Proust, the madeleine and memory

Abstract

When Proust’s narrator, Marcel, eats the crumbs of a madeleine dipped in lime blossom tea it triggers a process of remembering that brings his past to life. At first the narrator describes himself as being struck in a way that captures his attention. He is not sure what this sudden awareness means, but he conjectures that it was his tasting the madeleine soaked in tea that brought about this startling feeling. He tastes it again. The same feeling occurs. But when he tries a third time the feeling is diminished. After much effortful concentration, Marcel finally comes to realize why the tasting experience is so potent: it is anchored by a long-buried memory that is gradually brought to the surface of consciousness. At this point the narrator recalls his aunt Léonie bedroom, where on Sundays she would soak pieces of madeleine in her lime blossom tea. He remembers the old grey house in Combray, the gardens, the streets and the square of the small town. From this beginning comes the vast outpourings of Marcel’s memories of his past life.