Why do you think the author chose the title Circling the Sun? Does it bring to mind a particular moment from the novel or an aspect of Beryl's character?
Created: 08/26/16
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After Denys's death, Beryl says in reference to Karen and herself, "We had both tried for the sun, and had fallen, lurching to earth again, tasting melted wax and sorrow. Denys wasn't hers, or mine" Maybe in her relationship with Denys, she spent a lot of her life circling that sun.
Join Date: 09/15/14
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I think it was at least a twofold decision. Certainly McClain talks about Denys as the 'sun' in her life as well as Karen's. In addition, I think it was appropriately representative of the life of Beryl in general. She was always seeming to get so close to 'melting her wings' as a result of the decisions and subsequent actions in her life whether her choices with men or adventure.
Join Date: 01/26/16
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I think it is a reference to flying too close to the sun. She took many risks during her life with her professional and personal choices, but she lived a long life. So, she circled the sun, but did not fly so close as too actually lose her life.
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The title is a reminder of the adage that if you fly too close to the sun you can will get burned. Beryl circles the sun, taking risks and she has challenges in her life that bring her precariously close to ruin but she is not destroyed.
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I think it can be interpreted on several levels, just as Beryl herself was multi-dimensional. Flying too close to the sun....Denys was her sun...her source of life...taking flight across the atlantic...loving your good friend's lover. So many perspectives, that's what I enjoyed most!
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Add to all the above just the nature of Africa, heat, dry the floods of rain that added a certain danger & loss of control to ones life. Like the Phoenix she was nearly destroyed, but with the heat 'of the sun' and her determination not to give up she came to life & shined brighter.
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Beryl seemed to thrive on living dangerously. That was the free spirit in her. Yet, as others have pointed out, she managed to pull back just enough to avoid permanent injury.
She loved to be daring: so much of her work with horses involved taking chances; certainly her affair with Denys flaunted safe measures; learning to fly a plane--quite outrageous for a woman to consider in those days--provided even more thrills for Beryl.
The humdrum life was not for her!
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