The Beetle · Question
How does The Beetle develop the theme of The Foreign and the Occult?
Answer
The Beetle by Richard Marsh develops The Foreign and the Occult across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
The Beetle is associated with ancient Egyptian mysticism and foreign, exotic horrors, reflecting Victorian anxieties about colonialism, the occult, and the unknown 'other' invading domestic English spaces.
Lessingham's allusion to the Rue de Rabagas and his fear of a past connected to foreign, occult experiences underscore the theme of the exotic and threatening.
The visitor's Oriental appearance, claim to be a child of Isis, and mesmeric abilities embody the exotic and occult threat.
The Beetle is described as an Oriental figure with uncanny eyes and powers, linking foreignness to occult menace.
Evidence in the book
- VII: The Great Paul Lessingham
Lessingham's allusion to the Rue de Rabagas and his fear of a past connected to foreign, occult experiences underscore the theme of the exotic and threatening.
- A Morning Visitor
The visitor's Oriental appearance, claim to be a child of Isis, and mesmeric abilities embody the exotic and occult threat.
- XVIII: The Apotheosis of the Beetle
The Beetle is described as an Oriental figure with uncanny eyes and powers, linking foreignness to occult menace.
- XXXI: The Terror by Day
The Eastern carpet, the depiction of Isis and human sacrifice, and the beetle motif evoke foreign and occult elements that intrude into the familiar English setting.
- After Twenty Years
The Rue de Rabagas and the 'Woman of the Songs' represent an exotic, threatening foreign influence that continues to haunt Lessingham.
- A Bringer of Tidings
The Beetle is referred to as an 'Oriental friend' and an 'infernal conjurer,' linking the threat directly to foreign and occult forces.
- Miss Louisa Coleman
The mysterious tenant, Mohamed el Kheir, is an 'Arab party' whose appearance, voice, and behavior are portrayed as alien and sinister, reinforcing the link between foreignness and occult menace.
- XLII: The Quarry Doubles
The Beetle's Arab disguise and his mysterious, unsettling presence highlight themes of foreignness and occult influence.
