55 pages • 1 hour read
The Magnolia Palace
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Symbols & Motifs
Magnolias
Magnolias appear as a motif in both the 1919 and 1966 storylines. When Veronica arrives at the Frick Collection in Chapter 2, “[t]he reception area was dominated by a massive floral arrangement on a table in the very center of the hall, where delicate magnolia blossoms erupted from thick, dark stems” (19). The flowers’ significance is first articulated through Joshua, the Frick Collection archivist, who explains: “For a time, Mr. Frick was the owner of the famous Magnolia Diamond, a flawless twelve-carat pink diamond. Today, the Frick Collection is well-known for the large magnolia trees on the main lawn” (27). Further, as Joshua points out, the magnolia trees were planted “because they represent transience” (112). The magnolias are relatively unique to the Frick Collection, especially in New York, and their likeness appears throughout the museum.
The Magnolia Diamond is a major focus of the 1966 storyline, as Veronica and Joshua hunt for the “magnolia treasure” that Veronica believes is the diamond. The treasure, however, turns out to be a watch fob for Richard Danforth, with a magnolia embroidered on the ribbon: “A delicate pale pink magnolia bloom had been sewn into the silk” (170). This illustrates the fact that the magnolia was an important symbol to the family on a personal level; because the Magnolia Diamond is hidden behind a cameo of Martha, magnolias remind the Fricks of Martha as well.
As the novel centers on solving a mystery that has been buried by the passage of time, the magnolias’ symbolized transience is a reminder of how even dramatic events can fade into history. In the 1966 timeline, the events of Lillian’s 1919 timeline are mostly forgotten, and even Joshua, who is well educated on the topic, knows little about Angelica. Ownership of the Magnolia Diamond has proven transient, as have some of the relationships in the novel, like Lillian’s and Helen’s relationships with Richard. Placing the first story in 1919 during the “Spanish Flu” pandemic also emphasizes the transience of life. In addition, because the magnolia motif appears in both narrative timelines, it accentuates the narrative structure as the story alternates between two timelines that eventually weave and interconnect.
Organ Room
The organ room’s symbolism is central in the mystery of the missing Magnolia Diamond; this room represents discovery and new beginnings. Several important scenes take place there, including most of Lillian’s interactions with Mr. Graham (it is the place where she and Mr. Graham organize her escape to a new life and the place where her relationship with Mr. Graham first forms). The organ room is where Lillian first arrives upon the idea of becoming a librarian. It is also the place where the two storylines intersect: After Richard kisses Lillian there, she leaves the clues behind to be forgotten until Veronica finds them 45 years later.
The organ room is an unusual feature of the Frick mansion, built into the house on Mr. Frick’s orders. Mr. Frick’s hiring of Mr. Graham to play the instrument daily during lunch is eccentric as well, making it a memorable addition to the house. Davis uses the organ room to orient the reader in both stories—by having this unusual room appear prominently in both timelines, she reminds the reader that these stories are happening in the same setting but in different time periods. It also provides connectivity between the two narratives so that when they finally do weave together, and Helen and then Lillian appear in the 1966 timeline, the connection is more seamless.
Muses
The concept of the muse is a motif throughout Lillian’s narrative. Although she is officially an artists’ model, her part in the finished artwork went beyond posing. She, and the sculptors, consider her a “muse.” She is a collaborator, participating in the process, and this is recognized through her status as the “Gilded Age Muse,” signifying the time when “she was at the height of her modeling career, feted and heralded as the great artists’ muse, almost as well-known as the artists themselves” (133). Many members of the art world, such as Mrs. Whitney, understand the extent of Lillian’s profession, but even within the art world, many fail to see the depth of her contribution.
Davis uses the term “muse” to describe Lillian’s true contribution, but also to highlight how others misunderstand her profession. When Lillian meets with the Hollywood producer, he says, “You were a muse to them and you’ll be a muse to me, I can see that” (205). He doesn’t use the word in the sense that Lillian uses it, instead meaning that her life will serve as rough material for his own work. By using the word in a different context, Davis highlights the way Lillian’s work was misunderstood. She juxtaposes the producer’s insinuation with Joshua’s admiration when he finds out Lillian is “the Angelica? The Gilded Age muse?” (298). As a member of the art world in 1966, Joshua understands the full implications of the word. Davis contrasts these two uses of the same word to highlight The Double Standard of the art world, in which a woman’s body is both objectified and idealized, both exploited and elevated.
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