In a Season of Calm Weather

In a Season of Calm Weather

The story under discussion is written by an American author of the 20th century Ray Bradbury, famous for his science-fiction stories and novels. Amongst his most well-known and outstanding works are ‘Dandelion Wine’ and ‘Fahrenheit 451’.

‘In a Season of Calm Weather’ is a short story by Ray Bradbury from his collection of short-stories ‘A Medicine for Melancholy’. The title of the story stays in contrast to the story itself, as feelings inside main character are hard to be called as calm ones. On the contrary, his emotional state is occupied with passion and even some kind of obsession with the famous artist.

The story is about a couple George and Alice Smith, who came to spend holidays at the popular resort at Biarritz. A man, having a passion for art was obsessed with Picasso, his talent and masterpieces by him. One evening, walking along the desolated and deserted shore he suddenly notices a man, doodling and drawing furiously some figures on the sand. It is Picasso himself. Smith meets the artist face to face but stays motionless and soundless in a shock. After the artist leaves, Smith realizes that the only way to preserve these drawings is to memorize every detail of it. When the sun goes down George Smith returns to the hotel but the fear of the incoming tide dominates his every thought.

The story takes place on the French coast at the resort called Biarritz. Though it comes in contrast with the title of the story the place-setting is still important as it is Picasso’s land according to the text. The time-setting embraces the period when Picasso lived. From this point of view the time-setting is also important as everything in this story is connected with Picasso. The main idea of the story is lies in the thought that art is everywhere around us and can’t be hidden. Another idea the author pursues is that human thoughts might be somehow materialized and all dreams might come true even if we don’t expect them to.

The author describes George Smith telling that only from his appearance nobody could say that he is a little bit different from other tourists, the author even uses metaphor, comparing him with ice lettuce, nevertheless he was a man who loved art ‘more than life itself’. We also learn why George came particularly in France: the author underlines it using rethorical questions ‘Why? Why eat, breathe, drink everything French? So that, given time, he might really begin to understand the genius of one man.’ This is the theme running through the whole story. George is obsessed with Picasso and everything in the story is connected with the artist. He thinks about drinking out the best Bordeaux ‘to see with native eyes’, he says that ‘it's all Picasso country!’.

George Smith certainly loved other artists. The author uses a metaphor, saying that George preferred Caravaggio for breakfast, Van Gogh for lunch, but the great feast for him certainly was Picasso. He loved others, but with Picasso he was obsessed. A hyperbolic metaphor is used to show the value of Picasso in George’s life – Picasso ‘was filling the horizon’, and the extended simile ‘like Neptune risen, crowned with limewood, alabaster, coral, paintbrushes clenched like tridents in horn-nailed fists, and with fishtail vast enough to fluke summer showers out over all Gibraltar’ only proves it.

The story itself is a contrast. We can see this contrast from the very beginning. The title is in contrast with main character’s soul. This tendency remains true for the whole text. The contrast of water as a symbol of calmness with the fire as a symbol of passion in his soul can be easily seen in numerous epithets: water and sand, flushed-pink bricks and scrolled electric--blue ironwork balconies, Blue Period at twilight and Rose Period at dawn. Those two elements: water and fire are always alongside. Thus we can even come across such sentences: White fire showered up when he cut the water. The author writes it as if comparing George with something burning which gives reaction coming in the contact with still water.

On the contrary the author uses the metaphor ‘in tranquil weather’ to show that emotional state of Picasso is in a contrast with it of George: he is calm and relaxed. But his appearance still bears the same everlasting contrast, the epithets are used to show it: he is deeper tanned, his close-shaven head dyed almost mahogany by the sun but his eyes are clear and bright as water (simile).

After two men meet and Picasso leaves, George memorizes every detail of his drawings until the sun comes down. And again we can see symbolism in the imaginary used: the metaphors the sun burned faintly on his face and his eyes were two small fires show the emotional state of George.

When he returns to the hotel there is no more fire in his eyes, he is too terrified to meet the truth: the tide coming will erase all the drawings. He prefers not to explain anything to his wife and says with his eyes now shut:

"Just the tide," "Just the tide, coming in."