Tyrian purple to be 6,6′-dibromoindigo, derivative of indigo dye that had previously been synthesized in 1903. However, it has never been synthesized commercially. In 1998, through a lengthy trial and error process, an English engineer named John Edmonds rediscovered a process for dyeing with Tyrian purple. He researched recipes and observations of dyers from the 15th century to the 18th century. He explored the biotechnology process behind woad fermentation. After collaborating with a chemist, Edmonds hypothesized that an alkaline fermenting vat was necessary. He studied an incomplete ancient recipe for Tyrian purple recorded by Pliny the Elder. By altering the percentage of
Prized Possessions Prized Possessions Setting Main Characters Supporting Characters The story begins with the speaker’s groaning and cynical comment on “poverty,” in which he redefines it as something highly substantial than what many people consider it to be, something “that clings to you” (111). As the narrator “I” goes on to describe the unfavorable circumstances surrounding his family, his critical attitude toward the family and contemporary Japanese society stands out. In his view, both units of community seem to lack the “capacity to manage its affairs” with weakening patriarchal figures (111). As a result, there is now an unmistakable sign of havoc