Since the beginning, the story presents the setting to the reader, mentioning the 1830 frontier as an historical and panoramic reference. The way it describes the forest helps the reader to imagine a very isolated and mysterious environment surrounding not only the house but everything that happens in it. Murlock’s description (which name sounds for me like a reference of “murder”) is very explicit, creating the image of an old man that has allowed the time to pass trough him. It is interesting to analyze why the window is boarded, and what can represent this characteristic of the house. If we think about the window as the frame that allows an individual to see a reality that is outside from his own one, the fact that the house’s window was boarded means that nothing was allowed to pass; no other realities, thoughts, or people, just like his soul. We can think as well that he saw a panther (a demon in that moment of unimaginable fear) leave the house through the window, so it was never coming again to kill him if there was no space for it to enter. Although Bierce’s story is quiet short, the reader can feel the gothic environment since the very beginning as it starts describing everything that happens in that part of the frontier, next to the limits of the country (that can have something to do with the fact that the window is boarded) where his house was. The entire story never prepares the reader’s mind to prevent the horrific end when it is showed that Murlock’s wife was never dead but unconscious, and she had to fight against a tremendous beast that ends by killing her. This story has something related to Poe’s narratives and description of settings, but the way Ambrose Bierce tells an entire horror story using few but strong phrases is characteristic of an unique author that lets gothic to express itself by words.
It is awesome how isolation is described. I personally consider an abandoned town in the middle of a forest, as described in the story, the most terrifying place. If something happens, no one will notice.
The plot twist at the end of the history was incredible. The woman was still alive, and she fought the beast with her own teeth. For me, this recurrent situation of burying alive human beings is a classic motif of Gothic literature. Poe's stories "The Fall of The House of Usher", "Berenice", and there is another but in this moment I forget its name. I hope I never experience this situation
I consider this story as one of my favorites that I have read. I believe that the situation with the panther and the wife's death was only part of the main character's imagination. He probably was suffering of fever or/and a trance in which he saw the catastrophe. I believe he kills his wife as a consequence of his trance believing that his wife's body was kidnapped by the panther, but probably she only was trying to escape, through the window, of the main character's madness.
I liked this story too because I think it has less “supernatural” elements. The story is more like an urban legend “the story that was told to a friend of a friend.” The setting of the story covers the basics of the scary stories, a forest, a lone wooden shank or cabin in the middle of the nowhere, a dead body, and an old man. I think that the only "supernatural" element of the story will be the Panther. I think this animal is a symbol of death. The panther in this case, in my opinion, came to reap the soul of his wife and to take her to the other world which is why Murlock sees this animal only in darkness and shadows. It came at night as a nightmare. Murlock was terrified for the unknown, the unseen. He was afraid for this “monster” that was moving in the darkness, making violent sounds.
I really liked the story because at the end, you don't know if the husband imagine that his wife was dead because he has the fever, or if she was really dead. Also, i like that the house was alone in a forest, surrounded by nature, and as Joaquín said, if something happens, nobody will know because the house is isolated
I really liked the comment that Carolina made about the symbolic potential of a boarded window, and of the window itself. In other words, it is not just A window, it is a BOARDED window. Also, I agree with Joaquín's comments about the isolation of the place being an important element that generates fear. Eduardo brings up the important notion of the plot twist: Ambroce Bierce is a MASTER of this. Jenyfer's contribution about the panther being a figment of the imagination is valid and interesting, as is the comment of the story working as an "urban legend" (sorry... who wrote that?). Lastly, Laura coincides a little with what Joaquín said about the setting: the isolation of the house is VERY creepy and effective.
Since the beginning, the story presents the setting to the reader, mentioning the 1830 frontier as an historical and panoramic reference. The way it describes the forest helps the reader to imagine a very isolated and mysterious environment surrounding not only the house but everything that happens in it. Murlock’s description (which name sounds for me like a reference of “murder”) is very explicit, creating the image of an old man that has allowed the time to pass trough him. It is interesting to analyze why the window is boarded, and what can represent this characteristic of the house. If we think about the window as the frame that allows an individual to see a reality that is outside from his own one, the fact that the house’s window was boarded means that nothing was allowed to pass; no other realities, thoughts, or people, just like his soul. We can think as well that he saw a panther (a demon in that moment of unimaginable fear) leave the house through the window, so it was never coming again to kill him if there was no space for it to enter. Although Bierce’s story is quiet short, the reader can feel the gothic environment since the very beginning as it starts describing everything that happens in that part of the frontier, next to the limits of the country (that can have something to do with the fact that the window is boarded) where his house was. The entire story never prepares the reader’s mind to prevent the horrific end when it is showed that Murlock’s wife was never dead but unconscious, and she had to fight against a tremendous beast that ends by killing her.
ReplyDeleteThis story has something related to Poe’s narratives and description of settings, but the way Ambrose Bierce tells an entire horror story using few but strong phrases is characteristic of an unique author that lets gothic to express itself by words.
It is awesome how isolation is described. I personally consider an abandoned town in the middle of a forest, as described in the story, the most terrifying place. If something happens, no one will notice.
ReplyDeleteThe plot twist at the end of the history was incredible. The woman was still alive, and she fought the beast with her own teeth. For me, this recurrent situation of burying alive human beings is a classic motif of Gothic literature. Poe's stories "The Fall of The House of Usher", "Berenice", and there is another but in this moment I forget its name. I hope I never experience this situation
ReplyDeleteI consider this story as one of my favorites that I have read. I believe that the situation with the panther and the wife's death was only part of the main character's imagination. He probably was suffering of fever or/and a trance in which he saw the catastrophe. I believe he kills his wife as a consequence of his trance believing that his wife's body was kidnapped by the panther, but probably she only was trying to escape, through the window, of the main character's madness.
ReplyDeleteI liked this story too because I think it has less “supernatural” elements. The story is more like an urban legend “the story that was told to a friend of a friend.” The setting of the story covers the basics of the scary stories, a forest, a lone wooden shank or cabin in the middle of the nowhere, a dead body, and an old man. I think that the only "supernatural" element of the story will be the Panther. I think this animal is a symbol of death. The panther in this case, in my opinion, came to reap the soul of his wife and to take her to the other world which is why Murlock sees this animal only in darkness and shadows. It came at night as a nightmare. Murlock was terrified for the unknown, the unseen. He was afraid for this “monster” that was moving in the darkness, making violent sounds.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the story because at the end, you don't know if the husband imagine that his wife was dead because he has the fever, or if she was really dead.
ReplyDeleteAlso, i like that the house was alone in a forest, surrounded by nature, and as Joaquín said, if something happens, nobody will know because the house is isolated
I really liked the comment that Carolina made about the symbolic potential of a boarded window, and of the window itself. In other words, it is not just A window, it is a BOARDED window. Also, I agree with Joaquín's comments about the isolation of the place being an important element that generates fear. Eduardo brings up the important notion of the plot twist: Ambroce Bierce is a MASTER of this. Jenyfer's contribution about the panther being a figment of the imagination is valid and interesting, as is the comment of the story working as an "urban legend" (sorry... who wrote that?). Lastly, Laura coincides a little with what Joaquín said about the setting: the isolation of the house is VERY creepy and effective.
ReplyDelete