Reflection on Proust’s Combray

The major themes surrounding Part 1 in Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust have many applications in our daily lives. For instance, memory and re-visiting earlier happier and even sad memories predominate Combray. From the narrator’s memories of his inability to sleep without his mother’s kisses to his attempt to understand the adult’s conversation and even the reminiscence of tea and madeleines. All of these spaces and times in the narrator’s life share the memories of his childhood. 

Another significant theme I found at the beginning of this novel was relationships. The narrator goes into a lot of detail regarding how his family members and others like Mr. Swann affect his emotions and sense of self. I sensed the narrator’s emotions of isolation but also belongingness between his family members. The relationship between the narrator and his mother is contingent and depends on the actions his mother takes. For example, the lack of affection from his mother makes him feel like a prisoner but when she kisses him and reads to him, Francois Le Champi he is happy. The act of reading by his mother would work to divert negative emotions. Similarly, I feel like many of us felt this way, especially during our childhood. Attention from our mothers was often followed by feelings of joy and euphoria but neglect would lead to disappointment. The modernist perspective that the novel is written, I feel it allows us to see deeper than what was presented upon us in childhood. The ability to reflect on his childhood allows the narrator to observe the reasoning behind why there may have been no physical affection from his mother on a particular night. His mother obviously busy in dinner conversation with guests like Mr. Swann give insight, whereas as a child, one is not able to comprehend that their mothers are busy. 

The recollection of memory and relationships allows the narrator to reflect on his own perceptions. Modernism in Proust’s Part 1, Combray distinguishes the relevant themes from his childhood and adulthood. Another example would be the famous madeleine scene. Although the narrator describes the feelings of his consumption of tea and madeleines as joyous I doubt as a child, at the moment he felt that it had “immediately rendered the vicissitudes of life unimportant to me” (p 45). The memories alongside the relationship with his aunt Léonie are what cause the recollection of that particular space in his time to be remembered so vividly. I say this because as a child I assume the narrator extremely enjoyed madeleines, however only as an adult can he truly understand the grasp behind the delicious treat! 

I wonder why madeleines for Proust remain a key figure for his recollection with his aunt Leonie? Could it be because he shares fond memories with his aunt and his mother over the consumption of madeleines or was it because he liked the sugar rush perhaps?