Narrative Summary of Widdershins

Overview:

I am Paul Oleron, a novelist who is tired of his life and struggling to finish a novel. I move into an old, seemingly abandoned house with hopes of finding a fresh start. However, the house is far from empty. I begin to experience odd occurrences, including a strange rustling noise and the discovery of an old, faded bag. My friend, Elsie Bengough, visits me and expresses her dislike of the house, claiming it will hinder my work. She also suffers a series of accidents while visiting me. I am convinced that the house is haunted, and begin to investigate.

Main Parts:

Part 1: My move to the old house, my struggles with writing, and my growing attachment to the house. Elsie’s visit and her comments about the house, her injuries, and my realization of her feelings for me.
Part 2: My discovery of a strange, recurring noise in the house and my growing fear that the house is haunted by a ghost. Elsie’s final visit and her departure after a second accident.
Part 3: My descent into madness. I begin to embrace the inexplicable and become obsessed with the unknown presence in the house. I neglect my writing and isolate myself further.
Part 4: My encounter with the ghost, my recognition that it is a woman brushing her hair, and my subsequent escape to a local pub.
Part 5: My return to the house, my confrontation with Barrett and my growing terror of the house. I attempt to leave but am drawn back. I discover Elsie’s letters and find my bed disturbed.
Part 6: My growing obsession with the ghost, my investigation of the house and my belief that my new novel is somehow related to the presence.
Part 7: My efforts to contact the ghost and my realization that it is a jealous, vengeful entity.
Part 8: My descent into agoraphobia and my fear of being outside. I further isolate myself in the house and my obsession with the ghost grows. I have a terrifying encounter with what I believe to be Elsie.
Part 9: My realization that I am in love with Elsie and my growing desire to protect her from the ghost. My strange behavior, my confrontation with Barrett, and my fear that the ghost is trying to harm Elsie.
Part 10: My decision to leave the house and my conversation with the vicar. I return to the house and am visited by the ghost. I try to ignore its presence but am tormented by it.
Part 11: My growing madness and my complete isolation. My obsession with the ghost and my inability to work. I hear Elsie’s cries for help but choose to ignore them.
Part 12: My collapse and my belief that I am ill. I hear Elsie’s voice and believe she is helping me. The ghost makes its final appearance and my eventual death.
Part 13: The discovery of my body and the ghost, revealing its true nature.

View on Life:

Paul’s View: Initially, Paul believes in a life of nobility, generosity, and disinterestedness. He sees his writing as a form of moral purpose and a way to elevate himself above the mundane. However, as he becomes increasingly drawn into the house’s influence, his view of life becomes more cynical and nihilistic. He sees himself as a failure, trapped in a life of drudgery and unable to achieve true happiness.
Elsie’s View: Elsie believes in a practical and straightforward approach to life. She is concerned with material success and sees Paul’s artistic pursuits as somewhat detached from reality. Her love for Paul is fierce and ultimately destructive, leading to her obsession with him and her eventual demise.
The Ghost’s View: The ghost represents a primal force, driven by jealousy and a desire for revenge. It seeks to consume Paul and possess his soul, demonstrating that even the most subtle and seemingly harmless spirits can become destructive.

Scenarios:

The Discovery of the Faded Bag: I find a large, faded bag hidden in a window-seat of my sitting room. The bag, later identified as a harp-wrapping, serves as a symbol of the mysteries hidden within the house.
Elsie’s Accidents: Elsie suffers two accidents in the house, first scratching her hand on a hidden nail and later breaking through a seemingly sound step. These accidents serve to highlight the danger and mystery surrounding the house, as well as Elsie’s obsession with Paul.
The Haunting Noise: I hear a constant, faint rustling noise, later identified as the sound of a woman brushing her hair. This sound is the first indication that the house is haunted and fuels my growing obsession with the mystery.
The Confrontation with Barrett: I have a heated argument with Barrett, the agent, over his gossip about me and Elsie. This confrontation highlights the social tension in the square and foreshadows the danger that the house holds.
The Search for the Ghost: My quest to discover the nature of the haunting consumes me, and I isolate myself in the house, engaging in strange rituals and becoming increasingly obsessed with the ghost.
My Collapse: I am found collapsed in my house, weakened and delirious, with signs of severe illness and neglect. My death is ultimately caused by the ghost’s presence.
The Discovery of the Ghost: The ghost is discovered in a cupboard of the house, revealed to be a woman wrapped in the faded bag. Its nature is ultimately tied to Elsie.

