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Demon/Skilled Lover Literary Analysis

Decent Essays

Although all three of the “Demon/Daemon Lover” short stories and “Daemon Lover” ballad occurred under very different circumstances they did in fact share a common quality; a quality that contributed to the demise of each of the poor souls that these tales revolved around. Each of these ladies was burdened with a dissatisfying reality which they desired to escape or leave behind, whether it be an uneventful life, unfulfilling enough to leave a husband and son over, or the depressing memories of an old lover that had long been repressed. In some way or another, by the end of these tales the protagonist and/or reader is confronted with the harsh sudden realization that reality isn’t something that can be successfully eluded. “The Daemon Lover” by Shirley Jackson best demonstrates this dilemma through the perspective of a woman gone mad who longs for her fiancé, Jamie Harris, who has yet to have picked her up for their upcoming wedding. At the onset of the short story the unnamed woman of 34 years was eagerly anticipating the arrival of Jamie whilst remaining in her apartment; she is anxiously making last minute decisions as to which dress she would rather wear and preparing the apartment for their retreat back from the wedding. After waiting around an hour and a half she gives into her hunger and chooses to …show more content…

This is when the author begins to lay out subtle inklings as to the true mental state of this pitiful woman. She leaves a note on her front door as she leaves for the drugstore only to find it when she returns, signifying that Jamie had not

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