Marcel Proust's Swann's Way: Combray as Both a Real Place and a Fictional Place

In the section of "Combray" in Marcel Proust's Swann's Way, the narrator describes the town he would visit during the holidays when he was younger. He would describe it as a town where the houses are dark and the streets are made of black stones. The days are short and everyone is already in their homes with the shades down shortly after the sun sets. He feels that almost anyone who lives there could find it depressing.

However, the narrator's imaginations help him become fond of this town and have given him his greatest memories as a child. The views of Combray as dark and also very colorful through the perception of a young child are what make it real place as well as fictional place.

He describes the town as one that is epitomized by a church. The tall, dark gothic architecture of churches would surely cast down dark shadows along the streets. The church however is where the narrator finds his imagination the most active. As he walks into church during Easter he stares at the stained glass windows and is infatuated with them. He notices that even the weakest ray of sunshine would illuminate the whole church.

He wonders whether it was the light from the sun or his eyes deceiving him that made him see a quick blaze of fire which quickly turned into a peacock fanning his feathers on a window flooded with blue colored glass squares. He found comfort from it because no matter how dull it was outside it would always be vivid inside of the church.

The narrator is also greatly affected by the smells of Combray. Its aroma of fresh linens and the morning smell stimulates his senses. He enjoys it so much that he can't help but feel greedy when he walks into a room and takes deep breathes to take it all in. His acknowledgement for the smell shows how much he appreciates the smaller pleasures of life, even in a town that others may be so ungrateful for.

Combray is also the place where the narrator would satisfy his urge to read. He loved stories and would go immediately to get a book after dinner. It would definitely stimulate his imagination since he would pretend that no one else was around while he completely fell into the story. His growing imagination influenced him to create new images of Combray which made him adore the town. His active imagination is what made this town special to him.

Even though it may seem like a depressing town he made it as lively as possible. The relationship the narrator holds with Combray is very unique since he is aware of its dark reality yet he has a passion for it because of his colorful imagination which makes the fictional Combray in his mind one of his favorite places.