Challenges:

Paul’s Writer’s Block: He struggles to complete his novel, torn between his artistic vision and his desire for a simpler life.
The Ghost’s Presence: The ghost’s haunting and the events surrounding it become a formidable challenge for Paul, both mentally and emotionally.
Elsie’s Obsession: Elsie’s love for Paul becomes destructive, leading her to disregard her own safety and ultimately causing her demise.
Paul’s Struggle with Self-Justification: Paul is constantly battling his own demons, seeking to justify his choices and reconcile his actions with his artistic ideals.

Conflict:

The Conflict Between Paul and the Ghost: The ghost represents a primal, vengeful force that seeks to consume Paul’s soul. This conflict is both external, as Paul tries to understand and combat the ghost, and internal, as he grapples with his own mental and emotional deterioration.
The Conflict Between Paul and Elsie: Elsie’s love for Paul becomes a source of conflict, as her devotion and her need for him create a tension that he cannot resolve.
The Conflict Between Paul and His Artistic Conscience: Paul struggles with his own artistic ideals and his desire for popularity and success, leading to a self-inflicted conflict that ultimately drives him to his downfall.

Plot:

Introduction: Paul moves into an old house hoping for a fresh start, but he soon discovers that the house is haunted.
Rising Action: Paul is drawn deeper into the mystery of the house, becoming increasingly obsessed with the ghost. His relationship with Elsie becomes strained as she suffers a series of accidents and expresses her fear of the house.
Climax: Paul confronts the ghost, which is revealed to be a woman, and is driven to madness. Elsie’s final visit and her death further complicate the mystery.
Falling Action: Paul’s obsession with the ghost consumes him, leading to his isolation and eventual collapse. The ghost is discovered and its connection to Elsie is revealed.
Resolution: Paul dies as a result of the ghost’s presence, leaving behind a mystery that remains unsolved.

Point of view:

First-Person Narrative: The story is told from Paul’s perspective, giving the reader intimate access to his thoughts and feelings as he unravels the mysteries of the house. This point of view allows for a gradual escalation of tension and a sense of mounting dread as Paul’s mental state deteriorates.

How it’s written:

Stream of Consciousness Style: The narrative is written in a fragmented, stream-of-consciousness style, reflecting Paul’s increasingly fractured mental state. The reader is pulled into Paul’s thoughts and experiences, feeling the intensity of his fear and obsession.
Example: “I waited, but nothing happened. It seemed that if this was my attempt to justify myself, the plea was certainly not disallowed. But neither had I any sign that it was allowed; and presently it occurred to me that possibly I had couched it in terms too general. Perhaps a more particular claim would meet with a different reception.”

Tone:

Gothic and Suspenseful: The story is written in a dark, gothic tone, with a constant sense of dread and mystery. The author uses vivid imagery and a sense of impending doom to create a haunting atmosphere.

Life choices:

Paul’s Choice to Move into the Haunted House: Paul chooses to move into the house despite the obvious warnings. This decision stems from his dissatisfaction with his life and his desire for a fresh start.
Elsie’s Choice to Stay with Paul: Elsie chooses to stay with Paul despite the danger he faces in the house. Her love for him drives her to risk her own safety.

Lessons:

The Dangers of Obsession: The story shows the dangers of allowing oneself to become consumed by a singular focus, particularly when that focus is fueled by fear and mystery.
The Consequences of Ignoring Warnings: Paul ignores the warnings of others and chooses to ignore his own intuition about the house. This decision ultimately leads to his downfall.
The Difficulty of Reconciling Artistic Ideals with the Real World: Paul struggles to reconcile his artistic ideals with the demands of the marketplace, highlighting the tension between creative vision and the need for financial survival.

Characters:

Paul Oleron: A novelist, tired of his life, who moves into a haunted house seeking a fresh start. He is initially drawn to the beauty of the house, but becomes consumed by the mystery surrounding it, leading to his decline.
Elsie Bengough: A journalist and Paul’s close friend, who is concerned about his well-being and warns him about the danger of the house. She is in love with Paul, which ultimately leads to her demise.
The Ghost: A mysterious and vengeful entity that haunts Paul’s house. It is eventually revealed to be a woman connected to Elsie.
Barrett: The agent for the house, a gossipy and suspicious man who becomes an antagonist to Paul.
Schofield: Andriaovsky’s friend and executor, a painter who believes in Andriaovsky’s genius and tries to control the publication of his “Life.”

Themes:

The Nature of Reality: The story explores the boundaries between reality and illusion, questioning the nature of perception and the power of the mind to create and inhabit its own worlds.
Obsession and Madness: The story illustrates the destructive power of obsession and the fine line between fascination and madness.
The Nature of Art: The story explores the tension between artistic integrity and commercial success, as well as the nature of true inspiration and the power of the artist to create and destroy.

