This ghostly tale, which keeps the ghost hidden until the very end of the tale, tells the story of two sisters Perdita and Viola. In the tale the author wants to introduce the siblings rivalry in this case represented by these sisters. The rivalry begins because both girls were attracted to Mr. Arthur Lloyd. Since both girls feel an attraction for the same man, an atmosphere of mistrust increases between sisters. After some time, Viola discovered that Mr. Lloyd has decided to married with Perdita. This decision devastates Viola, making her unhappy and full of envy against her sister. In one scene after the wedding Viola dresses up in Perdita’s wedding clothes in front of the mirror, this picture terrified her sister. This scene represents the deeply envy of Viola for her sister and that she will never forgive her, but what is the cause of Viola’s deeply envy? Does she was deeply in love of him? or Does she deeply desire her sister’s life? According to the narrator we do not know.Another example of the mystery about the real desire of Viola is when Viola’s sister died and she get married with her husband. In one part of the story says that both obtain what they desired Mr. Arthur “a devilish fine woman” this description makes the reader think about the real intention of Mr. Arthur for Viola. Did he really love her? or was It just passion?. Also, it is interesting how the author uses the word devilish to describe Viola. It makes the reader think that there is something malicious on her. Then, for Viola the narrator keeps the same idea that we do not know which is her desire. I think that Viola is a cold girl which biggest desire is to be the most prominent of all ladies, and that is something that Mr. Arthur can provide to her. Even though she was a magnificent lady, after three years Mr. Arthur suffered heavy losses of money, and because that circumstance Viola is limited to wear the same dresses. Suffering for her misfortune, Viola remember the big wardrobe that was looked on the attic. She talks to her husband about it, but he denied her the access of it because he made a promise by oath. She manipulated him in order to obtain the key. Mr. Arthur fell into her manipulation and he gave the key to Viola. At the end, Mr. Arthur finds the dead body of Viola in the attic; she was hunched over the chest, where the gowns were saved, with mysterious marks of ten hideous wounds from two ghostly hands. The Romance of Certain Old Clothes is a story focus on rivalry and revenge between two sisters, this last one represented with a ghostly figure that in this case it might be deduced that is the soul of Perdita that comes to take revenge against her sister and her husband who not keep his promise.
I liked your comment about the word choice used to describe Viola: "devilishly fine woman." Even though "devilishly" could be employed as part of a regular expression, the term certainly makes us wonder about Viola's nature and intentions, especially after the shock of seeing her put on her sister's wedding dress. Well done.
I think there is a possibility that the murder of Viola is Perdita's daughter. Viola remains in Mr. Willoughby's house because he wants his daughter to get used to strange faces. The child grows up and gains freedom over his father. Sometimes she even vociferates her displeasure to his father to which “Viola would then drop her tapestry, and put out her handsome hands with the serious smile of the young girl whose virgin fancy has revealed to her all a mother’s healing arts” (James 116). I just think that the child behavior and the description “handsome hands” could be foreshadowing the resolution.
I think this story is different from the other stories read so far. The tension of the story is not focused on a haunted house or the "supernatural" per se. The whole story spins around the relationship of two sisters and deal with human horrors and sins: greed, envy, and wrath. The mood of the story is not gloomy nor mysterious, at least I was so intrigued and entertained by the whole sister drama that I did not perceive any kind of “horror” element. However, I knew that something would happen, that this rivalry will not have a good end. I like that we are moving now to a different kind of stories where what is haunted is not a house but the objects within the house. This time was a vault that contained the power of the late Perdita’s grudge and promise, next time will be a portrait or even a piece of jewelry.
What I like the most from this story is the issue of the sister's relationship after the apparison of Mr. Arthur. Even at the end, it seems that he was like a prize that showed the championship of a familiar fight.
