Love and Sacrifice

Where it surfaces

• The Last Heir of Castle Connor

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

• Passage in the Secret History of an Irish Countess

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

• The Bridal of Carrigvarah

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

• Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter

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

• Scraps of Hibernian Ballads

  The ballad of Phaudhrig Crohoore centers on love, rivalry, and the dramatic interruption of a wedding.

• Jim Sulivan’s Adventures in the Great Snow

  Jim's initial love for Nell leads to his suffering, and the story explores the complexities of marriage, loss, and reconciliation.

• A Chapter in the History of a Tyrone Family

  The narrative explores the destructive consequences of love and the sacrifices made by family members.

• An Adventure of Hardress Fitzgerald, a Royalist Captain

  Fitzgerald's loyalty to King James and willingness to risk his life for the cause exemplify sacrifice.

• Spalatro

  The narrator's obsessive love for the 'beautiful destroyer' leads to his spiritual and physical ruin, with themes of sacrifice and warning.

• Billy Malowney's Taste of Love and Glory

  Billy's love for Molly leads to marriage, but his impulsive enlistment and subsequent death in battle highlight the sacrifices love can entail.

• The Spectre Lovers

  The backstory of Captain Devereux ruining a young woman who died heartbroken introduces a tragic, sacrificial love element.

• VI: Voices

  Alice's loving concern for Una and her willingness to accept separation reflect themes of familial love and sacrifice.

• VII: Una’s Love

  Una's parting gift of 'Una's love' and her sister's desperate attempts to save her highlight themes of familial love and sacrifice.

• I: Peg O’Neill Pays the Captain’s Debts

  Peg O'Neill's romantic elopement leads to her suffering and broken heart.

• Carmilla

  The intense, almost obsessive bond between Carmilla and the narrator blurs the line between affection and predation, exploring themes of forbidden love and sacrifice.

• II: A Guest

  The mother's willingness to leave her daughter with strangers to continue her urgent journey, and the narrator's father's offer of hospitality, reflect themes of sacrifice and care.

• III: We Compare Notes

  The intense, immediate bond and fondness between the narrator and Carmilla, with hints of romantic attraction and emotional vulnerability.

• IV: Her Habits—A Saunter

  Carmilla's passionate declarations and possessive love for the narrator blur the line between affection and obsession.

• V: A Wonderful Likeness

  Carmilla's intense declarations of love ('I live in you; and you would die for me') blur the line between romantic devotion and predatory obsession.

• VI: A Very Strange Agony

  Carmilla's cryptic remarks about love requiring sacrifice and blood, and her reference to a 'cruel love' that nearly killed her, intertwine romance with danger.

• VII: Descending

  Carmilla's 'languid adoration' and devoted attention to the narrator, which masks a parasitic, draining influence.

• Search

  Laura's intense emotional reaction to Carmilla's absence and return highlights a deep, possibly romantic attachment.

• IX: The Doctor

  The protective measures taken by Laura's father and the doctor reflect a sacrificial care for her well-being.

• The Story

  The immediate and intense attraction between Millarca and the General's ward hints at a doomed or sacrificial love.

• A Petition

  The narrator's willingness to care for Millarca out of a sense of chivalry and affection for her ward reflects themes of love and sacrifice.

• XIV: The Meeting

  General Montague's desperate attempts to save his ward reflect love and sacrifice.

• Conclusion

  Baron Vordenburg's ancestor, once Mircalla's lover, concealed her tomb to protect her from desecration.