The Man Who Loved Flowers

“The air was soft and beautiful, the sky was darkening by slow degrees from blue to the calm and lovely violet of dusk.”

The opening description of the city sets up the juxtaposition between beauty and menace in the text. The softness of the air indicates The Joy of Young Love. However, the sky darkening to violet symbolizes mourning, foreshadowing the imminent shift to violence and death.

“He had that look about him. He was dressed in a light gray suit, the narrow tie pulled down a little, his top collar button undone. His hair was dark and cut short. His complexion was fair, his eyes a light blue. Not an extraordinary face, but on this soft spring evening, on this avenue, in May of 1963, he was beautiful.”

King’s parallel structure and short syntax call attention to the ordinary nature of the young man, who is romanticized on this beautiful spring evening. He looks the part of a respectable gentleman, embodying The Joy of Young Love. This description reflects irony, as looks turn out to be deceiving.

“He loved to see her eyes light up with surprise and joy when he brought her a surprise—little things, because he was far from rich.”

The idea of little things making a difference in a relationship resonates here. However, the repetition of the word “surprise” is important given the surprise in both the protagonist’s eyes and “Norma’s” when they finally meet. The surprise of the nameless young woman is not caused by the joy of receiving flowers but by fear.