Unsettling Language in Elizabeth Bowen’s The Demon Lover Essay

Contemporary novels have imposed upon the love tribulations of women, throughout the exploration of genre and the romantic quest. Zora Neale Hurston’s Their eyes were watching God (1978) and Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway (2000) interplay on the various tribulations of women, throughout the conventions of the romantic quest and the search for identity. The protagonists of both texts are women and experience tribulations of their own, however, unique from the conventional romantic novels of their predecessors. Such tribulations include the submission of women and the male desire for dominance when they explore the romantic quest and furthermore, the inner struggles of women. Both texts display graphic imagery of the women’s inner experiences through confronting and engaging literary techniques, which enhance the audiences’ reading experience. Hurston’s reconstructions of the genre are demonstrated through a Southern context, which is the exploration of womanhood and innocence. Whilst Woolf’s interpretation of the romantic quest is shown through modernity and an intimate connection with the persona Clarissa Dalloway, within a patriarchal society.

And had she changed? Did she also look better to Edwin, almost slender now and the freckles not noticeable except at the height of summer? And with her new-found ability for light talk? They were passing beneath the eucalyptus trees and the silver drops, falling as the wind shook the leaves, stung her face, feeling at once both cool and burning, Meadow larks in the fields which edged the campus sang in the quiet way they have after the rain has stopped.

Mrs. Mallard and Mrs. Sommers have a fair share of intemperance. Mrs. Mallard has come to the realization that the death of her husband is not only a tragic occurrence, but also a beneficial cutting of her previously binding marital ties. The crisis of her grief has given her new insight on her life, and Mrs. Mallard understands that her marriage has limited her independence and freedom. Due to this realization she immediately forgets about the accident and starts to think about her freedom: ““Free! Body and soul free!” she kept whispering” (paragraph 14). It is only an hour after Mrs. Mallard has received the bitter news of her husband’s death. Considering that her husband is gone, instead of mourning, she is overwhelmed with the freedom she

When she was nineteen she made a promise to her fiancé, who her mother claimed "was set on her, not in love." A couple months after he left for war he was reported missing and presumed dead. At thirty two she met and married her current husband and had children. Now, it seems that the demon wants his "fiancé" to keep her promise. Bowen may have chosen to give her the last name of Drover, because a drover is someone who herds animals to market and it seems as though her fate will meet the same demise as the demon takes her away. Mrs. Drovers internal conflict occurred when she did not come through on the promise that she made and now, it seem she can not even recall what the promise was. She is faced with an external conflict as well because she will no longer have her family. She is in the hands of a demon. The third person objective point of view forces the reader to conclude for themself what is really happening. We can not hear her thoughts so it is impossible to know if she really remembers this "so-called promise." The two main elements that really work together to make this story felt by the reader are setting and language. The excellent use of literal imagery evokes the readers senses and sends a chilling feeling of suspense and terror down the spine, thus, creating the perfect setting. A sense of uneasiness is created

All three versions of “The Demon Lover has the same common messages: to be careful in trust, be careful of the vows you make, and that the decisions of the young often come back around negatively. All three pieces exemplify these messages heavily. Of all of the works maintaining these themes, Elizabeth Bowen’s “The Demon Lover” displays these messages the

The reader might question as to why Mrs. Mallard’s feelings towards her husband’s death change so quickly. Was she previously unaware of the “subtle and elusive” (227) thoughts that made her believe that this death might be a blessing in disguise? Mrs. Mallard, before her husband’s death, had a romanticized view of her marriage. While she believed she loved Brently and was happy, after his death she became aware of the freedom she would now experience without a controlling husband. The “powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence” (228) would no longer be present. Mrs. Mallard was aware of her yearnings of independence and joy, but would never voice them while locked into her marriage with Brantley. While at first, it may seem as Mrs. Mallard was unaware of these feelings, the death of her husband was just the catalyst that allowed her deepest feelings to be revealed and her dreams of independence to finally

Many people read for some sort emotion the words invoke. Whether it is joy, sadness, fear, or anticipation, readers love being able to feel the emotions the characters feel without actually going through the same experiences. This is especially true for horror and suspense stories. Elizabeth Bowen’s short story “The Demon Lover” is able to invoke a lot of emotion through different literary elements, which is why it is so popular. Elements such as point of view, suspense, and foreshadowing really put the readers on the edge of their seats.

