Midwinter — invincible, immaculate. The Count and his wife go riding, he on a grey mare and she on a black one, she wrapped in the glittering pelts of black foxes; and she wore high, black, shining boots with scarlet heels, and spurs. Fresh snow fell on snow already fallen; when it ceased, the whole world was white. “I wish I had a girl as white as snow,” says the Count. They ride on. They come to a hole in the snow; this hole is filled with blood. He says: “I wish I had a girl as red as blood.” So they ride on again; here is a raven, perched on a bare bough. “I wish I had a girl as black as that bird’s feathers.”
As soon as he completed her description, there she stood, beside the road, white skin, red mouth, black hair and stark naked; she was the child of his desire and the Countess hated her. The Count lifted her up and sat her in front of him on his saddle but the Countess had only one thought:how shall I be rid of her?
The Countess dropped her glove in the snow and told the girl to get down to look for it; she meant to gallop off and leave her there but the Count said: “I’ll buy you new gloves.” At that, the furs sprang off the Countess’s shoulders and twined round the naked girl. Then the Countess threw her diamond brooch through the ice of a frozen pond: “Dive in and fetch it for me,” she said; she thought the girl would drown. But the Count said: “Is she a fish to swim in such cold weather?” Then her boots leapt off the Countess’s feet and on to the girl’s legs. Now the Countess was bare as a bone and the girl furred and booted; the Count felt sorry for his wife. They came to a bush of roses, all in flower. “Pick me one,” said the Countess to the girl. “I can’t deny you that,” said the Count.
So the girl picks a rose; pricks her finger on the thorn; bleeds; screams; falls.
What does the novel seem to be about? The novel seems to be a fairy-tale about a Count who has a desire to have another woman (a girl/child) whom he wishes for ,and makes magically appear at his will. However, the Countess (his wife) is extremely jealous of how this girl taking the Count's attention and wants to kill her ,and so attempts to make the girl do things so that she will die, but each time the Countess tries to kill this girl she loses her clothes until she is only left with the Count feeling sorry for her . In the end, the Countess finally succeeds in getting what she wants and the girl dies whilst picking the Countess a rose. The novel seems to unpick parts of the Count and Countess' relationship on a deeper level by bringing in this naked girl whom is the "child of his desire" and is hated by the Countess.
Who is telling the story? The story is told in third person narrative, it is told as if the narrator is looking down at the situation taking place.
Which characters are introduced? The Count and his wife are first introduced. The way the Countess is dressed is described in lots of detail this is possibly as the Countess' power is seemed to be shown through her dress and later her clothes being taken away could possibly suggest she is being stripped of her power. The Count isn't described at all in terms of physical appearance but is seen more of a man wishing for things that possibly the Countess could not give. The child is introduced once the Count imagines her and is in the Counts eyes perfection and all that he could possibly wish for (literally), however she too is described more so in terms of physical description which could suggest that it a females physical appearance that really matters.
What techniques are used to engage the reader's attention? Lists are used to draw the reader's attention to the physical appearances of the women. Also, similes are used "girl as white as snow" and "as red as blood" " as black as that bird's feathers" this technique is used to compare the girls features to very defined things that are very distinct such as white snow and red blood, they make the girls features stand out. Furthermore, there are semantic fields of words to do words to do with sex, hatred and jealousy that reflect the actions of the characters. Can you explain the time and setting in which the novel is set? This novel seems to be set in England in the 18th/19th century as we use cars now instead of horses and the titles 'Count' and 'Countess' were more likely to be used inupper class aristocratic status'
How do you react to what you have read? The fact that this is the beginning of the novel is surprising as allot happens in a short amount of time and you can really unpick the characters characteristics and personalities in an in depth manner. Also, the fact that the Countess is so cruel to the child is shocking and I did not think that the child would die in the end.
Would you want to read on? Yes, I do want to read on as I want to find out more about the Count and Countess' relationship and more about the Count and the young girls death and why she died.
Do you have any unanswered questions about what you have read? Why would the Count make the Countess take her clothes of for this girl when she is his wife? Is this girl actually real? How do you die from being pricked by a thorn? Why is there such a vivid description of the females?