“But the girl went to mass on Sunday wearing a skirt and a long-sleeved cashmere sweater with her hair covered with scarf and the young man stood in the back of the church with the men, they gave twenty franks which was more than a dollar then and since the priest took up the collection himself their attitude toward the church was known and the wearing of shorts in the village was regarded as an eccentricity by foreigners rather than an attempt against the morality of the ports of the Camargue.”
The question of donning shorts is both a cultural and a religious issue. Culturally, the residents at the ports consider it foreign for the females to don shorts. The priest does not endorse the shorts for he regards them unreligious. However, the priest’s resolution not to denounce them is a somewhat hypocritical act which is intended to encourage them to keep going to church so they can offer their regards. If the priest were an absolute Christian, he would not accept the offerings from individuals whom he deems to be dressing inappropriately. The priest subverts the religious standards by remaining silent and collecting their offerings anyway.
“The sea was always colder than it looked he thought. It did not really warm until the middle of the summer except on the shallow beaches. This beach drooped off quite suddenly and the water had been sharply cold until the swimming warmed him. He looked out at the sea and the high clouds and noticed how far the fishing fleet was working to the westward.”
The temperature is dependent on the current season, and the sea and its environs create an Eden-like ambiance. Activities such as swimming and fishing make life at the port enjoyable. During the summer, the waters warm up making it pleasant to swim.
“It had been wonderful and they had been truly happy and he had not known that you could love anyone so much that you cared about nothing else and other things seemed inexistent. He had many problems when he married but he had thought of none of them here nor of writing nor of anything but being with this girl whom he loved and was married to and he did not have then sudden clarity that had always come after intercourse.”
Love overshadows the young man’s problems. Instead of being preoccupied with his troubles, he focuses on relishing love. He satisfies his needs for affection after the marriage resulting in extreme happiness in his life. Being in love gives him more happiness which outweighs the gloominess that would arise from his problems. Furthermore, sexual intercourse is therapeutic for him because it increases his clarity.
