# Guilt and Retribution in Short Fiction

> Theme guide for Short Fiction by J. Sheridan Le Fanu.

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.

## Where it surfaces

- [The Drunkard's Dream](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/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](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/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](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/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](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/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](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/spalatro): The narrator's past indulgences and moral decay are punished through supernatural torment, reflecting guilt and retribution.
- [The Mysterious Lodger](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/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](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/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](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/the-sexton-s-adventure): The suicide of Philip Slaney and the supernatural temptation of Bob Martin as a consequence of his past intemperance.
- [An Account of Some Strange Disturbances in Aungier Street](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/an-account-of-some-strange-disturbances-in-aungier-street): The haunting may be tied to past sins or crimes, as suggested by the house's history and the sinister figure in the portrait.
- [V: The Man with the Claret Mark](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/v-the-man-with-the-claret-mark): Ultor De Lacy speaks of a 'horrible feud' and a curse that haunts his family, suggesting past sins demanding retribution.
- [VIII: Sister Agnes and the Portrait](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/viii-sister-agnes-and-the-portrait): Walter De Lacy's execution of O'Donnell, seen as cruel, leads to a curse that seeks retribution against the family.
- [IX: The Funeral Visitation](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/ix-the-funeral-visitation): Aunt Margaret's unaccountable antipathy and the men's flight suggest a hidden guilt or retribution theme.
- [Wicked Captain Walshawe, of Wauling](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/wicked-captain-walshawe-of-wauling): The captain's cruelty in life leads to his restless spirit, suggesting a moral reckoning beyond death.
- [III: My Uncle Watson Visits Wauling](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/iii-my-uncle-watson-visits-wauling): Captain Walshawe's unrepentant life and grotesque death suggest a moral reckoning, though delayed.
- [VI: The Extinguisher Is Lifted](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/vi-the-extinguisher-is-lifted): The ghostly figure appears in 'unspeakable despair,' hinting at a past transgression and a haunting that may be tied to guilt.
- [VII: The Visitation Culminates](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/vii-the-visitation-culminates): The spectral figure's actions—retrieving papers and winking maliciously—suggest a hidden crime or secret, hinting at themes of guilt and impending judgment.
- [Conclusion](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/conclusion): The discovery of the hidden papers and the haunting suggest retribution for the Captain's past misdeeds.
- [Squire Toby's Will](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/squire-toby-s-will): Charles's guilt over suppressing the deed manifests in terrifying nightmares and supernatural visitations, culminating in his death.
- [Green Tea](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/green-tea): Jennings' torment may be interpreted as a manifestation of guilt or divine punishment for his secret doubts and sins.
- [VI: How Mr. Jennings Met His Companion](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/vi-how-mr-jennings-met-his-companion): Mr. Jennings's obsessive study of pagan metaphysics is presented as a degrading fascination that brings a nemesis, suggesting a moral retribution.
- [VII: The Journey: First Stage](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/vii-the-journey-first-stage): The narrator's torment by the monkey suggests a punishment for past sins or a guilty conscience.
- [VIII: The Second Stage](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/viii-the-second-stage): Jennings's torment suggests a hidden guilt or moral failing, with the monkey as an agent of retribution drawing him 'interiorly into hell.'
- [X: Home](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/x-home): Mr. Jennings's sense of being delivered over to spiritual reprobation and his eventual suicide imply a theme of guilt and self-inflicted retribution.
- [The White Cat of Drumgunniol](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/the-white-cat-of-drumgunniol): Con Donovan's secret guilt over Ellen Coleman leads to his haunting and death, suggesting retribution.
- [The Magician Earl](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/the-magician-earl): The Earl and his household are punished for his dabbling in forbidden magic and his wife's curiosity, remaining enchanted until the silver shoes wear through.
- [The Vision of Tom Chuff](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/the-vision-of-tom-chuff): Tom's vision warns him of divine judgment, and his eventual death in the bog fulfills that retribution.
- [Madam Crowl's Ghost](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/madam-crowl-s-ghost): Dame Crowl's presumed murder of the boy and her subsequent haunting suggest a theme of guilt and supernatural retribution.
