GRGR: Jessica Swanlake

[jbor at bigpond.com]

> Jessica's name evokes aspects of her character, the fact that she is 
> conscious of her physical beauty and grace, and that she is constantly 
> performing, as a ballerina does on stage.

In her first appearance it's to an observer that Jessica "seems" to 
have "slid into a shallow trance", but her pose is in fact very 
studied, accentuating her physical attractions (exposed neck, hair 
falling over her face, the caress of her fingertips). She is waiting, 
poised, ready to seize her opportunity. After the bomb blast and its 
effect on the light and shadows in the room (and Gloaming walking over 
to turn off the gas jet) distract attention from the seance, Jessica 
decides that it's the "right moment" to throw the dart, but it's the 
motion of her hair and breasts which are the primary focus.

So, she succeeds in drawing the focus away from the seance, which is 
partly why Carroll Eventyr is "irritable". Others in the pub lose 
interest. Then Jessica makes a move on Gloaming, making small talk 
"brightly to head off any comment on the dart incident, which she'd 
rather avoid" (31).

Everything she does is measured for effect. Jessica needs to be the 
centre of attention; she's an exhibitionist.

***

"They're bound eastward now, Roger peering over the wheel, hunched 
Dracula-style inside his Burberry ..." (37)

While it's easy to read the opening of this flashback scene 
descriptively I can see more clearly now the idea that the name 
"Swanlake" in the previous section evokes the opening theme music of 
the movie 'Dracula', but I'm not sure where it goes from there. I don't 
think Roger perceives himself as Dracula, nor do I think Jessica does. 
(Nor the author, nor the reader, implied or otherwise.)

Perhaps they've recently been to see the movie together ... Perhaps the 
allusion continues in the (alliterative) description of Jessica's 
nightmare where "Something's stalking through the city of Smoke", 
gathering up young girls (53) ... Perhaps a connection has surfaced in 
Jessica's mind between the war and Dracula, and she perceives Roger in 
his work to be acting as the war's advocate or representative ...

I've come around a bit. There might be something in it. But it still 
might prove to be a dead end.

best