The carriage clattered over the rough road, and there were moments when Abigail felt the conveyance tilt upon its wheels, sending her toward the side with her mother's scant weight pressing upon her in grim reminder of how little the frail, ill woman could withstand the rigors of such a journey. Her fingers in Abigail's hand were cold, hardly more than winter twigs. She could feel the fear inside with them, an invisible fog that sapped heat and set her teeth to chattering, despite the warmth of the air.

“Papa, whats wrong?... he handed her the letter and her hands began to shake as she made her way through it” (pg. 417). The look on her papas face said enough about the truths she read in the letter. Her curiosity did end well for her this time and her fears now became reality. Both Rosa and Liesel faced the consequences of their curiosity which lead to one of their loved ones being away from

Drover finds a letter addressed to her, “the letter, which bore no stamp,” (Bowen 1084) that must have been recently placed on the table, as other objects “wore a film of another kind; and the only ventilation being the chimney,” (Bowen 1084). All the objects in the house were covered in dust, yet this letter had none on it. She begins to wonder how did the letter appeared on the table; the caretaker is away and the letter should have been forwarded to her residence in the country. Mrs. Drover reads the letter in her old bedroom, which she discovers the letter was from her fiance that was presumed dead during the first World War. In terror she remembers what he left her, “that cut of the button on her palm of hand was, principally, what she was to carry away,” (Bowen 1085). Her fiance was aggressive and physically hurt Mrs. Drover to leave a memory of him.. In panic, Mrs. Drover rushes to finish her tasks in the house as she wonders how he knows she is there and when will he come. These thoughts are running through her head, as well as the reader’s head. Mrs. Drover becomes haunted with memories she has of him. The letter is signed with by “K” so the reader is unaware of who the fiance is and his past; however, based upon Mrs. Drover’s reaction, the reader can conclude that this man is someone to be feared. More and more panic sets in as time passes, Mrs. Drover not knowing the set time they are to meet. The rain and the damaged, dark house aids her paranoia as she begins to believe she is not alone, and is concerned when hearing noises. Mrs. Drover wants to escape back to the country as soon as possible to be with her family, in safety away from the dead

Upon hearing the death of her husband's, Mrs. Mallard went through many different emotions. The first emotion is grief, the author tried to compare Mrs. Mallard to other women that would've responded to the news of their husbands death with "paralyzed inability" ( "she

       As the tale begins we immediately can sympathize with the repressive plight of the protagonist.  Her romantic imagination is obvious as she describes the "hereditary estate" (Gilman, Wallpaper 170) or the "haunted house" (170) as she would like it to be.  She tells us of her husband, John, who "scoffs" (170) at her romantic sentiments and is "practical to the extreme" (170).  However, in a time

The atmosphere of this exposition is clearly foreboding: "the dark clouds, broken chimneys, unused street, solitary cat, and dead air" all prove ominous and reflect the sordid ruling mood. Failed culture and solitary of aimless women ("a cat moved itself in and out of railing") not knowing exactly what to do about their predicaments in which

The letter went from a “badge of shame as an adulterer to a “symbol of her calling” as being able to help others in need (111). All of her hard work and determination allowed her to succeed and the townspeople embraced her and spoke good words of her, saying she was “so kind to the poor, so helpful to the sick, [and] so comfortable to the afflicted” (111). Though she committed adultery and went through a great deal of public humiliation, she did not let it destroy her. Instead she embraced her sin and was able to redeem herself through hard work and determination.

“Ok, I understand Mrs. Evans.” He noticed the way she looked at her husband’s picture hanging on top of the chimney. It was like he was still there to watch her. Everything in the room was tidy and clean. She must have made time pass by cleaning up everything. He could see though that there was an unusually big pile of papers on the corner of the desk behind her seat. Maybe she had been busy organizing some things, a job or maybe a closer investigation on the case…