The Wings of the Dove

The chronology of The Wings of the Dove uses the motif of the seasons to represent the life of Milly Theale. Milly is first introduced in the spring in Switzerland. Spring represents a time of hope, new growth, and optimism—an ethos James invokes by introducing Milly and Susan at the start of their arcs, in high spirits and enjoying “the wondrous beauty of the early high-climbing spring” (97). When they decamp to London for the summer—a season that symbolizes flourishing energy, love, and growth—Milly enjoys a vibrant social life. She takes in everything she can and, indeed, flourishes. The high point of this season, and of Milly’s life more generally, is the garden party in Marcham where she feels “summer full-flushed but attuned to the general perfect taste” (174). When she begins to cry in front of the portrait, she confesses to Lord Mark, “I shall never be better than this” (183), foreshadowing the coming “dog days” of summer. As the season begins to turn to fall, she gets the news from Sir Luke that her illness is likely terminal.

In the autumn, a time when nature contracts, the leaves on the trees begin to die and fall, and the end of the year approaches, Milly and her party decamp to Venice.