The Oval Portrait: Edgar Allan Poe

 

Summary

The narrator, wounded and restless, was making a journey through the mountainous region of central Italy called the Apennines one night with his valet Pedro. They needed to pass the night in a shelter in an old abandoned chateau. The valet did not want his boss to spend the night out in the open air and hence forcibly took him into the mansion.  

They confined themselves in one of the dark rooms, and the narrator ponders over the strange paintings, tapestries and trophies adorning the walls of the room. He reads a small book he had found on the pillow of the bed, which contains historical information about the paintings. At around midnight, he adjusts the candelabrum in the room and his eye catches a portrait he hadn’t previously noticed, in an oval-shaped frame, depicting a young girl on the threshold of womanhood. The narrator is captivated by this portrait, which seems life-like; but he soon becomes appalled by it. He turns to the book and reads the entry detailing the history behind the oval portrait. The woman depicted in it was the young bride of the painter and she was a perfect wife in every respect – except that she was jealous of her husband’s art that distracted him from her. The artist paints a portrait of his wife and becomes more and more obsessed with capturing her likeness until he ends up spending all of his time gazing at the portrait of his wife, and hardly any time looking at her. She becomes weaker and weaker, dispirited from losing her husband’s love as he stops paying her attention and becomes more and more preoccupied with the painting. When he has just about finished the portrait and turns to regard his wife, it is to find that she has died.

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 the text

Answer these questions.

a. Where did the narrator and his servant make a forcible entrance?

The narrator and his servant Pedro made a forcible entrance into a desolate Chateau which was located in the mountainous region called the Apennines of central Italy. The narrator was badly wounded. His valet didn't want him to stay out under the sky and forced him to get inside the abandoned mansion without anyone's permission.

b. Which special picture did the narrator notice in the room?

When the narrator adjusted the candelabrum on the table, a ray of light from one of the tongues fell on that side of the wall which was previously dark. He noticed an oval-shaped portrait in a filigreed frame. The young and radiant girl was maturing into womanhood. The picture of that woman was beautiful which arrested his attention. The narrator was, in fact, overwhelmed to look at the perfect piece of artwork.
The picture of the young girl made him awake and too much curious. Later, he turned the pages of a volume that he had discovered under the pillow which contained historical information about the painting.

c. Describe the portrait that the narrator saw in the room.

The portrait that the narrator witnessed in that dark room was artistic and life-like. The narrator noticed it when the rays of candelabrum fell on it. It was an oval-shaped portrait of a young girl who was ripening to begin her journey of womanhood. The painting was covered by a filigreed frame. The narrator seemed completely startled to find the girl’s shoulder and head with radiant hair that looked real. The brushwork of the painting was perfect and of the highest standard.
He felt arrested in his attention and had an impulse to look it further. He shut his eyes once and opened them only to be appalled looking at it. He couldn't believe his eyes that such a wonderful artistic work of superior creativity exists.

d. What is the relationship between the portrait painter and its subject?

The relationship between the portrait painter and its subject has been that of husband and wife. The husband of the subject ( a young girl) is a passionate painter who has painted his wife's portrait. He has done the task taking several weeks.

Reference to the context

 

a. What is the central theme of the story? Who is the woman depicted in the oval portrait?

The central theme of the short story 'The Oval Portrait' is the interrelationship between life, love, and art. The story captures the destructive nature of art and love. Art and love can inspire a sensible person to artistic perfection whereas they can also invite destructive outcomes if there is a lack of consistency and compromise in them. The painter has excelled through his artistic perfection but has made his wife victim to his artistic adventure. The girl’s excessive loyalty and passivity draw her towards her own death. Her passionate love for her groom restrains her to protest when she takes a pose to help him paint her picture on the canvass. She yields to her husband’s whims and fancies controlling her natural temptation taking the pose and self-ruining herself. Excessive passion is impractical to lead to a destructive outcome.

The woman depicted in the portrait is no other but the bride of the painter himself.

b. "The Oval Portrait" is a short horror story by Edgar Allan Poe involving the disturbing circumstances surrounding a portrait in a chateau. Elaborate.

