General Information

Holly is a shrub which belongs to the family of Aquifoliaceae [1]. The holly is an evergreen, and has linear, thick, prickly leathery dark green leaves, small white flowers and red round glossy fruits. The fruits of the shrubs are poisonous. The holly can grow up to 15 meters height. The plants grow in mixed forests at the Atlantic side of Europe and Western and Central areas around the Mediterranean Sea [2]. The branches and berries of the holly are used as Christmas decorations in the United States and England [1].

Interpretation of the Holly regarding to the short story Mr. Jones

„ [...] holly hedges as solid as walls “ ([3] p.594).

This can be interpreted in many different ways. It could be viewed as walls to keep the evil spirits away. It could also be seen as keeping Mr. Jones evil intentions at bay. Another possible interpretation is that the wall is just the separation between the outside and the inside world, separating life from death.

[1] “Holly,” The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6^th ed.

https://www.encyclopedia.com/plants-and-animals/plants/plants/holly (06.04.2019)

[2] Hofmann, Helga (2012): Bäume und Sträucher. Die wichtigsten Arten entdecken und bestimmen. Gräfe Und Unzer Verlag, München.

[3] Lewis, Richard Warrington Baldwin (1968): The Collected Short Stories of Edith Wharton – Volume 2. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York.