I was thinking that the woman could be a personification of beauty. The story is his developing relationship with beauty. This is commensurate with the coming of age theme that seems to permeate Fantastes itself and echos the theme from earlier in the story with the alabaster lady. His admiration of her starts from a distance and is only visual, but he longs for it to be instantiated, similar to how a man may become interested in a woman.
I thought for a moment she may be a representation of the Holy Spirit in the life of a new believer but I would have to reread it more closely to suss that out…
He had to die because sacrificial love is the highest kind of love. But it wasn't just his life that he offered.
I was thinking that the woman could be a personification of beauty. The story is his developing relationship with beauty. This is commensurate with the coming of age theme that seems to permeate Fantastes itself and echos the theme from earlier in the story with the alabaster lady. His admiration of her starts from a distance and is only visual, but he longs for it to be instantiated, similar to how a man may become interested in a woman.
I agree, it is definitely an encounter with Beauty and also leads him into Truth and Goodness.
I thought for a moment she may be a representation of the Holy Spirit in the life of a new believer but I would have to reread it more closely to suss that out…