Allusions and References in The Story of The Amulet
The chapter "The Queen in London" satirizes then-contemporary occult belief. A journalist mistakes the Queen of Babylon for the Theosophist Annie Besant (like Nesbit, a socialist and social reformer) and mentions Theosophy in reference to (to him) inexplicable events taking place in the British Museum). "Thought-transference" (telepathy) also gets a mention as part of an elaborate and mistaken rationalization for the Queen's "delusion" that she comes from ancient Babylon.
The eponymously named ninth chapter, which takes place in Atlantis, though primarily inspired by Plato's dialogue Critias, also borrows such details from C. J. Cutcliffe Hyne's novel The Lost Continent: The Story of Atlantis (1899), such as the presence of mammoths, dinosaurs, and a volcanic mountain on the island.
The final chapter in which the lonely Learned Gentleman and the quixotic ancient Egyptian Priest fuse into a single being; with the ritual being overseen by a young girl Anthea is one of the most stirring and unusual moments in the book. It almost appears to represent a marriage, not just of intellect and ancient knowledge, but of love.
Read more about this topic: The Story Of The Amulet
Famous quotes containing the word story:
“And now, dear little children, who may this story read,
To idle, silly, flattering words, I pray you ne’er give heed;
Unto an evil counselor close heart, and ear, and eye,
And take a lesson from this tale of the Spider and the Fly.”
—Mary Howitt (1799–1888)