Flush: A Biography

Flush has no comprehension of the human constructs that divide time into months and years. To him, the rising and setting of the sun signify the beginning and end of each day, while the changing weather represents the broader passage of time. When discussing the years that Flush and Elizabeth spend together, the references to the changing weather represent Flush’s awareness of how much time is passing. The novel’s mentions of the weather are narrative touchstones that cross species boundaries and are understood by both Elizabeth and Flush. As Flush grows older, his relationship with Elizabeth matures, and his references to the changing weather symbolize his awareness of the long time that they have been together.

For Elizabeth, however, the weather is more than just a demonstration of passing time. At the beginning of the novel, she is ill and confined to her house throughout most of the year due to the inclement English weather. For someone in her health, the wet and the cold are serious threats. Her life could be cut short by exposure to bad weather. The relationship between Elizabeth and the weather is an example of pathetic fallacy, a literary device in which a character’s environment reflects their emotional state.