Remarkable Creatures

In Chevalier’s fictional account of the small coastal village, Lyme Regis transforms from a quiet provincial town to a frontier of discovery through the curiosity and tenacity of two pioneering women. Lyme Regis is not only the setting for the story but is also a symbol of contrasts that include the intersection of science and nature as well as the clash of traditional ideas and progressive thinking. The historical setting creates a strong sense of place and becomes a force for personal growth in the characters. Elizabeth describes its unique landscape, saying: “Lyme Regis is a town that has submitted to its geography rather than forced the land to submit to it” (19). Its beaches and cliffs represent a treasure trove of ancient secrets that open a new world of possibilities to the characters and the scientific world.

For Mary Anning, Lyme Regis symbolizes home and the only place she’s ever lived. The coastal landscape is so ingrained in Mary’s psyche that she can feel the tidal rhythms in her body. However, for Elizabeth Philpot, Lyme Regis first represents her helpless situation as an aging, unmarried woman. Forced to leave her life in London after her brother’s marriage, Elizabeth must settle for a humbler lifestyle in the rustic seaside village. Over time, however, Elizabeth falls in love with the natural beauty that inspires her scientific endeavors. As the story progresses, Lyme Regis becomes the location that brings Mary and Elizabeth together, since they are two women who wouldn’t usually cross paths.

Lyme Regis symbolizes the convergence of scientific inquiry and natural wonder as the town’s unique fossil-rich landscape and coastal environment catalyzes Mary and Elizabeth’s intellectual curiosity, exploration, and groundbreaking discoveries that challenge societal norms and reshape scientific understanding.

The town’s cliffs, beaches, and geological formations draw the two women to the same spot as they search through the rich repository of prehistoric secrets, mysteries, and revelations waiting to be unearthed. In time, Lyme Regis becomes famous throughout the nation, and then the world, for the treasures it harbors. Elizabeth describes how Mary’s discoveries bring scores of people to the village, saying people are “drawn to Lyme by a fever many have felt for finding treasure on the beach, where old bones with their hints of earlier worlds become as precious as silver” (191).

Lyme Regis also symbolizes transformation and growth, both personally and scientifically, for Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot. When the novel opens, Mary is still a child, yet through her fossil-hunting experiences and relationship with Elizabeth, she experiences a profound coming-of-age journey precipitated by her environment. As Mary unearths mysterious skeletons and her discoveries attract the attention of her neighbors and the scientific community, she faces adversity and conflict; she encounters judgment from religious fundamentalists as well as scrutiny for dabbling in what is considered a man’s work. These experiences make her more mature, and by the end of the novel, she is a balanced young woman. Similarly, Lyme Regis becomes a catalyst for significant change in Elizabeth as well. As soon as she moves to the town, Elizabeth feels more unrestrained as the pace of life is laid back and social rules are more relaxed. She can enjoy walking through the streets unchaperoned and freely comb the beaches for fossils without fear of disapproving stares. Elizabeth says that “Lyme […] fostered an independent spirit” in her and her sisters (117). However, meeting Mary Anning changes Elizabeth since their friendship across classes flouts social rules. Elizabeth’s time with Mary on Lyme Regis’s beaches transforms her into a more empathetic and open-minded person. For both women, Lyme Regis symbolizes a place that offers challenges and opportunities that inspire resilience and personal growth.