Appearance
Excerpt
Excerpt from To Be Read at Dusk, by Charles Dickens
‘That’s master’s question,’ said la bella. ‘She don’t know. She wonders
why, herself. But I heard her tell him, only last night, that if she was
to find a picture of that face in our Italian house (which she is afraid
she will) she did not know how she could ever bear it.’
Upon my word I was fearful after this (said the Genoese courier) of our
coming to the old palazzo, lest some such ill-starred picture should
happen to be there. I knew there were many there; and, as we got nearer
and nearer to the place, I wished the whole gallery in the crater of
Vesuvius. To mend the matter, it was a stormy dismal evening when we, at
last, approached that part of the Riviera. It thundered; and the thunder
of my city and its environs, rolling among the high hills, is very loud.
The lizards ran in and out of the chinks in the broken stone wall of the
garden, as if they were frightened; the frogs bubbled and croaked their
loudest; the sea-wind moaned, and the wet trees dripped; and the
lightning—body of San Lorenzo, how it lightened!
We all know what an old palace in or near Genoa is—how time and the sea
air have blotted it—how the drapery painted on the outer walls has peeled
off in great flakes of plaster—how the lower windows are darkened with
rusty bars of iron—how the courtyard is overgrown with grass—how the
outer buildings are dilapidated—how the whole pile seems devoted to ruin.
Our palazzo was one of the true kind. It had been shut up close for
months. Months?—years!—it had an earthy smell, like a tomb. The scent
of the orange trees on the broad back terrace, and of the lemons ripening
on the wall, and of some shrubs that grew around a broken fountain, had
got into the house somehow, and had never been able to get out again.
There was, in every room, an aged smell, grown faint with confinement.
It pined in all the cupboards and drawers. In the little rooms of
communication between great rooms, it was stifling. If you turned a
picture—to come back to the pictures—there it still was, clinging to the
wall behind the frame, like a sort of bat.
Explanation
Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from To Be Read at Dusk by Charles Dickens
Context of the Story
To Be Read at Dusk (1852) is a short ghost story by Charles Dickens, originally published in his weekly journal Household Words. The tale is framed as a narrative told by a Genoese courier to a group of travelers, recounting a chilling experience in an abandoned Italian palazzo. The story blends Gothic horror with psychological unease, exploring themes of memory, fear, and the lingering presence of the past.
This excerpt occurs near the beginning, as the courier describes the ominous approach to the palazzo where his master and a mysterious woman (referred to as "la bella") are staying. The woman is haunted by the fear of encountering a portrait of a face she dreads—one that may be hidden in the decaying mansion.
Themes in the Excerpt
The Haunting Power of the Past
- The palazzo is a physical manifestation of decay and forgotten history. The "earthy smell, like a tomb" and the "aged smell, grown faint with confinement" suggest that the past is not just remembered but trapped within the walls.
- The woman’s fear of the portrait implies that some traumatic or unresolved memory is tied to this place. The idea that she "did not know how she could ever bear it" hints at repressed guilt, grief, or terror.
Decay and Ruin
- Dickens paints the palazzo as a crumbling relic, emphasizing its abandonment: "overgrown with grass," "rusty bars of iron," "dilapidated" buildings. This decay mirrors the psychological deterioration of those who encounter it.
- The description of the "drapery painted on the outer walls" peeling away like "great flakes of plaster" symbolizes the erosion of beauty and grandeur over time—a common Gothic motif.
Supernatural Dread and Atmosphere
- The stormy setting ("thundered," "lightning," "sea-wind moaned") creates a sense of impending doom, a classic Gothic technique to heighten tension.
- The courier’s fear that the portrait "should happen to be there" suggests an almost supernatural inevitability—like fate or a curse.
- The comparison of the lingering smell to "a sort of bat" (a creature associated with vampires and the uncanny) reinforces the eerie, otherworldly quality of the house.
Memory and Confinement
- The scents of "orange trees," "lemons," and "shrubs" have "got into the house somehow, and had never been able to get out again." This trapped fragrance symbolizes how memories (and perhaps ghosts) linger inescapably in certain places.
- The "stifling" air in the small rooms suggests that the past is suffocating, inescapable—much like the woman’s fear of the portrait.
Literary Devices & Stylistic Techniques
Imagery (Sensory & Visual)
- Olfactory (Smell): The "earthy smell, like a tomb" and the "aged smell" create a visceral sense of decay. The trapped scents of citrus and shrubs evoke a ghostly presence—something that should have faded but persists.
- Auditory (Sound): The "thunder," "frogs bubbled and croaked," "sea-wind moaned" build an oppressive soundscape, making the setting feel alive with menace.
- Tactile (Touch/Textures): The "broken stone wall," "rusty bars," "peeled plaster" emphasize the physical decay, making the palazzo feel almost like a corpse.
Personification & Pathetic Fallacy
- The storm mirrors the characters’ inner turmoil ("the thunder of my city… is very loud"). The natural world seems to react to human fear.
- The lizards and frogs are described as if they share in the dread ("as if they were frightened"), reinforcing the idea that the place itself is unnatural.
Simile & Metaphor
- The smell clinging to the walls "like a sort of bat" is a striking simile—bats are creatures of the night, associated with vampires and hidden threats.
- The palazzo is metaphorically a "tomb," suggesting death, burial, and the undead.
Repetition & Emphasis
- The courier’s repeated wishes ("I wished the whole gallery in the crater of Vesuvius") show his desperation to avoid the inevitable.
- The phrase "We all know what an old palace in or near Genoa is" invites the reader into a shared understanding of Gothic decay, making the horror feel familiar yet fresh.
Foreshadowing
- The courier’s fear of the portrait hints at a future revelation—likely that the woman will encounter it, and it will be a moment of terror or recognition.
- The trapped scents and the "stifling" air suggest that the house holds secrets that will soon be uncovered.
Significance of the Passage
Gothic Tradition
- Dickens draws heavily from Gothic literature (e.g., Ann Radcliffe, Horace Walpole), using a decaying mansion, a mysterious portrait, and a stormy night to create dread.
- Unlike traditional Gothic tales, however, Dickens grounds the horror in psychological realism—the fear is not just of ghosts, but of memory and guilt.
The Uncanny
- The palazzo is both familiar (a home) and alien (a tomb). The trapped scents, the bat-like smell, and the feared portrait all contribute to Freud’s concept of the uncanny—something that is strangely familiar yet deeply unsettling.
The Role of the Narrator
- The courier’s perspective makes the story feel like a confessional, as if he is warning the listener (and reader) of an impending horror. His fear is infectious, drawing the audience into the dread.
Symbolism of the Portrait
- The unseen portrait likely represents a repressed truth—perhaps a past lover, a dead relative, or even the woman’s own face, symbolizing self-loathing or guilt.
- The fact that it might be "in our Italian house" suggests that some traumas are inescapable, tied to specific places.
Conclusion: Why This Excerpt is Effective
Dickens masterfully builds tension through sensory immersion (smell, sound, touch) and psychological suggestion (the unseen portrait, the trapped memories). The palazzo is not just a setting but a character—one that breathes, decays, and haunts. The excerpt does not rely on overt supernatural elements but instead creates dread through atmosphere, implication, and the weight of the past.
The true horror may not be a ghost, but the idea that some things cannot be escaped—whether they are memories, guilt, or the inescapable gaze of a painted face. The courier’s fear is our fear: that the past is not dead, but waiting in the shadows of a decaying house, ready to be uncovered when the lightning next flashes.