Elizabeth And The Analogy Of The Key (To Unlock Ross's Love And Desire)

This post is a follow up to the previous one titled 'That Mysterious Unlocking Key-Demelza' which is inspired and framed around a particular passage in the second book 'Demelza'. This is where Graham wrote Ross's thoughts of gratitude for having Demelza as his wife. He was thinking of how she had a ‘mysterious way’ about her that like a key unlocked his attention and desire and love. That post looked at where the mystery arose from and how it was a unique blend of personality traits which made Demelza 'that key' for Ross. It also considered how Winston Graham set Demelza apart from other women as being able to fully command Ross's heart in this way. For instance, it addressed that, though Ross was quite taken by women such as Caroline Enys and Harriet Warleggan, they still did not have the elements to be ‘that key’ for him. While that previous post also hinted at Elizabeth’s potential to be an 'unlocking key' for Ross, it was promised that this should be explored more thoroughly. Therefore, this is the purpose of this post. However, this will say that despite Ross's self confessed ten year devotion for her, Elizabeth also did not have this ability of Demelza’s to be an 'unlocking key' for Ross in the long term and as the woman she had become.

Another Unlocking Key: Elizabeth?

'He was struck by the mystery of her personality ...that this hair and head and person of the young woman below it....meant more to him than any other because it made up in some mysterious way just that key which unlocked his attention and desire and love."

Narration of Ross's thoughts on Demelza 'Demelza' (internal book 1 chapter 10)

This is ‘the key passage’ that this post and the last one is based around. It is from chapter 10 of the first internal book of 'Demelza'. This invokes the imagery of a key that unlocks something special, as it confirmed that Demelza did this for Ross. However, since many keys are not designed to open one lock, the imagery of a key is also synonymous with being ‘The One’. The emphasis being on the word 'one' in 'one key'. So that is 'one key' out of many that is unique, as the key serves as 'the only key' that can open a particular padlock, front door, treasure chest or in this case Ross’s full heart and soul. That 'one' key is designed to be perfectly in tune and fitted to that one lock. Ross’s lock. 

Seduction, A Blue Dress and a Spirit of Love (Ross and Demelza Poldark: The Love Story- Pt3)

Art of Vera Adexer (@veraAdxer_Art)

In this third blog of the Ross and Demelza Love story series, a significant point has been reached in their relationship which is to essentially move it with the equivalent speed of nought to a hundred, in sixty seconds. The previous blogs look at how they first fell into friendship with each other and then what brought Demelza to make a desperate decision to try and seduce Ross. It's a soft and gentle beginning of their love story so far, but now, (and to excuse the pun) is the climax of the first book as we see how their romantic connection is finally achieved. It is Demelza's well timed discovery of a blue dress with its enchanting appeal to her, together with her seduction plan and a spirit of love, that all combine together to incite, secure and seal the deal. In all this there appears to be this notion of a predetermining force and to begin with it is the blue dress that seemed to reach out to Demelza and which ultimately played such a key role in bringing this romantic union to the fore.

A Fascinating Discovery

Just like the spare room and the magical world in the story of 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe' by C.S Lewis, there was initially an element of mystique and fantasy for Demelza in respect of the library room of Nampara. Similarly, like the Narnia children, in exploring the house about a year after coming to Nampara, Demelza stumbled across the library as if it were an out of the way discovery. She found that from the great bed box which she had slept in on her first night at Nampara '..the second door in that bedroom led through into the library.' We are told that with 'fear and fascination' she was pulled in the direction of the room and that '...once inside the room she was never tired of returning to it'. Like the Narnia children her fascination overpowered her fear and she became completely enchanted with this forbidden quarter of Nampara and all its contents while Ross was unaware that she was visiting regularly.

Demelza's Blue dress seduction night explored!

In episode three of the 5th series of Poldark Demelza made a comment which raised my eyebrows about how 'Romelza' came to be. When attacked by Tess for apparently being lucky enough to have sold her body to her master for the price of a wedding ring, Demelza did not get upset and deny this claim. Instead she said  

"She's right, I knew what I was doing when I went to Ross's room that night. He was an honourable man and I took advantage in his time of weakness."

All this was said with a wry smile on her face to Morwenna, Rosina and Kitty. Of course book Demelza would never have discussed such matters with her best friend let alone the younger locals.

Apart from that, on the TV show the more modern Demelza speaks as if 'that night' or her popping into Ross' room to seduce him is somehow common knowledge and she was just providing more context and flesh to the bones of the story. It could be that the writer thought this was a great comeback for Demelza against Tess and a way for Demelza to come across as getting one up on Tess' attempts to embarrass her. However that does not seem to be the case since Tess left the scene after making her remark and so the comment was not even directed at her but her friends who with her being married into the gentry were technically lower in status than her. So did Debbie Horsefield seek to reframe Demelza's Blue dress seduction night as a callous act of manipulation and make Demelza 'look bad'? That was initially my thought but on reflection I do not think that is necessarily the case.