Leila frequently remarks on the azaleas decorating the dance hall. Specifically, they appear only when she refers to the beauty and glamour of the ball—they don't appear in times of stress, like when she has a troubling conversation with the old man.
The azaleas are first mentioned at the beginning of the ball, when Leila enters the dance hall and remarks on the beauty of the scene. The narrative mentions “the azaleas, the lanterns, the stage at one end with its red carpet and gilt chairs and the band in a corner” and describes it all as “heavenly.” These visual details, particularly the azaleas, are essential cornerstones of the imagery and description in the story, and they are mentioned at each turning point. In this first occurrence, Leila views the ball as “heavenly” and notices the azaleas as a key feature of the ball’s beauty.
The azaleas take on new significance when Leila begins to dance with her first partner, feeling elated and full of joy. As Leila and her partner spin across the dance floor, Mansfield writes:
The azaleas were separate flowers no longer; they were pink and white flags streaming by.
The flowers lose their individual distinction and become part of the beautiful world spinning around Leila. Her illusion of the ball is all-encompassing, whirling around her.
The azaleas are mentioned one last time in the final lines of the story when Leila chooses to ignore the old man:
The lights, the azaleas, the dresses, the pink faces, the velvet chairs, all became one beautiful flying wheel.
Losing their distinction once more, the flowers blend together with the other objects of beauty in the ballroom. Describing the azaleas as becoming “one beautiful flying wheel” signifies how Leila purposefully chooses to get lost in the spinning, romanticized vision of the ball that she first felt at the beginning of the dance. In this final line, the motif of the azaleas demonstrates Leila’s choice to fall into a deluded, romanticized vision of the ball and the delusion of youth and wealth that it represents.
