Status Updates From El costat de Guermantes: A ...

1a part

"Partly out of courtesy to his friends..."

- Social status increased the value in the authors’ eyes – meeting the real person kills the fantasy attached to their name
- Françoise is unhappy with the move of apartment and misses Combray dearly; the servants' “sacred” midday dinner cannot be interrupted, the bell for service is ringing, no movement below, author likens it to the first sounds of the instruments being tuned before a concert resumes

- The author’s view of the Guermantes changes with knowledge about the people behind the name; from mysterious “myths” to something closer to the backbone of French history, to a lesser value as that mystery goes away after knowing more about them; then an increased appreciation for the name again after a family friend say they are the leaders of the Faubourg