One of the most famous passages ever written

"And all from my cup of tea."

Today I thought it would be interesting to take a closer look at a famous passage from Marcel Proust’s ‘In Search of Lost Time’.

drawing from the Proust graphic novel by Chloé Cruchaudet

It’s the scene in which the narrator dips a french pastry, known as a madeleine, into a cup of tea. The taste of it triggers an intense childhood memory.

“No sooner had the warm liquid mixed with the crumbs touched my palate than a shudder ran through me and I stopped, intent upon the extraordinary thing that was happening to me. An exquisite pleasure had invaded my senses, something isolated, detached, with no suggestion of its origin. And at once the vicissitudes of life had become indifferent to me, its disasters innocuous, its brevity illusory – this new sensation having had on me the effect which love has of filling me with a precious essence; or rather this essence was not in me it was me. ... Whence did it come? What did it mean? How could I seize and apprehend it? ... And suddenly the memory revealed itself. The taste was that of the little piece of madeleine which on Sunday mornings at Combray (because on those mornings I did not go out before mass), when I went to say good morning to her in her bedroom, my aunt Léonie used to give me, dipping it first in her own cup of tea or tisane. The sight of the little madeleine had recalled nothing to my mind before I tasted it. And all from my cup of tea.”

Let’s break this passage down.

He’s having what might you might call an out-of-body experience (“something isolated, detached, with no suggestion of its origin”), that also reveals his true self (“this essence was not in me it was me”).

He likens it to falling in love (“this new sensation having had on me the effect which love has”), but then realizes that it’s actually unlocked a core memory ( suddenly the memory revealed itself).

What is this memory? It’s a childhood recollection. His Aunt Léonie used to give him a madeleine after dipping it into some tea.

It’s a memory of pleasure (“an exquisite pleasure had invaded my senses”), and for a moment he becomes a child again, blissfully ignorant of life (“And at once the vicissitudes of life had become indifferent to me, its disasters innocuous, its brevity illusory”).

It’s a beautiful passage about the way in which our senses can unlock memories hidden deep away within our psyche. It also influenced the famous scene in the movie Ratatouille where the food critic Anton ego is transported back to his childhood after taking a bite of his favorite dish.

On a final note. Take a look at the closing line of this passage. It’s almost a bit ironic. Proust writes, “And all from my cup of tea”.¹

Indeed, it’s often the simplest things that provoke the strongest memories.

Julian

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1. Fun fact: Proust originally wanted it to be a slice of toast, not a madeleine. But his editor wisely suggested he keep the pastry. For more on Proust, I highly recommend Christopher Prendergast’s excellent book Living and Dying with Proust.