But this “affair” is so strong that every face Mr. Lloyd paints, be it Rose Stanley or even his own children, seems to resemble Miss Brodie. In this sense, Mr. Lloyd’s portraits symbolize the power of Miss Brodie’s influence on those around her, a power exerted on her lovers and students alike: just as Mr. Lloyd transfigures everyone into a Miss Brodie, so too does Miss Brodie attempt to transfigure her special girls into copies of her. This is especially the case with Rose, whom Miss Brodie plans to have a love affair with Mr. Lloyd as her, Miss Brodie’s own, proxy. However, Miss Brodie’s plan for Rose fails, and Miss Brodie’s influence over her special girls dissipates as they mature and pursue interests and careers independent of her. At last, only Mr. Lloyd and Sandy remain imprinted with Brodie’s image, and their common obsession with her draws the two of them into a love affair.
“The Transfiguration of the Commonplace” Quotes in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
The The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie quotes below all refer to the symbol of “The Transfiguration of the Commonplace”. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 6
Quotes
‘What were the main influences of your schooldays, Sister Helena? Were they literary or political or personal? Was it Calvinism?’
Sandy said: ‘There was a Miss Jean Brodie in her prime.’
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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“The Transfiguration of the Commonplace” Symbol Timeline in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
The timeline below shows where the symbol “The Transfiguration of the Commonplace” appears in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2
...middle age, is a nun called Sister Helena. She has published a famous psychological treatise, “The Transfiguration of the Commonplace,” and is therefore allowed, as no other nuns are, to have visitors. A young man...
(full context)
Chapter 6
...Brodie girls contact Sandy after she has become Sister Helena of the Transfiguration and published “The Transfiguration of the Commonplace.” Jenny writes that Miss Brodie is past her prime and obsessed with the question of...
(full context)