This short story is presented in a terrible and gloomy setting of a desolate Chateau in one of the mountainous regions of central Italy. The Chateau was completely abandoned, isolated, old-fashioned and lacked management. Things were strewn everywhere to create a scene of chaos inside. Thus the setting inside and outside of the abandoned mansion creates a frightening environment. The darkroom where the narrator and his valet spent the night had much decorative stuff hung on walls like tapestries, trophies, and paintings. The oval-shaped portrait was fixed on that part of the wall which the narrator did not notice previously as it was covered in darkness. The portrait had a beautiful filigreed frame. The arrival of the visitors also added suspicion in the environment. The wounded condition of the narrator further creates doubts and suspicion in the minds of the readers.

c. "The Oval Portrait" suggests that the woman's beauty condemns her to death. Discuss.

The story suggests that the woman's beauty condemns her to death. The painter is not happy in having a charming bride in flesh and blood. He is adventurous and excessively possessive to have a life-like painting of his wife too. He is a quite passionate and obsessive painter to indulge more in the artwork than in the love and romance with his wife. He entrusts his wife to take a pose on a chair to facilitate him paint her picture. He is completely engrossed in his artwork that he ignores what may have come to pass on his wife. She endures her mental agony and physical suffering controlling her natural temptation taking a pose continuously for days and nights together. Alas! He takes a longer time duration to get his job done and by the time he has a life-like portrait and looks at her, she is already dead.

d. Discuss the story as a frame narrative (a story within a story).

The frame narrative is a literary technique that presents a story within a story. The present story has a distinct plot about the narrator and his valet walking through difficult terrain in central Italy at night. The next story follows when the narrator begins to go through an entry in the volume to gain insight into the oval-painting. The first story leads to the next story. Although both the stories are fittingly immersed with each other they are distinct. The readers’ curiosity is sustained through the progression of events. The description of the oval-shaped portrait and consequent historical information about the painting leads to the next story.


e. The story is told in a descriptive style, with plenty of imagery and symbolism. Which images and symbols do you find in the story?

The author has skillfully used various images and symbols. He has used them to emphasize the gothic atmosphere and create a terribly frightening setting to weave his plot. The elements are horror is heightened to create doubt and suspicion. In the same vein, the author exploits the theme of darkness and light to create an artistic effect. The location of the Chateau in a desolate and isolated setting sets the initial thriller to capture and sustain readers’ attention.  Additionally, the image of two visitors in the dark desolate setting has heightened the readers’ interest. Inside the abandoned mansion, various images like that of a dark turret, an arrangement of things, torrents, etc add further confusion. The wall tapestries, trophies, and the oval painting, candelabrum, book, rays of light, etc are other images that contribute to building the setting of horror. Like images, the symbols also have played a vital role to understand this story on its deeper level. The oval portrait symbolizes mortality of love and immortality of art. This portrait reveals how art can snatch the life of its main subject (wife of the painter). Her love for her husband leads her to death whereas her husband’s passion for artwork has made him immortal in his artwork. The time of the artwork also symbolizes the painter's obsession where he has forgotten everything around him and led his wife to death.

f. What does the expression “She was dead!” mean?

 The expression ‘She was dead" means the shocking realization by the painter of the death of his wife on the chair. He was engrossed in his artwork and disregarded what may happen to his bride continuously taking a pose for him day and night together. When he accomplished his task and turned towards his wife for an exchange of satisfaction, he found her dead. Thus, his foolish endeavor has invited her to be a victim to succumb her life. The bride dies just after her husband has perfected her portrait with the cry,’ this is indeed Life itself’. The story is warning about the danger of neglecting reality. The painter wrapped up in art itself, commits a grave irreversible error.

 

Reference beyond the text

a. Do you think there is life in art?

I don't think there is life in art. Art is a human natural instinct. Art is meaningful as it is related to life. In a literal sense, artists create life in art. They endeavor to reflect life within the art.

b. As a thing of art nothing could be more admirable than the painting itself. Explain.

The statement holds the truth. Painting is an admirable form of art. The artist put in real efforts to create a superior piece of work. A life-like painting depicts real life in society. The painting reflects facets of life. The oval portrait is one of the finest examples which has startled the narrator. He feels completely baffled to see that painting. He further consults a volume to gain insight into the painting.

c. A more intense look at the painting reveals the illusion. Have you noticed any such paintings?

Yes, I have had an opportunity to go through such a painting. The painting draws meaning only when it is watched by a sincere viewer who commands some knowledge in the technicalities involved in the artwork. But for the ordinary viewers, painting may not make much difference.

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