Browse Items (24 total)

This illustration, appearing as the frontispiece to the [1899] George Routledge and Sons edition, depicts Ellen returning a mosaic, a "piece of pietra-dura work," to M. Muller, a Swiss man and friend of Ellen's uncle Lindsay. A caption below the illustration quotes a sentence from page 532 and reads, "'Tenez, monsieur!' said Ellen, blushing, but smiling, and tendering back the mosaic." Ellen, who is described in the caption as "blushing, but smiling" is turned away from the reader, making it impossible for the viewer of this illustration to confirm the caption's suggestion. During the scene on page 532, the reader is told that the mosaic contains an image of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps, which is situated between Italy and France. The room where Ellen and M. Muller stand is brightly lit, highlighting the features of M. Muller and Ellen's light blue dress. Their exchange emphasizes the novel's focus on the interaction between people of various cultures and nationalities.

This illustration, appearing on page 212a of the [1899] George Routledge and Sons edition, depicts a pale Ellen, sick in bed, as she kisses Mr. Van Brunt's hand. Mr. Van Brunt, dressed in a long green coat and pants with a buttoned orange shirt, stands next to Ellen's bed holding a hymn book in one hand as Ellen kisses the other. A caption below the illustration quotes a short passage from page 212. The illustration embodies the ideas of sentimentalism, which utilizes emotion to affect ideas of morality. Ellen, who has just expressed her desire for Mr. Van Brunt to become one of the "fold of Christ's people," appeals to Mr. Van Brunt (and the viewer of the illustration) through a display of emotional affection. The presence of the hymn book foreshadows Mr. Van Brunt's eventual devotion to Christianity.

This illustration, appearing on page 272b of the [1899] George Routledge and Sons Edition, depicts Alice introducing Ellen to her brother John for the first time. A painting hangs behind the trio and Captain Perry, Alice's cat, wraps himself around John's leg as John leans over Ellen to shake her hand. A caption below the illustration quotes a sentence from page 273 of the text. Alice and Ellen, dressed in brightly colored dresses, provide a contrast to John, who is dressed in all black. John's posture as he leans down to kiss Ellen, gives him a position of dominance as Ellen looks up at him and allows him to take her hand. Alice, positioned demurely behind Ellen, looks down at Ellen, so that both Alice and John, who have recently immigrated from England to America, look down on her. The positions of the trio suggest a superiority of the English and an inferiority of Ellen, who represents American nationality. At the same time, the intimate act that is about to take place in this scene, seems to suggest an important intimacy between America and its colonizer.