Reflections in a Golden Eye

“The Captain’s agitation seemed more than such a mishap warranted. Standing alone in the woods he was a small man.”

Isolation and strangeness are central themes of Reflections in a Golden Eye, and they work together in this quote. The Captain’s agitation makes no sense to anyone else, and he stands there feeling it alone. Even though his wife and Private Williams are right there with him, the Captain has no way to connect with the people around him; all he can do is isolate himself further by being hostile.

“Lenora Penderton feared neither man, beast, or the devil; God she had never known.”

This quote introduces Leonora’s point of view and her life in general. It invokes mighty figures and archetypes, which suggests that Leonora will be similarly mighty. It soon emerges that she isn’t, but that her reputation is. This first impression is much like the one the Private gets.

“The expression of his mute face had not been changed by his experience, but now and then he narrowed his gold-brown eyes as though he were forming within himself some subtle scheme.”

This quote, which directly references the title of the book, allows readers to look at Private Williams as he looks at Leonora. However, it does not reveal his thoughts or feelings, leaving readers to conjecture based on their understanding of how people work. This is just what Private Williams is doing to Mrs. Penderton: He knows only what his father has told him about women, and nothing about Mrs. Penderton as an individual.