- [VII: Descending](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/vii-descending): The narrator's morbid reserve and refusal to seek help, hinting at an internalized guilt or complicity in her own decline.
- [X: Bereaved](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/x-bereaved): The General speaks of subserving 'the vengeance of Heaven' and plans to unearth the Karnstein tombs to rid the earth of 'monsters,' indicating a quest for retribution.
- [XIII: The Woodman](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/xiii-the-woodman): General Spielsdorf's quest to decapitate the vampire reflects a personal vendetta and a desire for retribution against the supernatural predator.
- [Ordeal and Execution](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/xv-ordeal-and-execution): The execution of the vampire serves as a form of retribution for the centuries of plague and suffering inflicted on the region.
- [The Dead Sexton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/the-dead-sexton): Crooke's past as a scamp and his sudden reformation hint at hidden guilt; his violent death suggests retribution.
- [Mr. Justice Harbottle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/mr-justice-harbottle): Judge Harbottle's guilt over Pyneweck's execution manifests in a supernatural trial and execution, emphasizing inescapable moral justice.
- [I: The Judge’s House](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/i-the-judge-s-house): The ghostly visitation and the house's haunted reputation suggest a lingering guilt or retribution tied to Judge Harbottle's evil deeds.
- [III: Lewis Pyneweck](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/iii-lewis-pyneweck): The Judge's past wrong against Pyneweck haunts him through the attempted trick, yet he feels no guilt; the theme of retribution is inverted as the guilty judge seeks to punish the victim.
- [IV: Interruption in Court](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/iv-interruption-in-court): Judge Harbottle is haunted by a vision of the executed Lewis Pyneweck, suggesting supernatural retribution for his role in the man's death.
- [V: Caleb Searcher](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/v-caleb-searcher): Judge Harbottle is confronted with a supernatural indictment for his judicial corruption, embodying the theme of inescapable moral justice.
- [VI: Arrested](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/vi-arrested): The Judge's abduction and the appearance of the dead footman and the gallows suggest a supernatural retribution for his past misdeeds.
- [VII: Chief Justice Twofold](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/vii-chief-justice-twofold): Judge Harbottle's nightmare serves as a supernatural punishment for his earthly misdeeds, culminating in a grotesque trial and physical torment.
- [VIII: Somebody Has Got Into the House](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/viii-somebody-has-got-into-the-house): Judge Harbottle is consumed by guilt and fear over his prophetic dream of execution, which he interprets as a sign of impending retribution for his past misdeeds.
- [IX: The Judge Leaves His House](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/ix-the-judge-leaves-his-house): The Judge's violent death and the ghostly visions suggest a supernatural reckoning for his past sins.
- [The Familiar](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/the-familiar): The haunting suggests a past transgression and a looming punishment for the protagonist.
- [II: The Watcher](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/ii-the-watcher): Barton's past life, which he hates to remember, is vaguely connected to the persecution, suggesting guilt and impending retribution.
- [III: An Advertisement](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/iii-an-advertisement): Barton's extreme anxiety and his cryptic questions about death and disease suggest a hidden guilt or fear of retribution, possibly linked to his past as a ship captain.
- [IV: He Talks with a Clergyman](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/iv-he-talks-with-a-clergyman): Barton's belief that retribution follows guilt through mysterious and terrible agencies.
- [V: Mr. Barton States His Case](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/v-mr-barton-states-his-case): Barton's sense of being charged with 'hideous crimes' and threatened with 'eternal misery' suggests a deep-seated guilt and fear of retribution.
- [VI: Seen Again](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/vi-seen-again): Barton's torment suggests a hidden guilt or past sin that manifests as a supernatural pursuer, hinting at retributive justice.
- [VII: Flight](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/vii-flight): Barton's despair and sense of doomed fate suggest an underlying guilt or retribution driving his haunting.
- [VIII: Softened](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/viii-softened): Barton's torment is framed as divine punishment for past sins, with the 'Watcher' acting as an agent of retribution. His vision of forgiveness suggests a possible end to his suffering.
- [IX: Requiescat](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/ix-requiescat): Barton's past sin—a guilty attachment and harsh punishment of a sailor—is implied to be the cause of his supernatural persecution and death.
- [Sir Dominick's Bargain](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/sir-dominick-s-bargain): Sir Dominick's growing guilt and fear of damnation, his attempts at repentance, and the looming retribution as the seven-year bargain nears its end.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/themes/guilt_and_retribution
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/themes