1. Possession: A Romance A. S. Byatt
First Chapter. Analysis

2. Main Topics Quest (Ash’s lawless love story) Quotations Draft Letters
Roland Mitchell’s Characterization
Quest (Ash’s lawless
love story)
Quotations
Draft Letters
Illegal action

3. Quotations Fiction Science Vico’s Principj di Scienza Nuova
Ash’s Complete Works
Gods, Men and Heroes
Complete Correspondence Of R. H. Ash
Pranks Of Priapus
The Grecian Way of Love
The Garden Of Proserpina
Science
Vico’s Principj di Scienza Nuova

4. Fictional Book
A fictional book is a non-existent book created with the purpose of a work of fiction. Such a book may:
provide the basis for the novel plot
add verisimilitude by supplying plausible background info
act as a thread of a particular writer’s output or canon
be used as a device to illustrate a story within a story

5. The Grecian Way of Love may refer to a philosophical aspect of love
In Greek mythology: Priapus, was a minor rustic fertility God, protector of livestock, fruit plants, gardens and male genitalia. It refers to physical love.

6. Myth
Proserpina was Cerere’s daughter raped by Pluton the king of Ade while picking up some flower on Pergusa lake shore. She became Ade’s wife and queen of Hell.
In Possession
In Ash’s The Garden of Proserpina, as in the Greek myth, there is a dramatic change in life routine. You can find the same situation in Ash and Lamotte’s love story. Ash breaks into Lamotte’s life as did Pluto in Proserpina’s.

7. Giambattista Vico:: an Italian philosopher, historian and lawyer.
In Possession
Discovery of Ash’s letter drafts addressed to a mysterious woman.
Vico’s text is about philosophy, history and poetry. The text is based on human reason.
Its location between the two previously quoted texts underlines the role of reason to look for a possible connection between different aspects of love.
G. Vico states ancient people used myth to express universal values and truths.
Byatt uses the same device to introduce the kinds of love story visible in the romance with Proserpina’s myth.