Principles:

The Power of Place: The story suggests that place can have a profound influence on individuals, both positively and negatively. The house becomes a symbol of the dark and destructive forces that can be unleashed when we ignore or misunderstand the power of our surroundings.
The Importance of Balance: The story emphasizes the importance of finding balance in life, both in terms of our pursuits and our relationships with others. Paul’s downfall is a result of his inability to find balance in his life, while Elsie’s obsession highlights the dangers of allowing our passions to consume us.
The Necessity of Making Choices: The story explores the difficulty of making difficult choices and the consequences of making the wrong ones. Paul’s choice to embrace the ghost and to abandon his artistic ideals ultimately leads to his destruction.

Intentions:

Paul’s Intentions: Initially, Paul intends to escape his weary life and find a fresh start in the old house. He is drawn to the beauty of the house and hopes to find peace and inspiration there. However, his intentions become increasingly clouded by his obsession with the ghost and his fear for Elsie’s safety.
Elsie’s Intentions: Elsie intends to protect and support Paul, but her love for him becomes a driving force in her life, leading her to disregard her own safety and ultimately causing her demise.
The Ghost’s Intentions: The ghost’s intention is to consume Paul’s soul, driven by jealousy and a desire for revenge.

Unique Vocabulary:

“Widdershins”: This word refers to a movement contrary to the course of the sun, often associated with a sense of mystery and the supernatural. It highlights the unconventional and unsettling nature of the story.
“Art Shades”: This term is used by Andriaovsky to describe artists who are concerned with superficial appearances and trends rather than true artistic expression. It is a derisive term that emphasizes his own view of art as a serious and spiritual pursuit.
“Pif, pan!”: This exclamation, taken from the boxing ring, is used to describe the physical confrontation between Paul and Marsden. It is a humorous and somewhat jarring contrast to the seriousness of the story.

Anecdotes:

The Story of the Harp-Bag: The discovery of the faded harp-bag serves as a symbol of the mysteries hidden within the house. It highlights Paul’s curiosity and his growing sense of unease.
The Story of the Missing Cigarette Case: This anecdote, told by Loder, is a fantastical and somewhat ambiguous tale that serves to introduce the theme of the uncanny and the possibility of the supernatural.

Ideas:

The Power of Place: The story suggests that places can have a profound influence on individuals, shaping their personalities and experiences. The haunted house becomes a symbol of the dark and destructive forces that can be unleashed when we ignore or misunderstand the power of our surroundings.
The Nature of Reality: The story explores the boundaries between reality and illusion, questioning the nature of perception and the power of the mind to create its own worlds. Paul’s descent into madness is a result of his inability to distinguish between his own fears and the actual reality of the haunted house.
The Nature of Art: The story explores the tension between artistic integrity and commercial success. Paul’s struggle with his own artistic conscience highlights the difficulty of reconciling artistic ideals with the demands of the marketplace.

Facts and Findings:

The History of the House: The vicar reveals that the house was previously inhabited by an artist named Madley who died in the house under mysterious circumstances. This information adds to the mystery surrounding the house and connects it to the theme of artistic obsession.
The Nature of the Ghost: The ghost is eventually revealed to be a woman connected to Elsie, adding to the ambiguity and complexity of the story.

Statistics:

The Price of the House: Oleron purchases the house for a relatively low price, reflecting its derelict state and the unsettling nature of its location.

Points of View:

First-Person Narrative: The story is told from Paul’s perspective, giving the reader intimate access to his thoughts and feelings as he unravels the mysteries of the house. This point of view allows for a gradual escalation of tension and a sense of mounting dread as Paul’s mental state deteriorates.
Multiple Perspectives: The story also incorporates multiple perspectives, including Elsie’s, Barrett’s, and Schofield’s. These perspectives provide different insights into the events surrounding the house and offer a counterpoint to Paul’s increasingly unreliable narration.

Perspective:

The Perspective of the Artist: The story is deeply rooted in the perspective of the artist, exploring the nature of creativity, inspiration, and obsession. Paul’s journey into madness and his eventual demise are directly connected to his artistic pursuits and his inability to reconcile his ideals with the real world.
The Perspective of the Outsider: The story also offers a glimpse into the perspective of the outsiders, including the residents of the square and the gipsies who visit the Abbey Farm. These perspectives highlight the mystery and fear surrounding the house, as well as the social and economic forces that shape the characters’ lives.

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