Short Fiction · Question
How does Short Fiction develop the theme of Guilt and Retribution?
Answer
Short Fiction by J. Sheridan Le Fanu develops Guilt and Retribution across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
Many stories depict characters facing moral or cosmic justice for their sins, as seen in the brutal comeuppance of the bully Larkin, the haunting of the wicked Judge Harbottle, and the punishment of the drunkard who dies in terror.
Pat Connell's dream of damnation and his subsequent death underscore themes of guilt, punishment, and the consequences of past sins.
The suspicion of murder hanging over Sir Arthur, his eventual escape, and the 'terrible, tremendous retribution' that overtakes him and his son.
The family's history is marked by guilt and eventual supernatural retribution.
Evidence in the book
- The Drunkard's Dream
Pat Connell's dream of damnation and his subsequent death underscore themes of guilt, punishment, and the consequences of past sins.
- Passage in the Secret History of an Irish Countess
The suspicion of murder hanging over Sir Arthur, his eventual escape, and the 'terrible, tremendous retribution' that overtakes him and his son.
- A Chapter in the History of a Tyrone Family
The family's history is marked by guilt and eventual supernatural retribution.
- An Adventure of Hardress Fitzgerald, a Royalist Captain
Fitzgerald reflects on 'deeds of necessary but dire severity' that troubled him, hinting at guilt and the potential for retribution.
- Spalatro
The narrator's past indulgences and moral decay are punished through supernatural torment, reflecting guilt and retribution.
- The Mysterious Lodger
The narrator's guilt over his child's death and his anger at God suggest a theme of perceived divine retribution.
- The Village Bully
Larkin's brutal beating of Ned Moran leads to a supernatural retribution, leaving him paralyzed and destitute, tormented by guilt.
- The Sexton’s Adventure
The suicide of Philip Slaney and the supernatural temptation of Bob Martin as a consequence of his past intemperance.
