As soon as the moon rises in the sky in Ann Radcliffe’s novel, A Sicilian Romance, a revelation is bound to occur. For instance, Julia awake in her chamber, unable to sleep looks out into the night. The novel depicts the scene that is displayed before her eyes, “The moon shed a mild radiance over the waves, which in gentle undulations flowed upon the sands…Presently she perceived upon the light surface of the sea a small boat” (58). The moonlight foreshadows Julia’s means of escape. The plan formulated between Julia, Ferdinand, and Hippolitus reveals that “…a boat, which was to be kept in waiting, would carry them to the opposite coast of Calabria, where the marriage might be solemnized without danger of interruption” (64). Another instance of the moon inspiring further revelation was when the “faint light of the moon” revealed to the Duke the ancient mansion. At this mansion the Duke encounters a girl who resembles the likeness of Julia (84). Though the girl is revealed to be a stranger and not Julia, it is interesting how both ladies share similar circumstances of fleeing their fathers in pursuit of love.
Time in this novel seems to pervade all. The entire atmosphere of the Mezzeni castle is controlled by the clock tower. The howling from the mysterious Southern apartments of the castle occurs around one. At midnight Julia is awaiting her brother and Hippolitus to initiate her escape and remarks that as the clock strikes twelve, “I hear you for the last time” (66). Stillness followed her assertion. Her assertion reminded me of the old custom where clocks were to be stopped upon the moment of someone’s death. Perhaps this is foreshadowing the death of Hippolitus which would occur later that evening. Julia passes time growing more and more anxious as time slips away until around one when her brother and Hippolitus arrive to attempt their escape. It is interesting to me that one o’clock instead of midnight serves as the more ill-omened time. Usually midnight is the threshold that allows the supernatural forces to awaken, is this shift in time significant in anyway?
