Eyes/Sight

Fuller incorporates the motif of eyes and sight in her novel as a physical representation of morality. Closed or missing eyes, like those of the peacocks and the shrunken heads, represent a lack of morality. Victor and Frances’ act of gluing the peacocks’ eyes back in place is symbolic of returning to morality. Another significant reference to sight is the Judas hole through which Frances spies on her downstairs neighbors.

The peacocks’ missing eyes are symbols of immorality referring to both the soldiers and to Peter. Frances is the one who notices how the birds featured on the wallpaper in the drawing room have been disfigured. She narrates that she and Peter were so disturbed by what had happened that “We went from wall to wall, touching the disfigured birds and exclaiming at who could have been wicked enough to go to the trouble of...