The Garden of Eden

Catherine and David spend their honeymoon in the south of France. One of the features of the small town in which they stay is a quiet, secluded beach. The privacy of the beach is notable as–unlike in the small towns–they are completely alone when they visit the beach. This degree of privacy allows the newlyweds to escape scrutiny for a short amount of time. They swim and sunbathe in the nude, not feeling obliged to dress. They talk, kiss, and have sex away from the lingering gaze of the public or the hotel owners that marks their life in the towns. The privacy of the beach is different from the hotel (where the owners are watching) and the café (where there are always people). At the beach, they can be free from social expectations, and they no longer feel compelled to play the roles society expects of them. In a literal sense, their inhibitions are stripped away, and they can be the honest, denuded versions of themselves. The beach is a symbol of the couple’s desire for intimate privacy.

The secluded beach allows Catherine and David to perform a symbolic gesture when they befriend

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