The Buccaneers

“It was that absence of self-consciousness which fascinated Nan.”

Nan is not an envious person by nature, but she does envy Conchita’s apparent lack of self-consciousness: her ability not to worry about being observed by her parents and by society as a whole. In this youthful moment, Nan craves a form of existence that is free from societal expectations and etiquette so that she can become the most authentic version of herself.

“He laid a hand on his wife’s graying blond hair, and brushed her care-worn forehead with the tip of his moustache—a ritual gesture which convinced him that he had kissed her, and Mrs. St. George that she had been kissed. She looked up at him with admiring eyes.”

The “ritual gesture” (21) between husband and wife is a feigned kiss that alludes to affection and is mutually understood. The Colonel’s lips may never have touched his wife’s head, but she understands that the gesture is a sign of affection even if the action itself remains complete. This quirk of their marriage reflects the physical distance that exists between them, implying that this distance was built on a foundation of deep understanding.

“‘Lady Brittlesey?’ (It was thus that Miss Testvalley had pronounced the name.)”

Because she is from Britain, Miss Testvalley has a natural understanding of the pronunciation of British names like Brightlingsea, and her subtle correction hints at the gap between the British and American cultures. Mrs. St. George pronounces the name phonetically, and although Miss Testvalley does not judge this attempt, she cannot help but correct it, and the exchange alludes to the ironic