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Clegg’s butterfly collection represents his desire to capture beauty via inherently violent processes. Clegg is an amateur entomologist (someone who studies insects). In particular, he likes to show off his butterfly collection, which he keeps in a drawer in his house. Miranda thinks almost everything about Clegg and his taste is ugly, but even she admits that his butterflies are beautiful. However, she also recognizes that Clegg had to kill the butterflies in order to showcase their beauty. Like the beautiful butterflies who are now sealed away in a drawer, Clegg has captured Miranda and sealed her away in his cellar. The end result of both Clegg’s entomological pursuits and his kidnapping of Miranda is death, suggesting that Clegg cannot appreciate beauty without eventually destroying it.
Clegg’s Butterfly Collection Quotes in The Collector
The The Collector quotes below all refer to the symbol of Clegg’s Butterfly Collection. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Part 2
Quotes
I know what I am to him. A butterfly he has always wanted to catch. I remember (the very first time I met him) G.P. saying that collectors were the worst animals of all. He meant art collectors, of course. I didn’t really understand, I thought he was just trying to shock Caroline—and me. But of course, he is right. They’re anti-life, anti-art, anti-everything.
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Clegg’s Butterfly Collection Symbol Timeline in The Collector
The timeline below shows where the symbol Clegg’s Butterfly Collection appears in The Collector. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part 1
...to do. Immediately, Miranda begins insulting the décor, though she does compliment two pictures of butterflies, which Clegg says he picked out himself. Miranda particularly does not like some china she...
(full context)
...collection, which she refers to as her “fellow-victims.” Eagerly, Clegg shows her a collection of butterflies. Miranda acknowledges that the collection is beautiful, but it makes her sad. Clegg also shows...
(full context)
Part 2
...Clegg’s behavior is so aggressively ordinary that it is notable. She also thinks about the butterflies Clegg showed her, which she found beautiful despite the violence that was necessary to stage...
(full context)
Part 3
...and Miranda had a suicide pact similar to Romeo and Juliet. Clegg looks at his butterfly collection , implying it might be for the final time, and then goes down into the...
(full context)
