick and upon his death bed. In thinking this, she finds the courage to go and visit him at his home further illustrating the strange fetish she has for him as her actions during this encounter are very uncommon.
In reading this specific scene, it is obvious that the young girl’s first action greatly portrays her fetish for this man as she offers him a peach to eat for which after the young girl takes the leftover pit and places it in the pocket of her dress saying, “To remember you.” Considering the young girl wants to keep something as strange as a peach pit, shows that she will go to any means in order to savor this moment with the man she adores. Also, after she makes the comment that this will allow her to remember him, she begins thinking of all of the possible ways she can keep this memento with her forever as she thinks about drilling a hole in it to make a necklace as well as creating a drawer in her room that is specifically designated for him. Another action of hers that alludes to the fetish desire she has is when she asks, “Would it be possible for you to please give me just a single hair of yours?” At this point, it becomes obvious that her fondness for this man extends further beyond than just liking him as her desire for a piece of his hair illustrates her complete obsession with every aspect of him. Since right after asking this question she says that all of her happiness depends on whether or not he can give her a piece of his hair, shows that her life has now become devoted to him. The fact that she believes her happiness is dependent on this man’s existence alludes to the idea that her fetish with him has now evolved into something beyond normal as it has consumed her in every aspect such as emotionally, mentally and physically. This strange fetish is further depicted in this same encounter as she then asks him to give her a picture of him for which he abides and tells her to keep it a secret. Although it may not seem too uncommon for one to ask for a picture, her thoughts that are revealed after the fact portray the strangeness of it. It reading that she says, “Now I can die in peace,” is very interesting as it shows how her obsession for him has been the only reason as to why she believes she exists thus far while at the same time also foreshadowing her future as this fetish may play a part into deciding what her fate is.
As the young girl returns home, her obsession is further portrayed as she consumes herself with the mementos she received as she contemplates what she should do with her prized possessions. As she realizes it is important to hide her mementos, it is apparent that she wants to keep this a secret for which only the man and her share. As she puts the picture of him in her mouth and swallows it, her desire to keep this secret from everyone is what also may keep them connected. This idea is apparent as the text says, “Now she has united herself with him.” The fact that the young girl believes that by swallowing this man’s picture means they are united is very interesting as it may allude to the idea that she realizes this is perhaps the only way the two will ever be together. Also, as she contemplates what to do with his strand of hair for which she decides to seal in red sealing wax and then make a necklace out of, shows that she desperately depends on these possessions to keep her happy. With the young girl making a necklace out of his hair leads me to believe that by doing so, she may think that he will be closer to her heart when she partakes on the final step of her life.
With the final pages discussing the young girl’s suicide, it makes me believe that this decision results in part from her fetish desire and obsession with this man. Considering it is apparent that throughout the encounter with this man there are subtle hints that the girl’s life will end soon, I believe that her fetish for him may have been one of the direct catalysts into her decision to take her own life. Apart from the negative things that are happening in her life, it seems that now because the girl has met the man she idealized for a long time and has received prized possessions from him, she can die. I believe that she feels she can die now because the man was the only thing that seemed to have kept her going towards the end as her anticipation to meet him and be around him was what kept her desire to live alive.
No comments:
Post a Comment