For me was kind of weird the fact that the same person marries two sisters. That's not common in our culture. However, this situation is very important in order to understand the whole story and create the mysterious factor of the story as well
This ghostly tale, which keeps the ghost hidden until the very end of the tale, tells the story of two sisters Perdita and Viola. In the tale the author wants to introduce the siblings rivalry in this case represented by these sisters. The rivalry begins because both girls were attracted to Mr. Arthur Lloyd. Since both girls feel an attraction for the same man, an atmosphere of mistrust increases between sisters. After some time, Viola discovered that Mr. Lloyd has decided to married with Perdita. This decision devastates Viola, making her unhappy and full of envy against her sister.
ReplyDeleteIn one scene after the wedding Viola dresses up in Perdita’s wedding clothes in front of the mirror, this picture terrified her sister. This scene represents the deeply envy of Viola for her sister and that she will never forgive her, but what is the cause of Viola’s deeply envy? Does she was deeply in love of him? or Does she deeply desire her sister’s life? According to the narrator we do not know.Another example of the mystery about the real desire of Viola is when Viola’s sister died and she get married with her husband. In one part of the story says that both obtain what they desired Mr. Arthur “a devilish fine woman” this description makes the reader think about the real intention of Mr. Arthur for Viola. Did he really love her? or was It just passion?. Also, it is interesting how the author uses the word devilish to describe Viola. It makes the reader think that there is something malicious on her. Then, for Viola the narrator keeps the same idea that we do not know which is her desire. I think that Viola is a cold girl which biggest desire is to be the most prominent of all ladies, and that is something that Mr. Arthur can provide to her. Even though she was a magnificent lady, after three years Mr. Arthur suffered heavy losses of money, and because that circumstance Viola is limited to wear the same dresses. Suffering for her misfortune, Viola remember the big wardrobe that was looked on the attic. She talks to her husband about it, but he denied her the access of it because he made a promise by oath. She manipulated him in order to obtain the key. Mr. Arthur fell into her manipulation and he gave the key to Viola. At the end, Mr. Arthur finds the dead body of Viola in the attic; she was hunched over the chest, where the gowns were saved, with mysterious marks of ten hideous wounds from two ghostly hands. The Romance of Certain Old Clothes is a story focus on rivalry and revenge between two sisters, this last one represented with a ghostly figure that in this case it might be deduced that is the soul of Perdita that comes to take revenge against her sister and her husband who not keep his promise.
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ReplyDeleteI liked your comment about the word choice used to describe Viola: "devilishly fine woman." Even though "devilishly" could be employed as part of a regular expression, the term certainly makes us wonder about Viola's nature and intentions, especially after the shock of seeing her put on her sister's wedding dress. Well done.
ReplyDeleteI think there is a possibility that the murder of Viola is Perdita's daughter. Viola remains in Mr. Willoughby's house because he wants his daughter to get used to strange faces. The child grows up and gains freedom over his father. Sometimes she even vociferates her displeasure to his father to which “Viola would then drop her tapestry, and put out her handsome hands with the serious smile of the young girl whose virgin fancy has revealed to her all a mother’s healing arts” (James 116). I just think that the child behavior and the description “handsome hands” could be foreshadowing the resolution.
ReplyDeleteI think this story is different from the other stories read so far. The tension of the story is not focused on a haunted house or the "supernatural" per se. The whole story spins around the relationship of two sisters and deal with human horrors and sins: greed, envy, and wrath. The mood of the story is not gloomy nor mysterious, at least I was so intrigued and entertained by the whole sister drama that I did not perceive any kind of “horror” element. However, I knew that something would happen, that this rivalry will not have a good end. I like that we are moving now to a different kind of stories where what is haunted is not a house but the objects within the house. This time was a vault that contained the power of the late Perdita’s grudge and promise, next time will be a portrait or even a piece of jewelry.
ReplyDeleteWhat I like the most from this story is the issue of the sister's relationship after the apparison of Mr. Arthur. Even at the end, it seems that he was like a prize that showed the championship of a familiar fight.
ReplyDeleteFor me was kind of weird the fact that the same person marries two sisters. That's not common in our culture. However, this situation is very important in order to understand the whole story and create the mysterious factor of the story as well
ReplyDelete