Lesson 7

This Week's Assignment:

Oddly enough I want you to write me a report. Most of you have a favorite book or story. I'd like you to go back to your favorite chapter or passage in that book or story and read it slowly, mindfully, noticing the way the author uses language. It doesn't have to be long; maybe it's only a paragraph. Then write up your report: I'd like you to include a synopsis of the passage, title and author of the piece, and your analysis. Tell me what tools and tricks you notice. Good luck!
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         One of my favorite books is The Witching Hour, by Anne Rice. The story opens with a life-threatening event that brings together two strangers. Michael Curry is drowning in the stormy ocean waters off the coast of San Francisco. He is miraculously spotted and plucked from the raging waters by the beautiful Dr. Rowan Mayfield, who happened to be caught in the same storm returning from an evening rove on her boat. Michael experiences a vision while underwater, and receives a desperate message from a coven of witches instructing him to help them. When he is rescued, he cannot fully remember the message but, nonetheless, feels a sense of urgency to recall and perform the task he was given. We learn that Rowan was raised from infancy by a distant relative. She becomes Michael's lover and confidante; but, unbeknownst to her, she is the last witch in the long line of ancestors from the coven Michael was contacted by.

         The main plot of the book is enriched by a fascinating look through the generations of the Mayfair witches, beginning with Suzanne in the 1600's.

         The excerpt I am concentrating on for this assignment occurs early in the story, at the point where Michael and Rowan are getting to know each other. The first time I read the book, this excerpt gave me chills, and I remember reading it over several times to savor the effect it had on me.

         Michael has just told Rowan about the vision he had and the purpose he can't remember but must fulfill. He is telling her he must leave, to search for understanding, but she asks him to stay the night. He is emotional, and starts toward where she is standing with her back against the faintly illuminated glass of the window. As her eyes become visible to him in the dim light, a strange illusion occurs to him. "Her face in the soft glow from beyond the walls appeared perfectly menacing and malicious. Surely it was a mistake. He wasn't making out any true expression. The figure facing him seemed to have lowered her head, to be peering up at him from beneath the fringe of her straight blonde hair, in an attitude of consummate hatred." The illusion stops him in his tracks, and scares him badly. A moment later, she starts toward him, moving into the light of the doorway, and Michael's impression changes. "How pretty and sad she looked! How could he have ever made such an error? She was about to cry. In fact, it was simply awful to see the sadness in her face, to see the sudden silent hunger and spill of emotion."

         Rice's talent for writing a haunting passage such as this is evident. She uses high impact modifiers like 'perfectly menacing and malicious'; and 'an attitude of consummate hatred' to drive home the image of Rowan's features in that moment. The reader is seeing Rowan through Michael's eyes, and feeling the fear he is experiencing right along with him.

         This passage is an excellent piece of foreshadowing. At this point in the book, neither Michael nor the reader knows the name Mayfair and has no reason to suspect that Rowan is connected to his vision. Nor does Rowan have any idea that she is a direct descendant of the Mayfair family of witches. She is unaware of how she looks when Michael sees her appear evil in a certain light; this foreshadows future events when they must both accept that she is a witch.

         The excerpt demonstrates Anne Rice's style as a writer. I enjoy this passage for its vocabulary choices and for its rich tone of suspense and mystery. It evokes a strong emotional response in me every time I revisit it, and it remains one of my favorite excerpts of all time.