The Demon Lover

The Demon Lover
Page 1039 Questions

1. Throughout the story there are several characteristics of a ghost story, mainly the idea of a supernatural being placing the letter on her table. Because no one is supposed to know that she is back in London, it is strange for the letter to be even addressed to her in such a perfect timing as well as being placed on her table. In addition, it is even stranger to have her ex-lover write such a provocative letter to her, after 25 years have already passed. Also, another aspect of the story that makes it ghost-like is the flashback to her younger self, with the mysterious ex-lover. The suspense that we don’t know how the lover looks like, as well as the fact that he was assumed to be dead, is supernatural and resembles a ghost story. 2. In order to relay the supernatural or eerie presence of the soldier, the author uses quotes to showcase how cold and off-putting he is with “special glitters in the place of his eyes” as well as the ominous quote “I shall be with you . . . sooner or later” Also, the soldier merely tells the girl to wait and then leaves for war, which is fairly normal, but what is supernatural is the fact that he comes back after 25 years of no communication. 3. The fact that there was a letter on the table, in the middle of an abandoned and deserted town, relays how unusual and strange it is, especially because in times of war, no one would expect a random letter to be addressed to him or her. Also, it shows how the little actions or events that take place in one’s life can have enormous consequences. 4. Mrs. Drover has important valuables in her house and she also speaks about the dead air which surrounds her house. In addition, the house overall represents something that is locked up and abandoned, and when coming back – one can see how dead and lost the house is. In addition, there is a constant eeriness and fear associated with the house, showcasing even more how scared Mrs. Drover is in her house. 5. Two ways that this story can be interpreted is that one her ex-lover does come back to her and tries to kidnap her in the taxi. However, another interpretation is that this whole incident is in her head, and that the taxi driver was merely a regular taxi driver, but her paranoia causes her to imagine him. There is more evidence to show that her ex-lover is the taxi driver, because of the fact that the taxi is waiting for her, drives without any instruction, and also the fact that the clock chimes at 7pm, which indicates the time that her ex-fiance and her wanted to meet up. 6. The ambiguity adds to the story, to interpret which ending he chooses to believe in, either the supernatural one – the one where her ex-fiance is coming back, or the mental one – which comes from Mrs. Drover and her paranoia. 7. At the beginning of the story, I assumed it was another sad and solemn war story, about perhaps a women who is returning to a lost home – but then the appearance of the letter on the table quickly changed the mood from boring to suspenseful and scary. 8. Event: The flashback with her and her ex-fiance.
My Response: It was quite creepy, rather than nostalgic, because there was a feeling of coldness and awkwardness. In addition, there was no description of love or emotion, rather a solemn farewell that resulted in an ominous saying that he will be back.
Techniques: The author uses a variety of techniques, first with the general setting, “it was dark . . . which he each time pressed without very much kindness, and painfully” as well as the lack of emotion that the ex-fiance faced. Kathleen was filled with emotions of whether or not she should cry or be shout, yet her ex-fiance, “without feeling” states a simple, “I shall be with you” – foreshadowing another encounter.
Event: The encounter with the taxi.
My Response: I was completely off-put, just the fact that a strange taxi pulls up to her house and drives without any instruction indicates that there is someone who has been following her. Also, she screams after seeing the drivers face, screaming and shouting against the glass windows.
Techniques: The author uses the eeriness of the mood to play on the complete surprise Mrs. Drover faces when she meets the taxi driver. She mentions how the two looked at each other “an eternity eye to eye” and she flings her mouth “open for some seconds before she could issue her first scream”. The sensory description shows how frightened she must have been after seeing the taxi driver, further pointing to the conclusion that her ex-fiance is the taxi driver. 9. She truly is haunted by unresolved feelings from her past, because if she wasn’t then why would she be having these paranoid feelings. The symptoms that showcase her paranoia is the fact that she is irrational and immediately goes to the most implausible circumstances. In addition, the person may feel insecure or guilty about the circumstances that arose when she was younger – these actions which in term “haunts” the person.