I think that this piece in particular does well at representing the overarching purpose of the book. By ending with the line “and I fade again into someone I’m not.” it’s presented very clearly that this character is desperate to be seen beyond what is written of her and shown. To humanize this character of Ophelia/Violet is to make her real. It keeps the reader from separating these photographs from their original setting and forces you to confront the reality of these very real women. To be perceived as something you are not is tortuous in one’s mind. What is written of her in this book is essentially rumor. I think it’s helpful to keep this in mind. However, this statement also tells us that she is powerless to this and has no other choice but to fade into this other character who is comfortable in this station.
Bellocq’s Ophelia (Blue Book pg. 40)
Sep 4th, 2023 by lbvuick
I also wrote about this poem in this book. I think that it is interesting to view a different perspective about how Ophelia believes she is presented in this poem.