Proust was devoted to the idea that music may express meaning and emotion more effectively than words can. When Swann first hears Vinteuil's sonata, it stays with him and eventually comes to express the characteristics that make him who he is. The violin's crescendos' peaks and valleys cause him to experience feelings of depression and awe in that order. The music takes on the role of the theme for his romance with Odette, making sure that every time he hears it, he would think of her.