Essay Questions

How does the nature of this novel fit in with Beerbohm's profession as a caricaturist?

A caricaturist produces portraits of people with certain elements humorously exaggerated and others unreasonably minimized, making a normal human appear grotesque and ridiculous. This process is essentially satirical, and the transition from caricature to satire is merely a shift of artistic medium. As satire, this novel includes all of the expected elements of a good caricature: the enlargement of something normal-sized to an absurd degree (in this case, the attraction men feel to beautiful young women), as well as the diminution of something normal-sized to virtual nonexistence (in this case, common sense and sanity).

The metaphorical portraits Beerbohm paints of his characters, moreover, fit the qualifications of caricature as well. Zuleika Dobson is a beautiful young woman who simply exudes an aura that causes all men to fall in love with her. This is clearly hyperbole; no woman is this attractive, nor do the sensibilities of reasonable men allow such a universal response. Her childish selfishness is similarly exaggerated; she appears to have absolutely no regard for anyone besides herself. The Duke of Dorset falls into a similar categorization; his seriousness takes over every other aspect of his character, causing him to look ridiculous for taking any excuse he can to commit suicide for the vague cause of some sense of duty. In all, Beerbohm's narrative style, plot devices, and characterizations are all in accordance with his caricaturistic nature, and Zuleika Dobson can be seen as a sort of caricature in itself.

What is the significance of the symbolism of the pearls?

At the beginning of the dinner between the Warden, Zuleika, and the Duke, the Duke has two white pearls on his shirt-front, and Zuleika is wearing two pearl earrings, one pink and one black. By the end of the conversation, the two have fallen in love, and suddenly the Duke realizes that the pearls on his short have transformed into pink and black ones! The next day, when Zuleika visits, he realizes that her pearl earrings have turned white. This magical symbolism represents the mutual exchange of affection between the two; as pink and black are the colors of love, by transferring the colors of Zuleika's pearls to those of the Duke, the novelist symbolizes the fact that she has given him her heart. When she realizes her mistake and retracts her love, the colors of the earrings revert to their original states.

On a deeper level, this strange, mystical transformation of physical objects to reflect a metaphysical reality is the first indication that this novel is not merely realistic, but includes elements of the supernatural. These elements crescendo throughout the novel, culminating in the sightings of ghosts and the infusion of supernatural meaning into each physical action. As a narrative device, then, these pearls are significant both as symbolism in the moment and as the first step in a chain of supernatural events.