Love and Sacrifice

Romantic love is often portrayed as doomed or fraught with peril, as in Schalken's love for Rose, which is interrupted by a demonic pact, or the passionate but tragic attachments that lead to ruin and heartbreak.

The mother's intense, almost idolizing love for her son and her grief after his loss highlight the theme of love and sacrifice.

The narrator's deep love for her friend who dies in her place, and her wish that she had been spared instead.

Ellen Heathcote's tragic love for young O'Mara leads to her death, highlighting the destructive power of unrequited love and sacrifice.

Schalken's enduring love for Rose is evident, and her mysterious fate suggests a sacrifice to a sinister marriage.