Taken from Page 9 of Vintage Books Edition
An indispensable preliminary description of Isabelle Azaire arises at the bottom of page nine, occurring after a monologue by Bérard who disparagingly regards the state of music of the age. In this instance, it is the way in which Madame Azaire responds via turning "...her head slowly so that her eyes met those of Bérard...", before she progresses to "coldly" state that she must go and close a window that is of interest.
Given that in this period there was a rigid social structure in which women were integrated in a subservient role, one might propose that for her to just seize control of the conversation in this manner is symbolic of an underlying struggle in society, a struggle for equality. Here, this scene around the dining table might be considered a microcosm of the society of the era as perceived by Faulks. Bérard, for example, is potentially an exaggerated stereotypical representation of a dominant vocal aspect of male society of that period, his arrogance and necessity for control over the others to coerce them into agreement with his ideals being in line with the traditional view of the upper classes in Western Europe at this time. Isabelle Azaire, meanwhile, is the emblem of the contingent of this social strata who disagree with the conventional expectations and convictions of this time, concerning both their role in civilisation, and their relationship with other members of it; today, they would likely be called socialists and feminists.
In this example, rather than allowing herself to acquiesce to the views of Bérard, Isabelle instead decides to disregard the former's assertion and leave her seat at the dining room table, thereby detaching herself from the conversation. Should this group be taken as a representation of the social structure, Madame Azaire's disengagement with them could be perceived as an illustration of how she, and the group which she embodies, is refusing to indulge these individuals or tolerate their attempts to indoctrinate them. Indeed, it could be taken as symbolic of the moment in which this group begins to challenge the pre-existing order.
Further, the fact that she turns her head "...slowly so that her eyes met those of Bérard..." is an intelligent use of a character's body language to make an inference. By her "...slowly..." moving to make eye contact, one might interpret a sense of pronounced moderation, of politely restrained animosity; she will grace him with the manners that are expected of her by addressing him, but only from basic consideration. Indeed, her behaving in this way is a veiled insult, given that it implies a sense of sarcasm in regard to these actions. However, it could also be perceived as an attempt to utilise physical antithesis. By acting in this way, this faux sense of conformity to social expectation, it could be argued that Madame Azaire is making the statement that though she will act in this way on the surface, in reality she does so in a way that affords her control over the situation.
Finally, her excuse being given in a tone described as "...coldly..." conveys yet more about her views, and subsequently the group she embodies; such a description insinuates an innate hostility or contempt for those who identify with the position of Bérard in these matters. Thus, one might interpret this as a belief that individuals who correspond to Bérard are somehow inferior to those such as herself. Should this be taken as a literary metaphor, Madame Azaire's comment implies an agglomeration of pre-eminent individuals who maintain this sense of animosity towards this Bérard demographic. Yet on the other hand, "...coldly..." referring to something could demonstrate a lack of personal emotion towards a subject, which in turn would signify a lack of appreciation for this group; quite simply, it could mean that she, and those she represents, simply do not care for whatever Bérard and others like him have to state.
