The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 2

The crack in the garret wall separating Emma’s and Mr. Pierce’s rooms is a recurring motif that represents the circumvention of rigid Victorian social conventions. This small, physical flaw in the architecture of Lapis Lazuli House creates a private, unchaperoned channel of communication, allowing for a relationship to develop outside the highly performative and restrictive public sphere. Their correspondence, beginning in this volume with the practical and humorous note, “WE HAVE MICE” (5), establishes a tone of frankness and equality that would be impossible in a formal drawing-room setting. By passing notes through the wall, Emma and Mr. Pierce bypass the rituals of supervised courtship and social calls, building a connection based on wit and mutual problem-solving. This private space offers a reprieve from The Exhaustion of Maintaining Social Appearances.

This motif highlights the novella’s interest in creating alternative spaces where intimacy can flourish. The wall is a barrier, but the crack is a deliberate point of connection, much like the one in Pyramus and Thisbe, which Emma references. Unlike the formal, public interactions dictated by society, the notes exchanged through the wall are immediate, unfiltered, and personal. They discuss everything from mice and troublesome relatives to insomnia and philosophy, creating a unique bond of trust and understanding. The crack thus becomes a symbol of their relationship itself: unconventional, hidden from public view, and built upon a foundation of direct and honest communication.

The lucky-unlucky marble, a keepsake from Emma’s deceased beloved Maxwell, is a symbol of her unresolved sorrow and the persistent weight of the past. It is a tangible link to her gravest loss, directly embodying the theme of Grief as a Lingering Presence. Its dual nature, as both lucky and unlucky, reflects the paradoxical nature of grief itself: The good fortune of having loved someone is inextricably tied to the misfortune of their loss. Emma’s reliance on the marble surfaces during moments of acute stress or vulnerability reveals her need for a connection to Maxwell as a source of strength. She explains that the marble “has the remarkable ability to turn the tide of luck in either direction” (60), a belief that emphasizes her feeling of powerlessness and her desire to exert some control over her precarious circumstances.

The marble’s journey throughout the novella charts Emma’s emotional state. Her anxiety when she misplaces it in the church and her relief upon its recovery demonstrate how closely her sense of security is tied to this memento. Ultimately, her decision to throw the marble away on Primrose Hill is a significant turning point. This act does not signify an erasure of her grief; rather, it is a conscious choice to release its hold on her present and future. In letting go of the object, Emma begins to confront her loss as a part of her history that she can carry forward without being defined by it.