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Theme Of Death In Literature Essay

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Death has always been one of the most essential elements in weird fiction. It brings the dark and creepy atmosphere in the story which creates the attraction of the tale. There are varied types of death used in literature; in “The Night Wire” by H. F. Arnold, Morgan died in such a mysterious manner that readers can hardly explain what really happened, whereas the deaths of Mrs. De Ropp in “Sredni Vashtar” by H. H. Munroe and both characters in Hugh Walpole’s “The Tarn” are more obvious. From my point of view, “The Night Wire” uses the death most effectively to disturb the reader because of the inexplicable reason behind Morgan’s death. In “Sredni Vashtar”, Conradin was oppressed by Mrs. De Ropp for a long time “for his good” (53), stressed of losing his freedom …show more content…

As far as Fenwick’s concerned, Foster is blamed for his failure in career because Foster, somehow, has always surpassed him in every work. Even Foster’s character: “He could not bear to be disliked; he hated that anyone should think ill of him; he wanted everyone to be his friend” (241) utterly contradicts to that of Fenwick: “He did not want friends; he certainly did not care that people should like him” (241). And why did he ask Foster for a walk and show him his tarn on the hill? Wasn’t he having “some further design in this” (243)? There is no evidence that the murder of Foster has been arranged in advance, but perhaps the severe hatred and envy have developed so deeply within Fenwick’s mind that in a moment he decided to push his friend into the cold water of the tarn which is, in his perception, his real partner. In the end, once again the weird element takes part in the death of Fenwick himself; drowning in the silent water that came out of nowhere, Fenwick took his last breath the same way Foster

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