Chocolat

Harris uses the symbol of flowers to illuminate different characters’ attitudes toward joy and beauty, exploring her theme of Pleasure Versus Denial. Armande and Vianne both appreciate colorful flowers, symbolizing their advocacy for sensory pleasures and their inclination to look outward into the world around them. As with the titular chocolate, characters bond over sharing or gifting each other beautiful flowers, illustrating the power of pleasure to bring community or intergenerational connections. Luc plants flowers for Armande outside her house: “[S]he likes the bright, scented ones best” (252). Narcisse welcomes Vianne by getting her geraniums for her window boxes and gives Josephine “scarlet anemones” as a gesture of support after she leaves Muscat (234). The scarlet color recalls Armande’s underwear, Roux’s hair, and Vianne’s dress, all people with whom Josephine connects after finding her freedom. Red represents passion and sensual pleasure, reflecting her right to these things, rather than her empty life with her husband—when she tries to recall loving him, she says, “[I]t’s all a blank. Nothing there at all” (220).

Reynaud has a complex relationship with flowers. He wants to tame the churchyard, imposing order on it. He is disturbed by the wildness of the plants and dislikes overly scented or colorful flowers.