The story begins with an unnamed narrator recalling the story of a real incident that his grandfather told him. In the dense and remote forests of Cincinnati, in1830, there lived a man named Murlock, who appeared much older than he actually was. This text explores the supernatural aspect of the man’s house and the mystery surrounding his wife’s death, who died many years before he did. The narrator visits the much talked about cabin only to run out of the place with fear. The fact that not many people knew about his wife and her death, and the fear of spirits haunting his cabin, sparks an interest in the mind of the narrator. Much later, he learns about the unfortunate incident of how the death of his wife occurred and Murlock’s lack of grief almost gives rise to suspicion and makes the setting very eerie. It also gives rise to speculation that his wife’s spirit might have been displeased with the way he performed the rituals of her burial. The setting of the unfortunate night when Murlock heard a loud cry, makes us wonder, whether the cry was of that of a wild beast or the spirit herself.
Magic realism can be defined as a literary genre which incorporates
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This line makes the reader think, who was attacking whom? And whether Murlock shot his own wife or she died due to the panther’s attack? Whether she was the one attacking the panther? These are some of the possible conclusions to the inconclusive ending of this short story. Another reason that could be the lack of information surrounding Murlock could be the narrator who learned about the cabin in bits and pieces from his grandfather, who was one of the only people who was around when it took place. The mystery surrounding the cabin adds to the fear of the narrator. The unknown cause of the death of Murlock in his own cabin and the fact that no one knew how he really died makes us think whether the spirit of his wife came back for