Though he speaks of firewood, the image of falling echoes the feuille tombée : fragile, disconnected, and surrendering to gravity.
In a lesser-known passage, Proust describes the sound of a feuille tombée touching the ground as "un petit bruit sec de cœur qui cesse" (a little dry noise of a ceasing heart). The leaf becomes a symbol of lost time and ended affection. Feuille tombee
Boil red oak leaves in water with a pinch of iron sulfate to obtain a soft grey-green dye. Soak a linen cloth overnight. You will wear the color of feuilles tombées — an act of sustainable fashion. Though he speaks of firewood, the image of