we need to talk about benedict’s obsession w sophie’s hands. (and their hands in general)
yes, we talk about it when it comes to the masquerade dance scene, but there’s so much more to it!
the only piece he has of sophie (not that he knows it’s her) after that night, is her glove. ya know, the thing she’d wear on her hand.
he’s obsessively holding it, looking at it.
when he meets sophie as sophie for the first time, he questions her a second time about if they’ve met before, after she takes his hand.
the first time she initiates touching him (other than helping when he’s hurt) is to touch his cheek with her hand during the lil french lesson scene.
then we get to the button! she fixes his button with you guessed it! her hands! and then he can’t get the moment off of his mind.
in the scene by the window when sophie is reminiscing about their time at my cottage he takes her hand on instinct, trying to convince her to stay.
and it becomes more than just his obsession/love for her hands. their story really revolves around both of their hands. how he draws and paints with his, and how hard she works as a maid with hers.
staircase scene. need i say more? HANDS.
their first time? he’s kissing her hands and wrist.
and now on the other hand… when benedict comes out to her, she reaches to take his hand.
he draws her a sketch of Our Cottage too!
when she comforts him outside after the funeral, she places a hand on his arm. he can’t look at her, but he can look at where her hand is on him.
in the study after that, when she leans against the desk by his side, she’s the one to slide her hand closer to his, which he can’t help but take into his own.
he holds on to her hand until the last possible second in that scene.
of course the lady in silver reveal being with the glove(s) speaks for itself.
then at the queens ball, the fact that he takes her hand in front of everyone 😫 and then he removes the glove when he proposes to her (the same gloves from the masquerade ball, the opposite hand this time around!)
there are the close up shots of their hands on the terrace after the queens ball, when she takes his before they dance and then after when she says she’ll stay.
and now my last point, the painting at the very end.
a gorgeous portrait of sophie which he painted by hand. the first painting he’s ever completed, and it’s of the woman he loves.
i’m sure i’m missing moments, and that some of this is gibberish, but i had one thought about this as a theme in their story and here it is!
All excellent observations, and fun fact, there's a folklore reason for this!
We discussed on @whattheforce that Benedict and Sophie's story was clearly inspired by the Grimm fairy tale The Maiden With No Hands:
Basically, Sophie's hands have been symbolically removed, but through her love with Benedict, they grow back!
