This paper will argue that the novel, in contrasting the disparity between the
dreams and
realities of its two main characters,
depicts the confrontation between innocence and evil in modern society. Beginning with a comparison of the
dreams and
realities of Felicia and Mr. Hilditch, the paper will discuss how Hilditch was unable to reconcile the two and was destroyed while Felicia manages to engage reality while preserving some of her dreams.